BITS Pilani launches scholarships worth $1 million for female students

Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani has launched a scholarship worth USD 1 million to provide financial aid to female students. The fund was infused by Mahesh Samdani and his wife, Purva Ladha, alumni of the engineering institute.

This trust, named ‘Smt. Kaushaliya Devi Samdani Scholarship Endowment’ has been established in memory of Samdani’s mother. It will fund merit-cum-need based scholarships for female students at the institute. The scholarships will be awarded annually beginning from the academic year 2026–27.

“Mahesh Samdani, a 1986 batch alumnus of BITS Pilani, currently works as a Managing Director at JP Morgan Chase in New York. He remains actively involved with his alma mater, contributing to student placements, the practice school programme, and academic engagement initiatives,” according to a press release from the BITS.

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Highlighting the importance of the grant, Ramgopal Rao, vice-chancellor, BITS, said: “This endowment reflects the strong bond that alumni share with the educational institution. Furthermore, it will help transform the lives of deserving students by providing them with access to world-class education.”

Scholarships to break women’s financial barriers

Samdani also shared his thoughts on the scholarship and said that the initiative was launched based on the belief that educating one girl would uplift entire families and communities. He also expressed confidence that these scholarships would remove financial barriers for talented female students.

Such initiatives play a crucial role in empowering women and promoting gender equality by increasing their participation in higher education and leadership positions, stated Arya Kumar, Dean of Alumni Relations.

These scholarships will be administered under its existing transparent scholarship framework. This donation further strengthens the institution's broader USD 100 million endowment fund, which aims to enhance faculty excellence, research, student support, and global engagement. It also receives continuous support from its alumni network, the BITS said.