IIM Bangalore (IIMB) is set to expand its academic offerings with the launch of the Tony James Centre for Private Equity and Venture Capital. This new Centre of Excellence will focus on the growing fields of private equity (PE) and venture capital (VC) in India, both of which have seen significant growth in recent years.
The establishment of this center comes at a time when PE and VC investments in India are reaching new heights. According to data from the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), these investments amounted to $6.9 billion across 104 deals in May 2024 alone. This represents a significant increase from the $3.5 billion recorded in May 2023. Notably, 16 of these deals were each valued at over $100 million, totaling $5.6 billion.
A New Centre of Excellence
The Tony James Centre for Private Equity and Venture Capital is named after Tony James, a prominent figure in the investment banking world and the former President, COO, and Executive Vice Chairman of Blackstone. The center is expected to position IIMB as a global leader in the study and practice of private equity and venture capital.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the new center was signed by Prof. Dinesh Kumar, Dean Faculty at IIMB, and Mathew Cyriac, Executive Chairman of Florintree Advisors Pvt Ltd and an IIMB alumnus from the 1994 batch. Cyriac expressed his confidence in IIM Bangalore’s leadership in finance education, stating, “I expect the Tony James Centre for Private Equity and Venture Capital at IIMB to emerge as a globally reputed ‘go-to’ place for all players interested in private equity as well as venture capital.”
Alumni Support and Contributions
Cyriac, who graduated at the top of his MBA class and was awarded the IIMB Gold Medal, has had an illustrious career in finance. Before founding Florintree Advisors, he served as Managing Director in the Corporate Private Equity Group of Blackstone India for nearly a decade. His career also includes roles in the investment banking division of Bank of America in India and the engineering division of Tata Motors.
In addition to the new center, Cyriac’s generous contributions will also fund four new scholarships for PhD and MBA/Post Graduate Programme in Management (PGP) students at IIMB. Furthermore, four new classrooms will be established in IIMB’s K Block, honoring distinguished former faculty members Prof. Prakash Apte, Prof. Prasanna Chandra, Prof. S. Sundararajan, and Prof. George Varughese.
A Landmark Contribution
“This is the single largest ever contribution from an alumnus, and we are grateful to Mathew for his generous support,” said IIMB Director Prof. Rishikesha Krishnan. The Director emphasized the significance of Cyriac’s donation, which will have a lasting impact on the institution.
Inspiring Future Alumni
Prof. Sourav Mukherji, Dean of Alumni Relations & Development at IIM Bangalore, highlighted the importance of alumni giving back to their alma mater. He described the Tony James Centre for Private Equity and Venture Capital as a shining example of how alumni can contribute in meaningful ways. “We hope this initiative serves as an inspiration to other alumni to collaborate with IIM Bangalore,” he added.
With the establishment of this new center, IIM Bangalore is poised to strengthen its position as a leader in finance education, particularly in the rapidly growing areas of private equity and venture capital.
