The Cape Cod Spark: How was IIT Bombay Alumni Association formed?

The turning point came when the Class of 1975 gathered in Cape Cod, Connecticut, for their 20th Reunion. As memories were revisited and friendships rekindled, a deeper sentiment emerged:, a shared sense of ownership, gratitude, and responsibility towards the institution that had shaped their lives. How do we “give back to the home country,” they said. That’s when a broader idea was sparked, leading to the creation of the IIT Bombay Heritage Fund. And five years later, during the Silver Jubilee Reunion of the same batch, alumni recognised the need for a formal platform that would bring generations together for stronger bonds, build impactful initiatives and forever belong to the alma mater” And just like that, an idea decades in the making finally got its 'official degree’, and IITBAA was finally born.

Marking the beginning of IIT Bombay Alumni Association...

In its early days, the Association operated out of the Institute's PRO (Public Relations) office with a small team, with just enough resources to keep the dream alive. Meet the initial team below that led the foundation of IITBAA who alongside two assistants, helped steer the association during it’s formative years.

Builders of the Legacy: Meet the founding team of IITBAA

Kirat Patel - 1975, B.Tech. Mechanical Engineering

Avinash Barve - 1975, B.Tech. Electric. Engineering

Narayan Sundaresan - 1975, B.Tech. Metallurgical Engineering

Sameer Katdare - 1975, B.Tech. Chemical Engineering

Mathew Eipe - 1975, B.Tech. Chemical Engineering

Alok Kanagat, Satish M Kulkerni

Appointing Leadership: The first CEO of Association in 2002

The first formal AGM brought together a few dozen alumni who helped lay the foundation at the Varsha Stuti event in the lecture theatre, the first very first formal Annual General Meeting ever. Soon, IITBAA got its first office, its first CEO, Milind Gokhale in 2003, and a growing network of alumni who believed that staying connected to IIT Bombay was a lifelong commitment. With Rs. 6 lacs in the bank account, which were collected from the membership fees from around 600 members (alumni), the organisation and its sister company, IITB Heritage Foundation, came together to build strong foundations, growing membership, strengthening governance, expanding alumni chapters, and creating larger, more impactful reunions. The association established programmes to help the students and faculty, like Financial Aid Programme (FAP), the Retired Faculty Medical support, the Benevolent Ffund(BF) , Hostel Alumni Team Stewardship (HATS), etc. Learn more about IITBAA initiatives here.

Learn more about IITBAA initiatives here.
At this point, IITBAA and IITBHF teamed up, united by a shared commitment to support IIT Bombay and its people.

First alumni community win:

By 2013, IITBAA had built enough momentum to undertake one of its most ambitious initiatives yet, the Global Business Forum in Goa. It was the first event of its kind for the Association and one that generated tremendous excitement across the alumni community. Bringing together over 1,250 (isn’t that a big number?) alumni under one roof, alongside some of the country's most influential business leaders and policymakers. It became a testament to the reach, influence, and strength of the IIT Bombay alumni network.

The Legacy Today: 25 Years of Giving Back

Today, 25 years later, IITBAA has evolved than ever and facilitates some of the most impactful programmes like Faculty Alumni Programme (FAP), which has benefited over 5,000 students; the Benevolent Fund, which has contributed more than ₹1.5 crore in support of the IIT Bombay community; and the Retired Faculty Wellness Fund (RFWF), launched in 2025–26 and already supporting over 100 beneficiaries. Alumni have also played a key role in bringing industry experts to the IIT Bombay community through learning initiatives such as the Executive Education Programme (ExEd) and The Entrepreneurship Gyan (TEG), creating opportunities for 4500+ participants to learn from and be mentored by leaders across diverse industries and emerging fields. Among its most significant milestones is Project Evergreen, a landmark alumni-led and fully funded initiative to build a 1,000–1,200-room hostel complex, addressing the Institute's growing student housing needs raising above ₹200cr