MUMBAI, Dec. 29 -- The Silver Jubilee Batch of IIT Bombay's Class of 2000 has promised Rs.50 crore towards its Legacy Project, marking a key highlight of the institute's annual Alumni Day celebrations held on Sunday. The contribution is aimed at supporting academic initiatives, strengthening research capabilities and advancing IIT Bombay's long-term development goals. The Alumni Day was held at the Victor Menezes Convention Centre on the IIT Bombay campus. The event opened with a welcome address by Prof Upendra Bhandarkar, dean (alumni and corporate relations), followed by an address by IIT Bombay director Prof Shireesh Kedare, in the presence of deputy director Prof Ravindra Gudi. In his address, Kedare spoke about the pivotal role of alumni in the institute's growth, noting that their engagement extends beyond financial support to include mentorship, expertise and strong linkages with industry and society. The Rs.50 crore commitment forms part of the Legacy Project tradition, under which batches marking their Silver Jubilee adopt initiatives focused on the institute's long-term advancement. Funds raised by the batch will be channelled towards academic projects, research initiatives and efforts aligned with IIT Bombay's vision of being among the world's top 50 universities. As part of the celebrations, IIT Bombay conferred Distinguished Service Awards on five alumni for their sustained contributions to the institute. The awardees were Mukund Kulkarni, Abhay Nadkarni, Suhasini Sabnis, Shamrao Kattimani and the late Sushil Singh. Chapter Service Awards were also presented to seven alumni in recognition of their work in strengthening alumni chapters in India and abroad. Acknowledging the contributions of alumni, Ravishankar Gedela, CEO of the IIT Bombay Development and Relations Foundation, thanked major donors whose contributions have supported the creation of centres of excellence, endowed chair professorships, infrastructure projects and student development programmes. The institute also unveiled a Donor Wall to recognise leading donors of the year. The event also featured the launch of a book by noted entrepreneur and alumnus of IIT-B, Kanwal Rekhi, chronicling his journey from IIT Bombay to Silicon Valley. Kirat Patel was felicitated on being named the first chairman emeritus of the IIT Bombay Alumni Association. The Alumni Day event concluded with the launch of the fifth edition of IIT Bombay's annual fundraising campaign, GO-IIT Bombay, aimed at encouraging wider alumni participation....