Indian origin Philanthropist Anil Kochhar has sparked excitement with his wife Marilyn Kochhar’s pledge to pay off all final-year student loans for the class of 2026. North Carolina Wilson College of Textiles, State University.
Anil Kochhar: 5 things you need to know about the Indian-origin philanthropist’s moves
- At a ceremony in Raleigh on May 8, Kochhar announced the move as a tribute to his father, Prakash Chand Kochhar. “I am honored to announce today that in memory of my father, Prakash Chand Kochhar, Marilyn and I will provide a graduation gift that will be used to pay for all final-year educational loans incurred by Wilson School graduates during the 2025-26 academic year,” Kochhar said.
- The audience burst into applause after the announcement, and Kochha said he hoped the donation would allow students to progress without financial pressure. “Marilyn and I hope that all of you will leave Reynolds Gym today not only with a degree, but with greater freedom to pursue your goals, take risks and build the lives you have worked so hard to achieve,” he said.
- “Eighty years ago, a young man traveled thousands of miles from India to Raleigh with nothing but hope and determination,” Kochha said, recalling his father’s journey from India to the United States nearly 80 years ago. “He could not have known where the journey would lead. He could not have imagined the life it would create.”
- He mentioned that Prakash Chand Kochhar moved to Raleigh in 1946 to study textile manufacturing at the school. North Carolina University. He noted that he earned a bachelor’s degree in 1950 and a master’s degree in 1952 before starting his career at Industrial Rayon in New York City as a sales service coordinator. The Kochha family subsequently settled in the United States. “He came to a country far away from home, in a very different time than today, but he was welcomed with open arms,” he said, adding, “They said, Prakash, we’re glad you’re here.”
- After Prakash Chand Kochhar’s death in 1985, his wife Christine Hayes Kochhar, whom he met at a university in North Carolina, established the Prakash Chand Kochhar Memorial Textile Scholarship in 1986 at the university.
According to Axios Raleigh, the graduating class includes 176 students earning bachelor’s degrees and 26 students earning master’s degrees.
Here’s what NCSU officials say
University representatives said the Kochhars worked closely with school leadership and the financial aid office in advance of the announcement.
“I am deeply grateful to Anil and Marilyn for their extraordinary investment in our newest Wilson Life alumni,” Wilson College Dean David Hinks said in a university statement.
“One of our main goals is to get wilson Make college affordable for all, and Anil and Marilyn are helping us make it happen. “
The Internet Reacts to Kochhas’ ‘Wonderful Gift’
The video of the ceremony caused a sensation, with over a million views and an overwhelming response from netizens.
“Only a very few can do this. Anil Kochhar is one of them. Humanity has prevailed. The joy on the students’ faces tells the story,” said one.
“This is what civilized values look like in practice, not just accumulating wealth but circulating it with a grateful heart. His dad would be so proud,” commented another.
“A great gift… that will make most people’s lives easier and inspire them to pursue their ambitions unhindered,” another responded.
Asked if he only hired Indians, the man replied: “Yes.” He said Portuguese workers cost more and said language was a barrier when dealing with local workers. When the interviewer asked the Indian if the Portuguese were “lazy”, the man replied that they were not lazy, just expensive.The interviewer then asked him if he preferred working with Indians, to which the businessman responded positively. During the conversation, he also expressed satisfaction with the growing Indian population in the town. The businessman said he was happy that there were more and more Indians in the villages where he worked. When the interviewer asked the businessman how he would feel if large numbers of Portuguese moved to India and started living there, the man said he would not like it. He said he didn’t like the Portuguese “majority” in his Indian city.The clip went viral on social media and was shared by influencer Mario Nawfal. Indians working abroad have been at the center of debates over immigration, labor costs and integration. Social media netizens commented that these practices were discriminatory against Portuguese workers and that the Indian businessmen’s remarks were hypocritical.Moreover, in the United States, “America First” conservatives are already pushing for stricter immigration rules so that Indians cannot “replace” Americans in their own countries. Many right-wing influencers and Republican politicians have called for the visa system to be changed so that foreigners cannot find “loopholes” in the program.Many Indians own businesses in wealthy countries such as the US, UK, Canada, Germany and Australia. In some cases, employers in these countries prefer to hire Indian workers because they are willing to work for lower wages than their own workers.
