Bharti Airtel Foundation launches scholarship program offering financial support to over 250 students

In a bid to celebrate its 25 years of philanthropic work, the Bharti Airtel Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bharti Enterprises, has announced the launch of the esteemed 'Bharti Airtel Scholarship Program'.

This initiative is designed to empower bright students from various socio-economic backgrounds, with a particular focus on female students who are pursuing undergraduate and integrated technology-based engineering programs in the country's top 50 engineering colleges as per the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), including prestigious institutions like IITs.

The program will start by supporting 250 students this year, with plans to gradually expand and reach out to 4,000 scholars annually, with an estimated budget of over ₹ 100 crore.

The scholarship program aims to eliminate financial barriers that hinder access to quality education for deserving students, especially those from underprivileged communities. Scholarships will be granted to students whose family income does not exceed ₹ 8.5 lakh per annum.

Dubbed 'Bharti Scholars', the beneficiaries will have their entire college fees covered for the entire duration of their course, along with the provision of a laptop. Moreover, eligible students can also apply for support towards hostel and mess fees.

The program's vision is to offer financial aid and instil a sense of giving back, as Bharti Scholars will be encouraged to support other students once they graduate and secure employment.

Rakesh Bharti Mittal, the Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and Co-Chairman of Bharti Airtel Foundation expressed pride in the Foundation's accomplishments over the past 25 years, having impacted over 6 million lives through various educational initiatives.

"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," he said.