E-Paper
Alumnus Swraj Paul donates $5 million to MIT, says studying there ‘changed his life’
In recognition of the gift, the large hall in the Kresge Auditorium will be named as the Lord Swraj Paul PC ’52
Jalandhar-born industrialist Swraj Paul has donated $5 million to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a private research university in Cambridge, where he studied mechanical engineering and later went on to found the Caparo Group that straddles various sectors, including value-added steel products.
MIT’s Kresge Auditorium is to be named after the 89-year-old Paul, whose two sons, Akash and Angad, also went to the MIT. The donation has been made through the Paul family’s charitable trust, the Ambika Paul Foundation, a statement from Paul’s office said on Sunday.
Designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, the Kresge Auditorium is architecturally significant as a leading example of a minimalist thin-shell concrete structure. Located in the central area of the MIT campus, Kresge opened its doors in 1955 and has played an important role in the life of the MIT community. It was renovated in 2016.
In recognition of the gift, the large hall in the Kresge Auditorium will be named as the Lord Swraj Paul PC ’52 and Angad Paul ’92 Theatre; more generally known as the Swraj Paul Theatre at Kresge Auditorium.
Paul, a member of the House of Lords, said, “I first came to MIT from India in 1949 at a time when there were very few Indian students in the United States, and the experience changed my life”.
“Because of my time at MIT, I decided to expand my Caparo companies into the US, and for more than 30 years, we have made significant investments across the country in our Bull Moose Tube and XL Trailers businesses”.
“I have always had a great respect for MIT as a world centre of technical excellence, and was delighted when my sons followed me there in the 1970s and 80s. MIT means a lot to our family, and I am honoured that we are able to support the continuation of its values and way of life through this iconic building.”
The Kresge auditorium also serves as a venue for a variety of community activities including MIT events and symposiums and student performances, and Cambridge Symphony Orchestra and New England Philharmonic performances.
The Ambika Paul Foundation was established in 1978 in memory of Paul’s daughter, Ambika, who died of leukaemia in 1968 aged 4. It was for her medical treatment that Paul first came to Britain in 1966, where he remained and went on to create Caparo, a diversified global association of businesses with interests predominantly in the design, manufacture, marketing, and distribution of value-added steel and niche engineering products.
