Expanding access to quality technical education for deserving students across India
The Challenge
For many meritorious students from economically weaker families, the cost of higher education remains a significant barrier. Tuition fees and academic expenses can place considerable pressure on families, often limiting students’ ability to focus fully on their studies, research, skill development and career aspirations.
The challenge is particularly significant for students from lower-income, OBC and EWS backgrounds, as well as women aspiring to pursue education and careers in STEM. Ensuring that financial circumstances do not determine educational opportunity is therefore critical to building a more inclusive and equitable talent ecosystem.
Vision
To build a nationwide scholarship ecosystem where deserving students can pursue premier technical education irrespective of their financial background—and where talent, ambition and academic merit determine opportunity.
Through this partnership, PowerGrid and IIT Madras are not only funding education, but also empowering the next generation of engineers, researchers, innovators and changemakers.
The Initiative
Through its CSR partnership with IIT Madras, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited has established two major endowed scholarship initiatives:
The PowerGrid Vidyalakshmi Pan-IIT Endowed Scholarship supports deserving B.Tech students from lower-income families across 23 IITs, with IIT Madras serving as the nodal institution. The programme gives preference to women students and seeks equitable representation across both established and newer IITs.
The PowerGrid Merit-cum-Means Endowed Scholarship at IIT Madras supports meritorious students from lower-income families, including students from OBC and EWS backgrounds. The programme is designed to strengthen women’s participation in STEM and uses the income generated from the endowment to provide annual scholarships.
Together, these initiatives provide sustained financial assistance while creating a long-term and renewable model of educational support.
A Sustainable Model of Support
PowerGrid contributed ₹17.97 crore towards the Vidyalakshmi Pan-IIT initiative, resulting in the creation of an endowment of ₹16.85 crore. By FY 2024–25, the programme had reimbursed ₹3.36 crore in cumulative tuition fees.
Under the Pan-IIT scholarship, 168 students were supported each year in FY 2022–23, FY 2023–24 and FY 2024–25, with each student receiving ₹66,667 towards tuition fees.
The IIT Madras-specific MCM scholarship was established through a ₹10 crore endowment. It has provided ₹50 lakh in annual financial support, benefiting 35 students in 2021–22, 31 in 2022–23, 35 in 2023–24 and 40 in 2024–25.
Impact at a Glance
- 23 IITs covered under the Vidyalakshmi Pan-IIT Scholarship
- 168 students supported annually for three consecutive years
- 504 annual scholarship awards delivered from FY 2022–23 to FY 2024–25
- 82 women and 86 men supported in FY 2024–25
- 130 continuing scholars and 38 first-time recipients in FY 2024–25
- 40 IIT Madras students supported through the MCM scholarship in FY 2024–25
Beyond tuition assistance, students report that the scholarships have enabled them to access learning resources, pursue internships and research, participate in extracurricular activities and focus on their academic and professional growth without constant financial pressure. Many beneficiaries aspire to build careers in AI, healthcare, aerospace, semiconductors, robotics, software development and entrepreneurship, while also expressing a desire to support future students.
The Way Forward
The initiative is now progressing towards a broader national footprint. The next phase envisages support for 295 students across 23 IITs, 31 NITs, select engineering colleges and other government-funded institutions.