In a landmark act of giving back, Grammy Award–winning musician and philanthropist Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon has committed ₹100 crore to establish the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence at the Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (IIMA). The endowment reflects the many strands of her life’s work spanning business leadership, music, education, and social impact , and positions artificial intelligence as a transformative force in shaping responsible leadership for the future.
An alumna of IIMA’s Post Graduate Programme (PGP) Class of 1975, Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon has long championed the role of education in nation-building. The newly announced AI school will focus on applied and responsible artificial intelligence, particularly in management and policy contexts. Designed to bridge technology with decision-making, it aims to equip future business leaders with the tools to deploy AI ethically and effectively for societal benefit. IIMA leadership noted that the endowment will strengthen faculty recruitment, student support, and cross-disciplinary research, reinforcing the institute’s role in integrating AI into real-world enterprise and governance frameworks in India and beyond.
The formal announcement followed a virtual exchange of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IIMA and Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon and Ranjan Tandon. The ceremony was held in the presence of Union Minister of Education Dharmendra Pradhan in New Delhi and India’s Ambassador to the United States, Vinay Kwatra.
For Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon, the initiative is both professional and personal. “It is an honour and privilege to be able to contribute to my beloved alma mater, IIMA, in such a pivotal area – one that I believe will redefine business and society in the years to come,” she said in a statement issued by the institute.
Chandrika at the Kennedy Center
Her philanthropic footprint extends well beyond India. She was instrumental in establishing the NYU Tandon School of Engineering and served as Chair of its Board until December 2025. She also founded the MCC Boyd Tandon School of Business at Madras Christian College in Chennai, further strengthening management education in India.
In February 2025, she earned global recognition in another sphere of excellence, winning a Grammy Award at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards for her album Triveni, which received the honour for Best New Age, Ambient, or Chant Album. Through this latest endowment, Chandrika Krishnamurthy Tandon once again demonstrates how global success can be meaningfully channelled back into institutions that shape the next generation.