The first cohort of 500 plus women engineers were felicitated at a grand launch ceremony in Pune recently. The ceremony was graced by Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Executive Chairperson, Biocon Limited and Bajaj Auto MD, Rajiv Bajaj. The scholarship is named after Rajiv Bajaj’s mother Rupa Rahul Bajaj.
“Women possess inherent skills of patience, empathy and diligence which are very strong attributes to excel in core engineering jobs,” Rajiv Bajaj said.
A majority of the scholars are from Mechanical Engineering, Electronics, Industrial Instrumentation, Mechatronics, Robotics, and allied fields. They are from 40 leading engineering institutions including IITs, NITs, IIITs, and reputed state and private universities.
The scholarship includes financial support of up to Rs. 8 lakhs across the course. Along with financial support students receive structured mentorship, leadership development, industry immersion, and access to professional networks.
Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said the future of India’s 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.
“500 scholarships for women engineers to work on core engineering is not a small achievement. The initiative reflects the powerful belief that when the right support meets the right talent transformational outcomes are possible,” she added.
Bajaj Auto said it has invested nearly Rs. 550 crore towards skilling and community impact initiatives. Bajaj Auto Foundation plans to invest close to Rs. 1,500 crore over the next five years to further scale its impact across India.
Bajaj Auto sold more than 21 million motorcycles in more than 100 countries in 2025. It is the world’s largest manufacturer of three-wheelers. Bajaj Auto is the first two-wheeler company in the world to have reached a market cap of rupees one lakh crores.
