Indian engineer couple who studied at Venkateswara University and moved to US for higher education donates Rs 191 crore to US varsity for research on AI

Some donations are about tax breaks. This one isn't. An Indian-origin couple who once travelled to the US as students has returned to their university with a Rs 191 crore gift that will help shape its future in artificial intelligence and advanced analytics. Indian engineer couple Anuradha and Vikas Sinha have donated the money to the University of North Texas (UNT), making it one of the biggest gifts towards the university's AI and advanced analytics programmes. The contribution will also lead to the creation of a new academic institution named the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics.

From engineering students in India to US university benefactors

The couple's story began in India, where both studied civil engineering and earned bachelor's degrees from Sri Venkateswara University. They later moved to the US for higher education and obtained degrees from Florida Atlantic University.

Vikas went on to study at Northwestern University before returning to UNT. He completed his PhD there in 2023 and has since built a career in the technology industry. He is now a senior executive in Broadcom's mainframe software business and has served on the UNT College of Information Leadership Board since 2023.


His connection with UNT is therefore deeply personal. He is not simply supporting an institution from the outside. He is also one of its alumni.

Why did the couple give $20 million?

The Sinhas have said that education played a major role in their own lives and that they want to make similar opportunities available to others. “Education has opened doors for us throughout our lives, and we want to hold those doors open for others,” Vikas said.

The latest donation builds on the couple's earlier support for UNT's data science initiatives. In 2024, their funding helped establish the Anuradha and Vikas Sinha Department of Data Science. The following year, they contributed another $2.15 million to create the Sinha Data Science Innovation Lab. The $20 million gift takes that support to a much larger scale.

What will the new AI college focus on?

The new Sinha College of Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Analytics is expected to bring several technology-focused areas under one umbrella. Its academic and research work will cover artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, health informatics, advanced analytics and learning technologies.

The donation will also create six permanent endowments. These will support areas including scholarships, professorships, research, college leadership, entrepreneurship and emerging technologies.

In other words, the money is not being directed only towards creating a new college building or programme. A significant part of the contribution is intended to provide long-term support for students, faculty and research.

A way of paying the opportunity forward

The Sinhas' journey from India to the US has given their donation an added personal meaning. They came to America as students looking for educational opportunities. Decades later, they are helping create those opportunities for another generation.

Vikas has described the contribution as a way of “paying that opportunity forward”. He has also spoken about the role immigrants play in building the American dream, rather than simply benefiting from it. That idea is now reflected in the name of the new college.

For Anuradha and Vikas Sinha, it marks a journey that began with two students leaving India for higher education and has now come full circle, with the same university becoming the beneficiary of one of their largest philanthropic contributions.