Kolkata: Last Monday (November 11, 2024), the Aditya Birla Group celebrated the silver jubilee of its prestigious Aditya Birla Scholarships programme in Mumbai. India’s External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, renowned Harvard political philosopher Professor Michael J. Sandel, and Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Group welcomed its newest cohort of scholars. The total number of Aditya Birla Scholars now stands at 781 across engineering, management, and law disciplines.
At the celebrations, Mr Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman, Aditya Birla Group said, “The Aditya Birla Scholarship is a tribute to my father’s legacy and an ode to the spirit of ambition and extraordinary determination that defines India. With this scholarship program, we were driven by the ambition to create a cadre of handpicked leaders who would excel in India and also represent our country abroad. In many ways, the Aditya Birla Scholarship is a microcosm of India’s immense talent—abundant and outstanding, The extraordinary success of the program, as measured by the achievements of our scholars over the years, only indicates that ultimately investment in talent is what shapes the future.”
Established in 1999 in memory of the legendary industrialist, Aditya Vikram Birla, the programme has emerged as one of India’s most coveted merit-based scholarships. Over its 25-year journey, over 10,000 applications have been evaluated by a team of experts, maintaining a steadfast commitment to excellence and diversity. The programme takes particular pride in achieving gender parity, with women constituting nearly 30% of its scholar community. Each cohort is handpicked by an illustrious jury panel, comprising of stalwarts such as Dr. Mashelkar, Dr. Kakodkar, Justice Srikrishna, Dr. Kasturi Rangan, and Dr. Ajit Mohanty, ensuring a selection process that goes beyond academic credentials to identify true leadership potential. The rigorous evaluation considers scholarly achievement, and the candidate’s capacity for innovation, ethical leadership, and commitment to societal impact.
The programme’s impact resonates across the global business landscape through its distinguished alumni. The programme partners with 22 premier institutions, including select IITs, BITS Pilani, leading IIMs, XLRI, and National Law Schools. From an impressive pool of 389 applicants this year, 48 extraordinary individuals were named as the 2024 Aditya Birla Scholars, selected through a rigorous process that initially shortlisted 112 candidates.
The scholarship maintains highest standards, requiring sustained academic excellence and active engagement in co-curricular activities. The programme offers substantial financial support to students in Management, Law, and Engineering.
