Bharti Group might set up a University

According to reports in the media the Bharti group might soon set up its own University under the aegis of Bharti foundation. In an interview with CNBC the group’s chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said, ” For us education will never be a business and therefore whatever we do will have to be done through grants and contribution from the group and friends. And I don’t know whether foreign universities would want to come in for the philanthropy part of it. But we will bring them in at our cost and price but they will not be a foreign university, it should be a Bharti University funded endowed by the contributions that we have made.”

Mittal said he was inspired by the stories of philanthropist like Rockefeller and Carnegie. He also believed that same could happen in India sooner than later. He said, ” I sit on the Carnegie Endowment board in Washington and it is incredible how they left most of their wealth for public causes. I think that has to happen here. So if you ask me what is Bharti Foundation’s vision, to be one day known like a Carnegie Endowment or a Ford Foundation or a Rockefeller Foundation and we have started well. Hopefully we will end well as well. The Bharti Foundation since 2006 has set up 236 schools in five states. The schools have been set up on land leased to the foundation by village Panchayats. Panchayats that at first looked for the ulterior motive, but have since come around. The government is acknowledging the work of foundation and is now partnering with it to provide free uniforms and midday meals. ”

Mittal is also hopeful that Indian laws on education would change soon enabling greater private participation. “I think we are on the threshold of major breakthroughs in the laws of this country around education,” he said

The Bharti group apart from running over 200 Satya Bharti rural primary schools for underpriviliged children through Bharti foundation, also support endowments at IIT Mumbai, IIT Delhi and ISB Mohali.