Through a generous endowment from distinguished alum Mathew Cyriac, the initiative honors investment veteran Tony James
August 07, 2025, Bengaluru: In a milestone development for the alternative investment landscape, the nation’s most influential minds from the PE, VC, and financial services domains gathered to launch the Tony James Centre for Private Equity and Venture Capital at IIMB – India’s first Centre of Excellence dedicated to the acceleration of research, innovation and collaboration in private equity and venture capital (PEVC). The Centre has been established through a visionary philanthropic initiative by PGP 1994 alumnus Mr Mathew Cyriac, Institute Gold Medallist & 2025 Distinguished Alumni Award (DAA) recipient, Chairman – Florintree Advisors, Co-Founder – Yali Capital.
An MoU formalizing the creation of the Centre was signed on 24 August 2024 between IIMB and Mr Cyriac. In one of the largest individual alumni contributions in IIMB’s history, the endowment supports the establishment of the Centre, the naming of four classrooms after eminent finance area faculty who inspired Mr. Cyriac’s cohort, and the bestowal of scholarships for students in the PGP and Doctoral programmes.
Named in honour of Mr. Hamilton Evans “Tony” James, former President, COO, and Executive Vice Chairman of global investment firm Blackstone, the Centre aspires to be a hub for world-class research, education, industry collaboration, policy engagement, and talent development in the PEVC sector.
The launch event witnessed influential thinkers, stalwarts, and veterans leading the charge within national and global PEVC ecosystems.
“It is always a wonderful occasion when an alum comes back and gives to the institute to aid research in an area which is especially relevant to industry as well as academia”, said Professor Sourav Mukherji, Dean, Faculty & Dean, Alumni Relations and Development. In his welcome address, he urged the students and alumni in the audience to view this philanthropic endeavor as an inspiring example that encourages one to do more to advance indigenous research, to do great in life, and in the process, nurture a continued sense of responsibility towards the institute.
Professor Dinesh Kumar, Director In-charge, IIMB, delivered the opening remarks and formally introduced the Centre, saying, “The reality is that high-quality research is capital-intensive. To attract and retain world-class talent and to invest in critical resources like data and infrastructure, significant funding is required. Contributions like that of Mr. Mathew Cyriac are not only generous but also deeply useful in enabling IIMB to build a globally competitive research ecosystem”. He also stated that this was the kind of support that helps the Institute move closer to becoming a research-led institution of global standing.
Address from the Centre sponsor
“As the Indian investing market evolves, I believe it will need innovation and sophistication that suit the nuances of the Indian market”, said Centre benefactor Mathew Cyriac, who leads Florintree’s scale-up strategy and has backed several IPO and growth-stage platforms, previously leading as MD and Co-Head of Blackstone India’s private equity business.
On the genesis of the idea for the Centre, which emerged during the Institute’s golden jubilee celebrations, Mr Cyriac noted, “I was very interested in building something from the ground up. Considering that IIMB is one of the nation’s highest-ranked B-schools with a finance specialization, I wanted to reinforce that position”. He also believed it was vital to seed an idea of global stature and repute with the name of a distinguished industry leader like Tony James.
He noted that key beneficiaries and partners that the Centre will engage with include students, young professionals, PE firms, the IIMB academic research community, such as doctoral scholars, and last but not least, the LP community, who provide the capital for funds to invest.
Mr. Cyriac also shared anecdotes from his student years, paying tribute to the faculty members who shaped his cohort’s academic journey.
