IITKanpur alumni come on board to support institute’s School of Medical Research and Technology

Kanpur |  The Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur on Thursday announced the signing of MoUs with two of its distinguished Alumni Dr Dev Joneja and Hemant Jalan to support the establishment of the School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT) at IIT Kanpur.

Dr Dev Joneja and his wife Terri Musson donated an amount of US$2.5 million in the form of ‘Terri Musson and Dev Joneja Gift’, while Hemant Jalan donated Rs 18 Crores to support the infrastructure development for the school. Both the Distinguished Alumni will now be joining the advisory board of the SMRT as Founder Donors.

Director, IITKanpur, Professor Abhay Karandikar said, “We take great pride in our alumni and their work. They are our pillars of strength and glory. I would like to extend my gratitude to Dr Dev Joneja, Mr Hemant Jalan and their families for their generous and selfless contribution to the SMRT and be a part of this noble journey towards revolutionizing medical education in India.”

School of Medical Research and Technology (SMRT) is a one-of-a-kind initiative by IIT-Kanpur that aims to revolutionize medical education in India by bridging the gap between medical and technology disciplines. The first phase of the project would include setting up various Centres of Excellence (CoE) oriented towards cutting-edge medical research and innovation along with a 500-bed super-specialty hospital.

The Centres of Excellence are expected to work in confluence with the core clinical departments of the hospital and biomedical expertise of various engineering departments of IIT-Kanpur. The school will offer Post Graduate Medical Degrees in various domains of Medical Science and Technology. The outcome of the SMRT at IIT Kanpur is expected to contribute to the overall betterment of healthcare infrastructure in the state of Uttar Pradesh and lead to a large number of MedTech inventions and innovations.

Dr Dev Joneja on the occasion said, “The SMRT initiative is a great combination of the established core strength of IIT in technology with a new direction in medical research, education and innovation. My wife Terri and I are confident that the Institute and its leadership will deliver on the ambitious project, and are very gratified to be able to provide our support to this effort.”

“Most IITK alumni attribute their success in life to the years that they spent at IIT Kanpur and it very much applies to me. I have always wanted to give back to the Institute in a meaningful way, and the concept of SMRT appealed immensely to me. I hope that the SMRT initiative will uplift the stature of IITK within the scientific community and am very happy to be associated with this project as a Founder. I hope many more alumni come forward to donate generously to this project which is a path-breaking venture by IIT Kanpur. I am confident that the SMRT will breed cutting-edge inter-disciplinary research between the field of Medical sciences and the various schools of Engineering, which is severely lacking in India today”, said Hemant Jalan.

Dr Dev Joneja earned his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering in 1984 from IIT Kanpur. He is currently the Chief Risk Officer at Exodus Point Capital Management. Over the last few years, he has contributed towards the creation of 3 faculty chairs and various community welfare initiatives at IIT Kanpur.

Meanwhile, Hemant Jalan received his bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 1977. He founded Indigo Paints in 2000, which has grown multi-fold over the years, culminating in a successful IPO of the company in early 2021. Indigo Paints Limited is today the fourth largest paint manufacturer in India, with an annual sale of over Rs 1000 Crores. Jalan now serves as the Managing Director of the company.

By EP Web Desk

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