Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Rohini Nilekani, and Kris Gopalakrishnan have jointly contributed Rs 51 crore to Science Gallery Bengaluru (SGB), a not-for-profit public institution for research-based engagement targeted at young adults.
This fund matches the capital investment made by the Government of Karnataka and firmly establishes SGB as a public-private partnership for public engagement with research, and a mission to ‘bring science back into culture,’ an SGB statement said on Monday.
Mazumdar-Shaw – Founder, Mazumdar Shaw Philanthropy and Chairperson of Biocon & Biocon Biologics; Rohini Nilekani – Chairperson of Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies and Co-founder and Director of EkStep Foundation; and Gopalakrishnan- Chairman of Axilor Ventures and co-founder of Infosys, are all also members of the board of directors of SGB.
“This is the highest-ever one-time contribution made by any individual or organisation toward any Science Gallery in the International network,” the statement said.
The contribution made is largely toward setting up the new building of the SGB which will include a Public Lab Complex with six experimental spaces: the Natural Sciences Lab, Food Lab, Materials Lab and workshop, New Media Lab, Black Box Theatre, and Theory Lab.
The Government of Karnataka has provided the land and initial capital for construction, and has also committed to supporting the institution by covering a third of its cost of operations every year, the statement said.
SGB was set up in 2015 under the supervision of I S N Prasad, the then Principal Secretary to Government of Karnataka, Department of Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology.
“I believe SGB will be a vibrant and energising space for young adults which is critical for developing a scientific temper in the society. said Mazumdar-Shaw.
Rohini Nilekani added, “I hope the young people of the city and the country will come here to set their imaginations free. The Gallery will help more citizens to connect with Bengaluru’s proud legacy of scientific achievement.”
“I urge the young technology entrepreneurs to contribute to building Science Gallery Bengaluru as a hub where scholars across institutions speak to each other beyond disciplinary boundaries,” said Gopalakrishnan.
