Monte Ahuja arrived in the United States from India as an international student with limited resources but limitless ambition. While working full time, he earned his MBA from Cleveland State University—an experience he often credits with shaping his entrepreneurial mindset and future success. A business plan developed as a CSU student eventually became the foundation of Transtar Industries, now a global leader in automotive aftermarket distribution.

“CSU has a very special meaning in my life,” Ahuja has said. “Our investment toward students pursuing higher education and a path to success is of utmost importance to my family and me.”

That belief culminated in a transformational $10 million gift—at the time the largest in the university’s history—which led to the naming of the Monte Ahuja College of Business. The gift supports scholarships in business and engineering, an endowed professorship in global business, and initiatives that strengthen academic excellence and access for students.

For the Ahujas, philanthropy is not about recognition. It is about impact—particularly for students navigating financial, cultural, or personal barriers similar to those Monte once faced.

“I feel extremely fortunate and privileged,” Ahuja said when the gift was announced. “Education creates opportunity, and opportunity changes lives.”

Together, Monte and Usha Ahuja continue to invest in Cleveland State University because they believe in its students—driven, resilient, and full of potential. Their generosity ensures that future Vikings will have the same chance to learn, grow, and succeed that once changed the course of their own lives.