New Delhi

To mark its 25th anniversary, the Bharti Airtel Foundation has introduced a scholarship program designed to assist talented students. Named the ‘Bharti Airtel Scholarship Program,’ this merit-cum-means initiative specifically targets deserving students, with a focus on girls pursuing technology-based undergraduate and integrated engineering programs at the top 50 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) engineering colleges, including IITs. The scholarship will be available for students eligible for admission in August 2024.

Initially, the program will support 250 students, with plans to gradually expand to 4,000 students and an annual budget of ₹100 crore once fully scaled. The aim is to remove financial barriers that prevent meritorious students, especially those from disadvantaged backgrounds, from accessing quality education. Each scholarship covers 100% of college fees for the entire duration of the course and includes the provision of a laptop.

Eligible students must come from families with an annual income not exceeding ₹8.5 lakhs. The scholarships will focus on undergraduate and integrated courses in fields like electronics, telecom, information technology, computer science, data science, and emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, AR/VR, and machine learning. Additionally, the program will cover hostel and mess fees for those who apply.

Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and Co-Chairman of the Foundation, emphasized that this scholarship reflects their commitment to empowering students from various socio-economic backgrounds, particularly girls, in achieving academic success and pursuing their aspirations.