Two alumni contribute Rs 8 crore for auditorium, swimming pool at IIMA

Ahmedabad

IIM Ahmedabad(IIMA) campus will have swimming pool facility possibly in next two years. The swimming pool will come up in IIMA new campus. It will be named after its sponsor company IIFL.

Mr. Nirmal Jain, Chairman, IIFL is contributing towards setting up a swimming pool which will be another addition towards making the sport complex of IIIMA at par with the best campuses internationally.

Jain is passionate about sports and therefore choose to contribute Rs 3 crore for swimming pool, said Prof. Arvind Sahay.

Jain is founder and chairman of IIFL Holdings Limited. He is 1989 PGDM(Post Graduate Diploma in Management) from IIMA, a Chartered Accountant and a rank-holder Cost Accountant. He started his career in 1989 with Hindustan Lever Limited, the Indian arm of Unilever.

In another development, the IMDC auditorium of IIMA new camps has been named after Mr PP Gupta, Managing Director, Techno Electric & Engineering Company Ltd. Gupta who was present today at IIMA campus is contributing Rs 5 crore for upgradation of the IMDC auditorium to international standards and its maintenance for the next 25 years.

Aged about 65 years Gupta is a Bachelor in Engineering and a Post Graduate in Business Management from IIMA. He was associated with the Planning Commission, Government of India, as a Financial Analyst and Management Consultant, deputed to Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited(BHEL) and as an adviser in the merchant banking division of the erstwhile ANZ Grindlays Bank, Kolkata.

Speaking today at campus, Shri Gupta recalled great faculty members including Rangarajan, Kamla Chaudhary, RJ Mathai and said IIMA doesn’t have skill building curriculum but personality building curriculum. Shri Gupta had announced his contribution during the reunion function of year 1974 alumni batch.

Speaking to DeshGujarat, Shri Gupta said the sum will be used not just for auditorium but also for other infrastructural works.

Speaking on this occasion Prof Arvind Sahay said this is the first contribution received from alumni members for infrastructural needs of campus. He said he hope other alumni will come forward to contribute for other infra related projects including library, class rooms, seminar rooms, dormitories, domes. He said individual contribution and naming is different from earlier practice of contribution by entire batches. Year 1989 batch for instance had contributed for sports complex in campus a few years ago. Generally, the institute takes contribution from alumni for research and faculty and students scholarship, but this is for the first time that infrastructural side has been opened for contribution.

Director of IIMA Prof. Ashish Nanda said, “our alumni are out strength. Their desire to contribute to their alma mater helps us maintain IIMA’s high standards. Mr. Gupta’s contribution will meet an imminent need: upgradation of the IMDC Auditorium into a state-of-the-art facility.”

In reply to a question regarding Louis Kahan Plaza(LKP) restoration work status Shri Nanda said, “the task may continue for next five years. It’s like jigsaw. We will need to move some facilities for restoring task. Library faculty wing, classrooms will need to be shifted to existing KLMDC building during the process.”

It should be mentioned that Louis Kahan Plaza(LKP) suffered some damage due to year 2001 earthquake.

Prof. Sahay said IIMA has collected Rs 55 crore fund in 18-month period from alumni.

– DeshGujarat