King's College London to launch alumni branch in Mumbai

Prof Keith Hoggart FKC, Vice-Principal (Arts & Sciences) at King's, will officially open the new branch on October 2 in Colaba.

King's currently has about 700 alumni in India, mainly in Delhi and Mumbai, with the number expected to double in the next three years.

Well known alumni from Mumbai include Bijesh Thakker, philanthropist and former Managing Partner of the law-firm Thakker & Thakker; and Meghna Ghai Puri, President of Whistling Woods International - Asia's largest media arts institute and one of the world's leading film schools.

Delhi already has a thriving alumni branch and former students in Mumbai have now come together to launch their own local committee.

Sunday's event is therefore an opportunity for local alumni to be introduced to their new branch representatives, and meet the King's alumni delegation travelling from London.

The founding committee will also guide the branch through its first steps - establishing its aims, organising its first events and leading it towards an AGM and elections in April 2013.

Commenting on the new alumni branch, Prof Hoggart said: "Mumbai is at the heart of the thriving Indian economy, and is undeniably going to be a major global player in the 21st century.

King's is looking to enhance the level and range of activities in Mumbai, so I am absolutely delighted that we're starting an alumni group here; it means we can bring together not only existing faculty and students but also alumni across the region who want to remain part of the wider King's community."

Alumni branches serve as a focus for those living far from London and encourage the networking that is crucial to a successful career - particularly for recent graduates.
They allow older generations to advise younger members on the direction they might wish their careers to take and enable friendships to be formed between people whose paths might not otherwise cross.

Almost 300 Indian students are at King's this year and the number is growing rapidly.
The first students have now arrived at King's India Institute, the prestigious new centre for teaching and research on contemporary India, due to be officially launched in January next year.

Sunil Khilnani, who joined the India Institute as its Director and Professor of Politics in June 2011, said: 'We are delighted to be launching our teaching, research and policy programmes at the King's India Institutes this autumn - we are already intensely engaged in expanding and deepening the King's relationship with India, and our Indian alumni will be a crucial partner in building our activities in India and in London.