Tata Trusts commits landmark grant to support IIM Bangalore's new undergraduate campus

Tata Trusts has announced a major philanthropic commitment to IIM Bangalore (IIMB), providing a landmark grant that will support the development of the institute’s upcoming School of Undergraduate Studies and strengthen its vision of creating a globally benchmarked undergraduate education ecosystem in India.

The endowment marks a significant step in IIM Bangalore’s efforts to expand beyond its renowned postgraduate and executive programmes and establish a dedicated undergraduate campus in Bengaluru. The new campus, located around 27 kilometres from the institute’s main campus, is aimed at delivering multidisciplinary education backed by world-class infrastructure, research capabilities and academic excellence.

The undergraduate school will begin operations in August this year with two four-year residential programmes — a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Economics with a minor in Data Science, and a Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Data Science with a minor in Economics. The inaugural batch will comprise 80 students, with 40 seats in each programme.

MUST READ: A true Titan! Tata Sons chairman declines pay hike for FY26 amid group uncertainty: Report

According to IIM Bangalore, the curriculum has been designed to combine economics, data science and business studies in an interdisciplinary format that prepares students for increasingly data-driven and technology-intensive markets.

The Tata Trusts' grant will help create world-class academic and residential facilities while enabling the establishment of research clusters focused on emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, algorithmic design, Indian Knowledge Systems and applied business learning. The support will also facilitate the recruitment of faculty members from diverse academic disciplines.

Speaking on the occasion, Noel Tata, Chairman of Tata Trusts, said the organisation has historically supported several institutions of national importance and believes in investing during the formative stages when philanthropy can influence the character and ambition of an institution.

MUST READ: Air India's new low-cost move: Pay less, but skip the complimentary meal

“The Tata Trusts have for over a century supported some of India’s most defining institutions like the Tata Memorial Hospital and the Indian Institute of Science. This support reflects the same instinct, to build institutions of enduring value through support at an early, formative stage,” he said.

Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairperson of the Board of Governors at IIM Bangalore, described the contribution as transformative and said such support would help the institute strengthen its position as a globally competitive institution.

Siddharth Sharma, CEO of Tata Trusts, said the partnership reflects the Trusts’ commitment to investing in knowledge and nurturing future leaders. Meanwhile, Professor U Dinesh Kumar, Director-in-Charge of IIM Bangalore, said the programmes have been designed to equip students with technical expertise while encouraging analytical thinking and evidence-based leadership.

Established in 1892, Tata Trusts is among India’s oldest philanthropic institutions and has played a key role in supporting education, healthcare and socio-economic development initiatives across the country.

MUST READ: JLR to focus on bringing back breakeven threshold to 300,000 units in next 2 years: N Chandrasekaran