Plaksha University, a technology university reimagining higher education and research in India, announced the launch of its pioneering School of AI & Computer Science on its Foundation Day, paving the way for India to become a global hub for emerging technology research and education. The announcement follows a ₹1500 crore fundraise milestone achieved through collaborative goodwill since its establishment.
Rakesh Bharti Mittal (Bharti Foundation), Harish and Bina Shah Foundation, Axis Bank, Havells, Deepak Parekh (HT Parekh Foundation), Binny Bansal (Ex-Flipkart), Suchitra Lohia (Indorama Ventures), Hitesh Oberoi and Ambarish Raghuvanshi (Info Edge), Neeraj Aggarwal (BCG), and SK Jain (RatnaTraya Capital) are among India’s most influential business leaders and entrepreneurs.
This unprecedented collaboration reflects a shared vision among these industry titans to redefine the future of technology education in India. Their collective commitment highlights the crucial role of private philanthropy in building world-class academic institutions that focus on technical excellence and create societal impact.
The School of AI & Computer Science, backed by the Harish & Bina Shah Foundation, will be a global hub for interdisciplinary AI research and education. The school will focus on AI applications in healthcare, sustainability, and ethics while fostering entrepreneurship and robotics. With strong industry partnerships and collaborations with top global institutions like Penn Engineering and the University of California, Berkeley, students will gain international exposure and hands-on experience with real-world challenges.
Harish Shah, Founder and Managing Director of Signet Capital, emphasized the transformative potential of AI education:
Artificial intelligence will be central to addressing the world’s most pressing issues, from healthcare to sustainability. Plaksha’s interdisciplinary approach will develop future AI leaders and ensure they are equipped to create meaningful global impact. We are proud to support this visionary initiative.
Complementing the School of AI & Computer Science, Plaksha also inaugurated the HDFC Limited Innovation Hub, supported by the HT Parekh Foundation. Spanning 25,500 sq. ft. across two floors, the Innovation Hub is designed to be a beacon of entrepreneurial growth and technological advancement. It will foster hands-on learning, design thinking, and collaborative projects, bringing together students, faculty, and industry experts to tackle real-world problems and develop solutions with societal impact.
The ₹1500 crore obtained through the collective assistance effort will fund the establishment of cutting-edge research centres and labs and scholarships for meritorious students, ensuring access to world-class education without financial restrictions.
Prof. Rudra Pratap, Founding Vice Chancellor of Plaksha University, added:
With the launch of the School of AI & Computer Science and the HDFC Limited Innovation Hub, we are building an ecosystem where students are not only technically skilled but also socially conscious innovators.
These landmark announcements were made during Plaksha University’s Foundation Day celebrations at its Mohali campus. The event brought together industry stalwarts, academic leaders, and policymakers, reflecting the university’s commitment to fostering collaboration between academia and industry.
The day’s highlights included a fireside chat with Deepak Parekh and Rakesh Bharti Mittal about the future of industry-academia collaboration and a keynote address by Shri B. V. R. Subrahmanyam, CEO of NITI Aayog, on India’s innovation landscape. Panel discussions focused on the transformative impact of AI and technology in societal development, including academics such as Prof. Chiranjib from IISc and industry executives such as Srikant Velamakanni, Founder of Fractal Analytics and Vice Chairperson of Nasscom, and Binny Bansal, Co-Founder of Flipkart.
Founded by a global community of more than 100 technology and business leaders, Plaksha envisions reimagining technology education and research for India and the world. With strong partnerships with UC Berkeley, Purdue, UC San Diego, Cornell University, Penn Engineering, IIT Kanpur and IISc Bengaluru, it aims to nurture and empower a generation of catalytic leaders and create an ecosystem of research and innovation. The university collapses the traditional boundaries of engineering and promotes interdisciplinary learning by combining technology, design and entrepreneurship.
