IIM-A, not-for-profit group Viksit Amritsar sign MoU for development of holy city
The Indian Institute of Management, Amritsar (IIM-A) and Viksit Amritsar, a visionary not-for-profit organisation inspired by Taranjit Singh Sandhu, former Indian ambassador to the US, have formalised their collaboration through an MoU.
The partnership aims to drive transformative initiatives that elevate Amritsar’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, social infrastructure and overall development.
Dr Mahima Gupta, Dean of Academics & Programmes at IIM Amritsar, and Dr Sanjiv Lakhanpal, founder-president and CEO of Viksit Amritsar, formally signed the MoU.
With an initial funding commitment of Rs 1 crore from Viksit Amritsar, the partnership represents the beginning of a collaborative effort to transform the socio-economic landscape of Amritsar. It aims to foster development, generate employment opportunities and promote sustainable growth.
Sandhu said that the initiative is a collective effort of IIM and Viksit Amritsar organisation. “The members of Viksit Amritsar basically hail from Amritsar only. They are committed to provide the seed money to bring about development and provide opportunities, making Amritsar a better place. I will be facilitating them in their initiative for the good of holy city and its residents,” he said.
Prof Nagarajan Ramamoorthy, Director of IIM Amritsar, highlighted the significance of the partnership: “Together, we aim to empower Amritsar through sustainable and impactful initiatives.”
Viksit Amritsar is an organisation formed in the US with the goal of ‘Amritsar Da Vikas’ through partnerships between Indophiles with a special bond to Amritsar, spread the world over.
Its Board members include Dr Sanjiv Lakhanpal, Dr Sudhir Sekhsaria, Mukesh Aghi, Jesse Singh, Dr Gurdeep Chhabra and Gurpreet Takhar.
The collaboration will focus on three key areas. First, it aims to foster an entrepreneurship ecosystem by having IIM Amritsar solicit and evaluate innovative startup proposals. Viksit Amritsar will provide funding for shortlisted ventures after mutual deliberation. Second, it seeks to promote cleanliness and hygiene through joint efforts to position Amritsar as a model clean city. This will involve active participation from local stakeholders and administrative bodies. Finally, the initiative will address the issue of drug addiction by partnering with US-based pharmaceutical companies to provide medical supplies and implement rehabilitation programmes. IIM Amritsar will facilitate these efforts through the necessary government approvals and partnerships.
