Wadhawan Global Capital (WGC), a Mumbai-based financial services company, has fulfilled a $1.5 million commitment to the Simon Business School to establish the Rajesh Wadhawan Professorship. Named in memory of the company’s founder, the professorship will focus on research in development economics.
The gift reflects the late Rajesh Wadhawan’s personal interest in empowering societies through fair access to credit. It will provide support for a full-time faculty member at the Simon Business School to conduct research and develop curricula that furthers the understanding of economic problems in developing countries.
“The Wadhawan family is committed to giving back to society in meaningful ways through strategic research and analytics,” says Simon Business School Dean Andrew Ainslie. “This is a natural partnership that will allow us to increase our focus on development economics and provide life-changing opportunity for underprivileged populations worldwide. We are deeply grateful to the entire Wadhawan family, and WGC, for their generosity and foresight.”
Last week, Rajesh’s widow Aruna Wadhawan, their son and WGC Chairman Kapil Wadhawan, and Kapil’s wife and children traveled from India to attend a plaque dedication ceremony in Rochester. Speaking on behalf of the family, Kapil said, “The Rajesh Wadhawan Professorship is a tribute to our founder’s legacy of doing business with meaningful purpose. Development economics, particularly providing the disadvantaged with the credit needed to purchase their own homes, is something that was very close to his heart.”
Founded in 1973, WGC has more than 10 million customers and an asset base of $18.6 billion. The Rajesh Wadhawan Professorship will increase WGC’s global reach as they continue to deliver transformative socioeconomic change in a profitable business model.
