Vedanta University was a proposed, private, multi-disciplinary, co-educational university to be started by Anil Agarwal of Vedanta Resources corporation near Puri-Konark highway, Orissa, India. Anil Agarwal, an Indian businessman, who heads the London based Vedanta Resources corporation and Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Orissa state in eastern India, had signed a memorandum of understanding to create a world class, multidisciplinary university, Vedanta University. The university, which would be entirely a not-for-profit venture, was planned to be funded from Agarwal's personal funds Sam Pitroda, the chairman of the Knowledge Commission was the choice of the first chancellor of Vedanta University. Recent reports also suggest that at least three Nobel laureates have been contracted to join the university. In July 2009, the government of Orissa passed a landmark bill to allow the massive university to be set up and function with autonomy.