Padma Bhushan recipient Dr Ajai Chowdhry announces Scholarship, for Engineering Scholars from IIT Hyderabad

Dr Ajai Chowdhry, Padma Bhushan recipient, Founder of HCL and Author of the recently launched biography, Just Aspire, has announced an initiative to build India’s future talent. Chowdhry’s family trust, Swayam Charitable Trust has set up the Aspire Scholarship – an initiative that aims to provide essential support to aspiring engineers who face financial obstacles in their pursuit of higher education and help create a brighter future for them in their pursuit of excellence.

With an outlay of INR 100million spread over the first three years, the Trust has committed to empower up to 84 scholars, offering them comprehensive financial assistance for the entire duration of their programme. The initiative aims to provide helping hand tothe students striving to convert their dreams into a reality. The Scholarship will go beyond covering only tuition fees and will include hostel and mess fees for the selected students throughout the programme.

Dr Ajai Chowdhry, Founder EPIC Foundation, Co-Founder HCL & Founder Trustee of Swayam Charitable Trust said, “Aspire is not just a scholarship but a beacon of hope that ignites the spark of greatness within these aspiring engineers, enabling them to transform the world with their brilliance and astuteness. This scholarship aims to assist aspiring engineers, who are essential to India's future growth and help them participate and contribute to India’s growth story. We have the youngest population in the world today. If we don’t make the most of the talent we have, if we don’t support bright minds and help them overcome obstacles today, we will be left far behind in this race for technological supremacy. The Aspire Scholarship is an effort to do our bit and give back to the society which has helped individuals like me to think big and achieve my dreams.”

The Scholarship will be offered to students from ten engineering institutes of India including the Indian Institute of Technology (across Kharagpur, Hyderabad, Patna, Delhi, Bombay, Goa), Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi, Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee International Institute of Information Technology Naya Raipur, Jabalpur Engineering College and National Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Ranchi. The initiative was launched at a webinar today in presence of represnetiaves of all 10 institutes.

The initiative will commence with the 2023-2024 B.Tech batch, marking the beginning of an extraordinary journey for deserving scholars. For the next three years, Swayam’s management will meticulously select 28 outstanding scholars annually from first-year B.Tech batches across ten prestigious institutes in India. Through this period, the Scholarship will empower up to 84 scholars, offering them comprehensive financial assistance for the entire duration of their programme.

Kunal Chowdhry, Trustee, Swayam Charitable Trust, said, “This scholarship testifies our commitment towards nurturing young talent, fostering innovation, and creating a brighter future for our nation. We believe that regardless of one's background, everyone should have the chance to fulfil their dreams.”

The selection process for these exceptional scholars will be rigorous, conducted by Swayam's management or its appointed jury through a fair and transparent selection process that will uphold the highest standards of excellence.

The Aspire Scholarship will be managed by Buddy4Study, a leading provider of scholarship management services. Through its state-of-the-art technical interface, it will guarantee the program's seamless management and offer services and assistance for administration.