LUCKNOW, Oct. 12 -- The Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-K) is all set to launch an ambitious fundraising campaign, said to be one of the largest in IIT history, to raise USD 1 billion to focus on seven strategic areas: cybersecurity, medtech, social security, sustainability, semiconductors, drones and quantum technologies.

Confirming this, Manindra Agrawal, director of IIT Kanpur, said, "We are aiming for a very ambitious target of raising USD 1 billion through various initiatives within the institute. We have raised half the amount. We are reaching out to donors to fund our research work."

He said the institute aims to raise the rest of the amount over the next two-and-a-half years from the government, industry, corporate s...