‘Kya aap mere saath hai?’ Vedanta Chairman seeks support for billion-dollar university project in Odisha

livemint.com:

Vedanta Group Chairman Anil Agarwal has sought the support of his followers to fulfill his dream of building a "world-class" university in Odisha- a billion-dollar project that is stuck in court for years. In a post on the X platform, the business tycoon explained his vision for the planned project. The idea to build a university came from his first visit to the United States, several years ago.

"I had gone in search of equipment and funding for my own business. I was amazed at the speed with which things happened, the quality of entrepreneurship, and the grand vision that lay at the core of everything they did. I hadn’t experienced this in India.

I realised that the difference lay in the education system. Their 40 top universities lay great emphasis on R&D, entrepreneurship and on enabling students to study with flexibility, subjects that were close to their heart," the Vedanta chairman wrote. Vedanta nears deal to raise $1.25 billion via private loan He said that around 1,600 years ago, students from around the world used to come to India to study at universities like Nalanda and Takshashila.

However, at present, scores of Indian students go to other countries to pursue higher education. "One study has estimated that by 2024 around $80 billion of foreign exchange will be spent by Indian students studying overseas, not just for fees but also living costs which can be substantial. This pains me," the industrialist wrote.