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Indian born industrialist Lord Swaraj Paul, the founder- chairman of Caparo Group, which employs an estimated 2,500 people in the West Midlands region, has made a big donation of one million pounds (Rs 10 crores) to the University of Wolverhampton through the Ambika Paul Foundation. The Ambika Paul Foundation was set up by Paul in memory of his daughter. The fund would be used towards general upgrade of facilities at the campus in the West Midlands region of England.

Interestingly, he has been associated with the university since 1999 as Chancellor. He said, "It is part of my continued connection with the university, which is based in Britain's industrial heartland. It is a university which takes pride in training students from ordinary backgrounds to create the next generation of leaders and entrepreneurs for the country and beyond"

"The Ambika Paul Foundation has one very specific mission: to enhance the lives of the next generation through education, culture and health. What the University of Wolverhampton stands for and its quest to provide opportunities for young people resonates with me and where I have come from, to where I am today," he said

The philanthropist will also be leading a delegation from the university to India next week to take initiative in strengthening education and business ties between the two countries.

"The BBC has described this university as among the friendliest in the UK and it is also among the most multi-ethnic. This expansion plan will help enhance its role as an innovation hub where new ideas and products can incubate. It has a more hands-on approach, which appeals to me. I hope the large Indian-origin population in the region can feel proud of my association with it," said Paul, who had made a similar donation to the London Zoo in 1994, a place his daughter Ambika loved to visit.

"Remembering our daughter has always been at the heart of the work funded by the Ambika Paul Foundation. This gift is dedicated to her memory; but it is also a way of giving something back to the community, and specifically young people," he said. The university has described his donation as the "single biggest gift" it has ever received.

He has been associated with the Labour party and was a member of the House of Lords, and held many offices in UK parliament and government.

-Kannamsai