Bharti Airtel Scholarship programme to benefit NIRF top 50 engineering colleges

Hyderabad: Bharti Airtel Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, is commemorating its 25 years with the launch of a prestigious ‘Bharti Airtel Scholarship Programme’. This merit-cum-means based Scholarship Programme aims to support deserving students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds with a focus on girl students, pursuing Technology-based Engineering UG and integrated programs (up to 5 years) in the top 50 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) (Engineering) colleges, including Koneru Lakshmaiah Education Foundation University (K L College of Engineering) and others. This will be applicable to students eligible for admissions in August 2024. Starting this year with 250 students, the Program is designed to scale up incrementally with its successful implementation through each cohort. The ambition is to expand reach to 4,000 scholars with an outlay of over ₹100 cr per year as the programme reaches its peak.

The fully funded scholarship is envisaged to dissolve the financial barriers that hinder access to quality education for meritorious students, especially from disadvantaged backgrounds. The scholarship will be provided to students with an annual family income not exceeding ₹ 8.5 lacs. The Bharti Airtel Scholarships will focus on UG and integrated courses in fields of Electronics & Communication, Telecom, Information Technology, Computer Sciences, Data Sciences, and Emerging Technologies (AI, IoT, AR/VR, Machine Learning, Robotics) at the top 50 NIRF (Engineering) colleges.

Recipients of this scholarship will be known as ‘Bharti Scholars’. They will receive 100% of their college fees throughout the duration of their course and will also be given a laptop. Additionally, hostel and mess fees shall be given to all eligible students who apply for it. With an underlying philosophy to ensure that the benefits accrued through enabling access to quality higher education remain perennial, Bharti Scholars will be encouraged to support at least 1 student on a continuous basis, voluntarily, once they graduate & are subsequently gainfully employed. This transformative, enduring initiative will shape lives and enable the youth to partake in the economic opportunities and growth of India.

Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and Co-Chairman of Bharti Airtel Foundation said, “As we reflect on the last 25 years, the Bharti Airtel Foundation is proud to have touched 6 million+ lives through our educational initiatives. With this pioneering Bharti Airtel Scholarship Program, we are expanding our commitment to empower students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, particularly girl students, to achieve academic excellence and pursue their dreams. We firmly believe that education is the cornerstone of societal progress and economic empowerment. The selected institutes have always showcased a confluence of exemplary learning and accessible education to students across different strata. Our endeavour is to strengthen these tenets in Indian academia, towards nurturing professionals equipped to handle the dynamic evolution of the technological landscape of tomorrow.”