Indian American couple donates $5.5m to Houston hospital

AN INDIAN AMERICAN entrepreneur couple has donated $5.5 million (£4.07m) to expand medical services in the Greater Houston area of the US.

The donation by Brij Agrawal and his wife, Sunita Agrawal, will support clinical programmes at St Luke's Health–Sugar Land Hospital and help establish a nearby primary care community clinic in an area with limited access to healthcare.

Hospital officials said the donation is the largest single gift in the hospital's history. In recognition, the hospital's main patient tower and pavilion will be renamed after the Agrawals.

The couple, long-time Sugar Land residents, have combined business success with work in healthcare, education and community development.

Brij Agrawal, a native of Chhattisgarh, moved to Houston in 1979 and earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Houston. He went on to become CEO and President of VKC Group, and credits the university for laying the foundation for his career.

The latest donation adds to the family's record of giving in the Houston region. In 2022, the Agrawals contributed $1m (£740,000) to the University of Houston at Sugar Land to support manufacturing education and research.

Brij and Sunita Agrawal (Photo: University of Houston)

The university named its ground-floor auditorium the Brij and Sunita Agrawal Auditorium in their honour. They have also previously contributed to healthcare initiatives at Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital.

Sunita Agrawal said the contribution reflects the family's gratitude to a community that played a central role in their personal and professional journey.

"We have been blessed by this community and wanted to give back in a meaningful way," she said, adding that they hope the gift creates a legacy for their children and grandchildren and inspires others to support the communities that helped them succeed.

Community leaders welcomed the announcement. The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston said the Agrawals have long demonstrated leadership through both business and community service.

(PTI)