VP Dhankhar backs corporate investment in education

New Delhi, Mar 2: Marking 75 years in education, the Hinduja Group celebrated the journey of Hinduja College of Commerce, which began as a primary school for refugee children and now serves over 6,000 students. During the ceremony, Ashok Hinduja, Chairman of Hinduja Foundation, announced plans for the institution to achieve deemed university status.

The Hinduja Foundation currently supports 700,000 students across India through initiatives like Road to School and Road to Livelihood, with plans to reach 1 million students by 2030, contributing to India’s vision of Viksit Bharat by 2047.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, who attended as Chief Guest alongside Maharashtra Governor C.P. Radhakrishnan, felicitated outstanding students for their achievements. In his address, Dhankhar emphasised that “Sanatan must be a part of the country’s culture and education because it stands for inclusivity.” He urged corporate India to invest in education to create specialized institutions, cautioning against the “commodification and commercialization” affecting healthcare and education sectors. The Vice President called education “the most impactful transformative mechanism that brings about equality” and expressed confidence that Hinduja College would eventually achieve global eminence.

Ashok Hinduja announced that the institution will establish a Skill Development Centre to bridge industry-academia gaps, and introduce new programs in Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Wealth Management, Climate Finance, and Export-Import Management. Hinduja also urged the government to incorporate Sanatan principles in education, a suggestion the Vice President supported.

Paul Abraham, President of Hinduja Foundation, revealed plans for a comprehensive redevelopment project to create a state-of-the-art, multi-story facility expected to be completed by 2028, which will triple the college’s physical capacity and enhance digital outreach capabilities.

Hinduja College currently offers more than 30 academic programs and achieved NAAC A accreditation in 2023-24. Granted autonomous status in 2022, the college has aligned with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 with a vision “to empower our students not only to excel but to outshine.”