New York: Indian-origin philanthropist Anil Kochhar surprised graduating students at North Carolina State University Wilson College of Textiles by announcing that he and his wife, Marilyn Kochhar, would pay off all final-year student loans for the college’s class of 2026.
Announcing this at a ceremony in Raleigh on May 8, Kochhar said the gesture was a tribute to his late father, Prakash Chand Kochhar.
“It is my privilege to announce today that, in honor of my father Prakash Chand Kochhar, Marilyn and I are providing a graduation gift to cover all the final-year education loans incurred by Wilson College graduates during the 2025–26 academic year,” Kochhar said in the video.
Reflecting on his father's journey from India to the United States nearly eight decades ago, Kochhar said, "Eighty years ago, a young man travelled thousands of miles from India to Raleigh with little more than hope and determination. He could not have known where that journey would lead. He could not have imagined the life it would create."
He said Prakash Chand Kochhar moved to Raleigh in 1946 to study textile manufacturing at NC State University. He later earned a bachelor’s degree in 1950 and a master’s degree in 1952 before beginning his career at Industrial Rayon in New York City as a sales service coordinator.
“He arrived in a country far from home, at a time very different from today, but he was welcomed with open arms,” he added. “They said, Prakash, we’re glad you’re here.”
The video of the commencement ceremony went viral, garnering over a million views and a deluge of reactions.
