Ex-IITian pledges $1 million for IIT Kharagpur




An eminent Indian-American entrepreneur and a IIT Kharagpur passout has pledged USD 1 million for setting up a Center for Petroleum Engineering at her alma mater.
Ruma Acharya-Deysarkar worked for Getty Oil and Texaco and Baker Hughes in Oil and Gas Industry in Houston. She founded Grounded Technology and grew the business to employ 50 people - in Construction and Environmental Science area focused in Texas.
She, along with her husband, Asoke Deysarkar pledged to donate the USD 1 million during IIT 2013 Global Conference in Houston.
"IITians want to make a difference to the world and desire to give back," said Partha Sarathi Chatterjee, chair of the conference held between December 5-8.
Pan IIT India, a group of ex-IITians is planning to develop an online portal for the kids in the rural India to take advantage of the online courses. This will be for 6th to 12th Standard students only, he said.
Two other IIT alumni have announced an award up to USD 100,00 each to selected winners of business plan competition.
"Conference was about giving back through inspiring innovation for tomorrow. It was not only about promoting the IIT brand but to encourage and initiate giving back to alma-mater, India and greater humanity through innovation," Chatterjee said.
During the conference Hersh Kumar Legacy Fund and PFP Industries Fund announced to make an investment each of USD 100,000 in startups to be potentially awarded to selected winners of Business Plan Competition.
Some 1,600 world leaders, energy experts, technology professionals and engineers from around the globe attended the IIT 2013 Global Conference in Houston. Among the eminent speakers were Nobel laureate Amartya Sen, former Mexican president Vicente Fox.
Flight Director of NASA's Apollo 13 Mission Gene Kranz delivered the keynote address.
"We know that we are privileged to have that education. As a brood, IItians do not want to just sit on their laurels - but want to leverage their intellect, fame and prosperity to significantly contribute to the nation and world," Chatterjee said.
Inspired by the Conference, one of the delegates have now approached IITKGP to start a "Student Sponsorship" programme and will pay for student tuition for one student approx USD 90,000 per year.
They will pay for years second, third and fourth year also.
With the theme of 'Inspiring Innovation for Tomorrow', the IIT 2013 Global Conference chose STEEL threads - Sustainability, Technology, Education, Energy and Life Sciences - as the five key areas for weaving innovative solutions. 

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