The alumni of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) from the class of 1981 have generously donated a set of electric buses to the Institution in celebration of their 40-year reunion, taking place on the IIT-M campus on December 21, 2022.
The students of the IIT Madras BTech class of 1981, which consisted of roughly 600 people who had both Bachelor and Master of Technology degrees, made history by donating more money than any other single graduating class. This class began their five-year BTech program in July of 1976 and ultimately graduated in 1981. Many of them proceeded to study abroad after their graduation.
The reunion participants will spend three days visiting their alma mater, looking at the progress made since their graduation almost fifty years ago. They will also meet with the IIT Madras director, V Kamakoti and dean of alumni and corporate relations, Mahesh Panchagnula to discuss the projects they initiated back in 2006 at their 25th reunion.
At the reunion of IIT Madras, director V Kamakoti expressed his gratitude for the Class’s decision to donate electric buses and golf carts to replace the current diesel fleet. This action is a fantastic start towards the mission of attaining a zero carbon campus by 2050, and will be a reminder of the institute’s commitment to everybody on the premises. He then extended his best wishes to the alumni at the reunion.
Krish Bhargavan, a graduate of IIT Madras from the class of 1981, who contributed a Legacy Gift in Electric Mobility, commented that IIT Madras is striving to be carbon neutral by 2050. The electrification of its public transport system will supplement the two centers of excellence there – the Center of Excellence for Electric Mobility and the Center of Excellence for Zero Emission Trucking. He also stated that the development of indigenous technology that reduces reliance on imports would help India in its pursuit of energy independence.
