New Delhi, Delhi, 28th of October, 2026 : Amol Gupte, Citi Asia South Head, and K Balasubramanian, CEO, Citi India inaugurated the Ashoka Innovation Centre (AIC) at Delhi NCR today. The Ashoka Innovation Centre will bring together students, faculty and entrepreneurs to exchange ideas, collaborate across disciplines and develop solutions in areas ranging from clean technology and fintech to agricultural and health innovation.
This event marks a milestone in the longstanding partnership between Citi and Ashoka University, which began in 2014 and has supported initiatives across student scholarships, campus infrastructure, research and Centres of Excellence.
The Ashoka Innovation Centre houses the Citi Floor, a collaborative co-working space designed to facilitate convenings and the exchange of ideas. It will provide budding entrepreneurs with mentorship and incubation support to translate ideas into viable enterprises, while specialised spaces will enable students to build, test and prototype solutions. With a dedicated focus on open science and frugal innovation, the Centre will encourage students, PhD fellows and faculty to develop cost-effective solutions for wider societal impact in healthcare, research and education.
Speaking on the inauguration, Amol Gupte said: “Citi’s partnership with Ashoka University exemplifies how strategic philanthropy drives sustainable progress beyond the campus. We congratulate Ashoka University on the launch of their Innovation Centre, for empowering youth to solve real-world challenges.”
K Balasubramanian said, “At Citi, we believe that investing in people, knowledge, and innovation is one of the most powerful ways to create long-term impact. Since 2014, we have put this belief into action through our partnership with Ashoka University. Over the course of this association, Citi and the Citi Foundation have supported multiple initiatives that span areas, such as higher education, research, philanthropy, innovation, and entrepreneurship. We extend our heartiest congratulations on the launch of the Ashoka Innovation Centre.”
Commenting on the Centre’s role in advancing interdisciplinary research and innovation,Professor Rishikesha T. Krishnan, Vice-Chancellor, Ashoka University said, “Innovation thrives when people from different disciplines come together to question existing approaches and work on shared challenges. The Ashoka Innovation Centre will provide students and faculty with opportunities to develop ideas through experimentation, prototyping and collaboration with entrepreneurs. Its focus on open science and frugal innovation is particularly important in enabling the development of practical, cost-effective solutions that can be applied across sectors and create wider societal value.”
Over the years, Citi has supported initiatives to advance inclusion, expand campus infrastructure and strengthen Centres of Excellence at the University. Through the Citi Nanoo Pamnani Scholarship, Citi has supported nearly 50 undergraduate students since 2020, primarily from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, enabling them to pursue higher education and diverse academic and career pathways. Several scholarship recipients have gone on to study at institutions, such as Northwestern University and King’s College London.
Citi has also supported Ashoka’s Centre for Social Impact and Philanthropy (CSIP), including a capacity-building programme for young social entrepreneurs and development professionals. Additionally, Citi has supported How India Gives, a data-driven report on corporate philanthropy in India, modelled on the Giving USA initiative. The Citi-Ashoka University partnership’s contribution to strengthening research and informing public and policy debates is also reflected in the backing it has provided to the Centre for Economic Data and Analysis (CEDA).
The Ashoka Innovation Centre adds to the University’s existing campus infrastructure and research ecosystem, strengthening its capabilities to support innovation and entrepreneurship alongside its academic and research activities.
About Ashoka University, Delhi NCR:
Ashoka University is a premier interdisciplinary higher education and research-focused institution, offering world-class opportunities in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Established in 2014 by leaders, thinkers, academics, and philanthropists from diverse fields, it operates on a unique model of collective philanthropy, blending the finest governance practices with cutting-edge pedagogy and an internationally reputed faculty.
Today, the University has a community of 3800+ students and operates 20+ dedicated Centres of Excellence, producing research and interventions for impact in areas such as public health and disease control, energy transition, digitisation of society, and women’s empowerment, among other areas of public policy. The University stands for principles of inclusivity and diversity, having more than 57% women, 4% international scholars, 100+ specially abled students, and over 47% students on scholarships. It is a non-profit university established under the Haryana Private Universities Act (2006).
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