Bajaj Auto Foundation Commits INR 400 Crore to Empower Women Engineers

Bajaj Auto Foundation: The Bajaj Auto Foundation has announced a significant milestone in Indian education, committing INR 400 crore over the next decade to the Rupa Rahul Bajaj Scholarship for Women in Engineering (RRBSWE). This initiative stands as India’s largest scholarship program dedicated to supporting women pursuing core engineering disciplines.

Program Overview:
The scholarship is designed to provide comprehensive support to meritorious young women studying subjects critical to the future of manufacturing, including:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Electronics
• Industrial Instrumentation
• Mechatronics and Robotics
• Allied core engineering fields

Key benefits for scholars include:

Financial Assistance: Up to INR 8 lakh awarded over the course of their engineering education.

Mentorship & Development: Access to structured mentorship, leadership training, industry immersion programs, and exclusive professional networks.

Reach: The program currently covers students across 40 premier institutions, including IITs, NITs, IIITs, and other reputed state and private universities.

Inaugural Success:
During the formal launch event at Bajaj Auto’s headquarters in Pune, the Foundation felicitated the first cohort of 506 scholars. The event featured guest of honor Ms. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson and Founder of Biocon Limited, alongside Mr. Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director of Bajaj Auto Ltd.

Advancing Inclusion in Manufacturing:
The scholarship aims to bridge the gender gap in the manufacturing and industrial innovation sectors. Mr. Rajiv Bajaj highlighted the company’s internal success in this area, noting that women now account for nearly 20% of the workforce at Bajaj Auto—a significant rise from zero a decade ago.

“Women possess inherent skills of patience, empathy, and diligence which are very strong attributes to excel in core engineering jobs… The Rupa Rahul Bajaj Scholarship is an investment in talent, ambition, and the belief that opportunity can unlock extraordinary potential,” said Mr. Rajiv Bajaj.

A Unified Vision: “Where there’s a skill, there’s a way”
The announcement also marked the unveiling of the Bajaj Auto Foundation’s overarching vision for social impact. Centered on the mantra “Where there’s a skill, there’s a way,” the foundation aims to expand its efforts in skilling, education, and creating opportunities to build a future-ready Indian workforce.