Pune, 11 June 2026 – Bajaj Auto Foundation, the CSR arm of Bajaj Auto Limited, today announced a landmark commitment of INR 400 crore over the next decade to empower women engineers through the Rupa Rahul Bajaj Scholarship for Women in Engineering (RRBSWE).
The Rupa Rahul Bajaj Scholarship, India’s largest Scholarship Programme for Women in core engineering has been conceived for meritorious young women pursuing core engineering disciplines including Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, Industrial Instrumentation, Mechatronics, Robotics, and allied fields. Under the programme, scholars will receive financial support of up to INR 8 lakh across the course of their engineering education at 40 leading engineering institutions including IITs, NITs, IIITs, and reputed state and private universities.
Beyond financial assistance, the scholarship is designed to nurture the next generation of women leaders in engineering through structured mentorship, leadership development, industry immersion, and access to professional networks.
The event was held at Bajaj Auto Ltd. Headquarters in Pune, where the Foundation formally unveiled the scholarship identity and felicitated the inaugural cohort of 506 meritorious young scholars. The event was graced by chief guest Ms. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson and Founder of Biocon Limited, alongside Mr. Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto Ltd.
The scholarship program seeks to address the persistent underrepresentation of women in core engineering and manufacturing sectors at a time when advanced manufacturing, deep technology, and industrial innovation are becoming increasingly critical to India’s economic growth and global competitiveness. Reflecting the larger commitment towards building India’s future workforce through skilling, education, and opportunity creation, the event also marked the unveiling of Bajaj Auto Foundation’s overarching proposition – “Where there’s a skill, there’s a way.”
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rajiv Bajaj, Managing Director, Bajaj Auto Limited said, “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. In fact, from virtually no women in our operations till around a decade back, today they account for nearly 20% of our workforce. This has brought a meaningful difference to our way of working and contributed to Bajaj Auto’s global scale, thereby making us the World’s Favourite Indian. This program would extend our learning with the larger manufacturing industry.
The Rupa Rahul Bajaj Scholarship for Women in Engineering holds a special place in my heart, as it carries the name of my beloved mother, Rupa Rahul Bajaj. Her dedication to education and her belief that women can drive change in their communities inspire this program. The Rupa Rahul Bajaj Scholarship is an investment in talent, ambition, and the belief that opportunity can unlock extraordinary potential. We are deeply committed to ensuring that women play a far greater role in shaping the future of engineering and manufacturing”
Sharing her thoughts on the impact of the announcement, Ms. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited, said, “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. Initiatives like the Rupa Rahul Bajaj Scholarship can help create a stronger and more diverse innovation ecosystem for India.”