A former MP has called on a British university to investigate claims of racism made by 75 south Asian students.
Eastern Eye has seen a letter to the vice-chancellor of Leicester’s De Montfort University which makes serious allegations of discrimination and racism against the Indian learners.
The communiqué is from the former Leicester East MP, Keith Vaz, who chairs the Integration Foundation.
The former Europe minister said his foundation “provides citizens and in particular diaspora communities, with access to decision-makers and enables individuals, organisations, and communities to understand issues of process and governance”.
He sent the letter to the head of the university last month (16).
“I am writing to you today to bring to your attention to an urgent and serious matter concerning alleged discrimination at DMU,” wrote Vaz.
“I have the written consent of 75 of your students.
“If not addressed, this matter has severe consequences for the university, including potential damage to its reputation, legal ramifications, and the loss of trust from prospective students and their families.”
Keith Vaz (Photo by ANDREW YATES/AFP via Getty Images)
Deprived opportunities
The former parliamentarian, who was elected in 1987, copied the letter to the Office for Students and the Indian high commissioner to London.
“DMU has received around £1.2 million in tuition fees from these 75 overseas Indian students, yet they feel they are being intentionally deprived of the opportunity to obtain their master’s degree,” Vaz continued.
“In all my 34 years of public life, I have not come across a similar case.
“Although, I have written to you and other vice chancellor (sic) on individual cases, I have never written in this way concerning a large group of students.
“I do so because I have huge respect for DMU for its teaching staff and its reputation and I hope by bringing this a matter into you direct attention, there can be a satisfactory resolution.”
Vaz said the students felt they were “targeted” for “discrimination by the instructors who marked their assignments”.
Fair treatment
Eastern Eye understands that the post-graduate learners will not be able to re-sit one module because it is being scrapped and combined with another.
The former minister also wrote that the actions could affect the students right to work in the UK on graduation.
Professor Katie Normington, Vice-chancellor, De Montfort University (Pic: dmuleicester)
International students can work in the UK for two years once they successfully graduate from university.
“Over the years De Montford University has become a symbol of diversity in education in Europe’s most diverse city,” said Vaz.
“I am proud of its achievements.
“That is why these serious allegations must be investigated thoroughly, independently and immediately.
“In this particular case, every one of the students who have complained have been failed in just one module.
“They have prepared a detailed analysis of what has happened.
“Without a resolution these young men and women will have their lives ruined.
“Research conducted reveals that each overseas student brings in £96,000 in economic benefits to the UK.
“We need them, and we need to treat them fairly.”
Eastern Eye approached the university for comment.
A spokesperson for the university said, “De Montfort University operates clear, independent and rigorous assessment processes, and we strongly refute these allegations.
“Inclusion and fairness are core to our values as an institution and we are confident we have treated students fairly and supported them to achieve their potential, while ensuring that we adhere to the very highest academic standards.”
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Anurag Bajpayee's Gradiant: The water company tackling a global crisis
In a world increasingly defined by scarcity, one resource is emerging as the most quietly decisive factor in the future of industry, sustainability, and even geopolitics: water. Yet, while the headlines are dominated by energy transition and climate pledges, few companies working behind the scenes on water issues have attracted much public attention. One of them is Gradiant, a Boston-based firm that has, over the past decade, grown into a key player in the underappreciated but critical sector of industrial water treatment.
A Company Born from MIT, and from Urgency
Founded in 2013 by Anurag Bajpayee and Prakash Govindan, two researchers with strong ties to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Gradiant began as a scrappy start-up with a deceptively simple premise: make water work harder. At a time when discussions about climate change were centred almost exclusively on carbon emissions and renewable energy, the trio saw water scarcity looming in the background.
Their insight was that some of the world’s largest industries—semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food and beverage—were facing acute water-related challenges long before the general public grasped the issue. “Without water, these industries don’t just slow down; they stop,” Bajpayee has often remarked. What Gradiant offered was not just a way to save water, but a way to rethink how it is used, recycled, and valued.
The Engineers Behind the Mission
Anurag Bajpayee, the company’s CEO, whose academic path took him to MIT, where he completed a PhD in Mechanical Engineering focused on water treatment technologies. It was there that he met Govindan, a fellow engineer and now Gradiant's co-founder and COO, whose expertise complemented his in fluid mechanics and process engineering.
Unlike many founders who drift towards the language of venture capital and corporate strategy, Anurag Bajpayee and his team remained grounded in the technical problem: how to make industrial water treatment more efficient, more affordable, and more sustainable. The company still bears the imprint of its founders’ engineering roots. Gradiant is less Silicon Valley startup and more MIT lab, albeit one that has quietly expanded across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.
What Gradiant Actually Does
The company specializes in designing and building bespoke water treatment and reuse systems for industrial clients. Its technologies are aimed at enabling factories and plants to reclaim water that would otherwise be discarded as waste, reducing both the amount of water withdrawn from natural sources and the volume of contaminated water discharged.
At the heart of Gradiant’s portfolio are proprietary technologies such as Counter Flow Reverse Osmosis (CFRO), Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) and Selective Ion Recovery (SIR), developed from the Gradiant founders’ early research at MIT. Unlike traditional methods like reverse osmosis, these systems are designed to handle highly contaminated or complex wastewater streams, enabling clients to extract clean water even from previously unusable sources.
But Gradiant does not sell “one-size-fits-all” machines. Each project is tailored to the customer’s unique needs. For a semiconductor plant in Singapore, this might mean achieving ultrapure water reuse levels of 98%; for a food and beverage factory in Texas, it might be about safely treating wastewater for discharge while minimising energy consumption. The company's approach—sometimes called "solutioneering" internally—is both its competitive advantage and its raison d'être.
Expansion Without the Usual Hype
Gradiant’s growth has been quietly impressive. From its first commercial project in the oil and gas sector, it has gone on to complete over 500 installations worldwide. The company has raised more than $400 million in funding from a mix of institutional investors and private equity firms, achieving so-called “unicorn” status, with a valuation reportedly over $1 billion.
Unlike many green tech firms, Gradiant’s expansion has not been accompanied by flashy marketing campaigns or grandiose statements. Instead, the company has preferred to build credibility client by client, particularly in Asia, where water-intensive industries and growing environmental pressures make its services indispensable. Anurag Bajpayee, never one to speak in superlatives, frames the company’s expansion as a “response to urgent need” rather than a triumph of business.
Inside Gradiant’s Operations
At its core, Gradiant is still an engineering-first company. Anurag Bajpayee and Govindan, both technically trained and heavily involved in the company’s operations, have instilled a culture where R&D is not just a department but the lifeblood of the business. The firm currently holds more than 250 patents globally, a testament to its ongoing commitment to innovation.
But Gradiant’s success is not just about technology. The company has differentiated itself by offering not just equipment but full-service solutions, including project design, construction, operations, and maintenance. This full-stack approach has been particularly attractive to clients in highly regulated industries, who need water management solutions that work seamlessly and reliably without requiring deep in-house expertise.
Gradiant’s clients include some of the world’s largest manufacturers, including Fortune 500 companies in sectors like microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, and energy. Some, like semiconductor producers, rely on Gradiant to help them meet stringent water reuse targets while maintaining ultra-clean production environments.
Navigating a Changing World
Gradiant operates at the intersection of several converging trends: climate change, regulatory pressure, and industrial decarbonisation. In many regions, water scarcity has become the limiting factor for industrial growth, sometimes more than energy availability or supply chain constraints.
While public attention often focuses on domestic water use, it is industries that consume the lion’s share of freshwater. Gradiant's pitch is straightforward: industries will have to do more with less, and Gradiant offers the tools to make that possible.
Anurag Bajpayee is keenly aware of the paradox that water, despite being vital, is often underpriced and undervalued, especially when compared to energy. “We don’t pay what it’s worth, only what it costs,” he told an audience at a recent conference. Yet, the landscape is shifting. Regulators, investors, and companies themselves are increasingly acknowledging water as both a business risk and a social responsibility.
What's Next for Gradiant?
Looking ahead, Gradiant appears poised to play a central role as industries adapt to water scarcity. Yet, Anurag Bajpayee remains cautious about the hype cycle. "The problem we’re working on isn’t going anywhere," he says. "It’s not a question of innovation alone, but of execution—of making sure these solutions actually reach the places that need them most."
In an era where water risk is increasingly material to business, Gradiant’s quiet, technically grounded approach may prove to be exactly what is needed.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Eastern Eye. The publication does not endorse or take responsibility for the accuracy of any statements made by the author.)