(Photo: IIT Delhi Alumnus Dr Amit Sinha with his wife Ms. Deepali Sinha)

New Delhi- IIT Delhi alumnus Dr. Amit Sinha (B. Tech., Electrical Engineering, 1998) has gifted an endowment of INR 10 crores (USD 1.34 million) to the Institute, through the Amit & Deepali Sinha Foundation, to support the establishment of various student fellowships, scholarships, and development programs, as well as faculty chairs in key technology fields.

The endowment will establish a first of its kind full-ride fellowship (covering all education related expenses at the institute) at IIT Delhi for the top 5 undergraduate students joining the Institute each year, for all four years, based on their JEE Advanced rank. Of the 5 fellowships, one would be awarded to the top woman JEE ranker joining the Institute, aiming to encourage women in STEM.

In addition, the endowment will establish 15 student scholarships to provide financial assistance to students from economically weaker backgrounds, along with two leadership-based awards for third year students to support internship/exchange programs.

The endowment will also establish two faculty chairs to promote research in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. The Electrical Engineering chair will promote research in areas such as wireless communications, renewable energy, and nanoelectronics, while the Computer Science chair will promote research in areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and quantum computing.

Acknowledging the contribution, Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Director, IIT Delhi said, “I would like to thank Amit and Deepali Sinha for their generous endowment. Alumni contributions are an important resource to enhance an institute’s competitiveness in attracting both students and faculty. IIT Delhi is proud of such alumni who serve as role models for our students. It is a testimony to the high regard they have for their institute and an acknowledgement of the role IIT Delhi has played in their careers. We wish them further success.”

Prof. P.V.M. Rao, Dean, Alumni Relations, while sharing his thoughts said, “Amit’s generous contribution will help us in attracting best students to the Institute leading to academic excellence and student success.”

Dr. Amit Sinha is President and Member of the Board of Directors of Zscaler, a cloud-based information security company headquartered in San Jose, California. Together with his wife, Ms. Deepali Sinha, they have setup the Amit & Deepali Sinha Foundation to promote academic excellence, health, and wellness. The Foundation provides fellowships and endowments at leading academic institutions worldwide and supports multiple non-profits.

Explaining their motivation to contribute to the advancement of IIT Delhi, Dr. Sinha reminisced, “We both grew up in ordinary middle-class families in Jamshedpur, India. As I reflect on the journey that got me to where I am today, I am constantly reminded of how central IIT Delhi has been in shaping my life. Some of my most memorable years, deep friendships and strong career foundations were forged on campus at IIT Delhi, for which I shall be eternally grateful.” 

Adding to this, Mr. Vinay Piparsania, CEO, IIT Delhi Endowment Management Foundation mentioned, “Amit’s contributions to these programs will not only inspire students but become a testimony of excellence for the future generations to come.”

Dr. Sinha earned his S.M. and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, and his B. Tech. in Electrical Engineering from IIT Delhi, where he was also awarded the President of India Gold Medal. He has authored over 25 journal/conference papers, contributed to 3 books, and is the inventor of 36 US patents granted or pending. Outside Zscaler, Dr. Sinha is an Independent Director at DataRobot, an AI Cloud platform company. He is also an investor and advisor to several startups.