Eligible students will receive financial support of up to ₹8 lakh through the course of their engineering education
As India pushes to expand its manufacturing and technology talent pool, Bajaj Auto Foundation on Thursday unveiled a ₹1,500-crore investment plan spanning skilling, education and community development over the next five years, alongside a ₹400-crore commitment over the next decade to the Rupa Rahul Bajaj Scholarship for Women in Engineering. The programme aims to increase women’s participation in core engineering disciplines and build a stronger pipeline of technical talent.The inaugural cohort comprises 506 students from 40 leading engineering institutions, including IITs, NITs and IIITs. Eligible students will receive financial support of up to ₹8 lakh through the course of their engineering education, along with mentorship, leadership development, industry immersion and access to professional networks.Women EngineersThe scholarship comes at a time when manufacturers are increasingly looking for skilled engineering talent as investments accelerate across sectors ranging from automotive and electronics to advanced manufacturing and industrial technology.“Women possess inherent skills of patience, empathy and diligence which are very strong attributes to excel in core engineering jobs. We identified this long back and made women engineers a significant part of our workforce,“ said Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto Ltd.Bajaj said women accounted for virtually none of the company’s operations workforce a decade ago but now make up nearly 20% of its workforce, a shift he said has contributed meaningfully to the company’s growth and operating culture.Equal OpportunitySpeaking at the launch event, Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson and Founder of Biocon Ltd, said increasing female participation in engineering and manufacturing was vital not only for social inclusion but also for India’s economic competitiveness.“The future of science, engineering and manufacturing must be built on inclusion and equal opportunity. Encouraging more women to pursue core engineering disciplines is not just a social imperative, but an economic one,“ Mazumdar-Shaw said.She added that programmes such as the scholarship could help create a stronger and more diverse innovation ecosystem as India seeks to expand its presence in technology-led manufacturing.Published on June 11, 2026
