Mumbai, September 6, 2023: The Reliance Foundation Scholarships programme, one of India’s largest, inclusive and diverse scholarships initiatives for higher education, has opened applications to award 5,000 undergraduate scholarships for the academic year 2023-24. Applications are open until 15 October 2023 to all first-year regular undergraduate students across all branches of study. 

The importance of investing in the power and potential of youth was a firm belief of Reliance’s Founder Chairman Shri Dhirubhai Ambani. Taking this vision forward, the Reliance Foundation Scholarships aim to strengthen young people’s access to higher education. In December 2022, on the occasion of Shri Dhirubhai Ambani’s 90th birth anniversary, Mrs Nita Ambani, Founder & Chairperson, Reliance Foundation, announced Reliance Foundation’s significant commitment to support 50,000 students with scholarships over the next 10 years as part of her vision to empower youth for a better tomorrow.

The Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship selects students based on a merit-cum-means criteria for undergraduate college education, to continue their studies without financial burden. The Scholarships aim to enable students to become successful professionals and realize their dreams, unlocking their potential to lift themselves and their communities and contribute towards India’s future socio-economic development.

“India has the world’s largest youth population, and our young people have immense potential to take the nation to new heights. At Reliance Foundation, we work to provide opportunity and access to quality education. We are strongly committed to helping young people fulfil their aspirations and enable them to contribute to India’s growth,” said Mr. Jagannatha Kumar, CEO, Reliance Foundation. 

The Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships programme will award selected scholars a grant of up to Rs. 2 lakhs for the entire course of study. The scholars will also get to be a part of an enabling support system that equips them with skills for holistic development and a vibrant alumni network. The programme encourages applications from girls and people with disabilities. Selection will be based on performance in an aptitude test, Class 12 marks, household income and other eligibility criteria. 

Since 1996, through the Dhirubhai Ambani Scholarships and Reliance Foundation Scholarships, Reliance has supported undergraduate scholarships for more than 18,000 young people, over half of them being women and nearly 2,800 people with disabilities. Many scholars have studied at premier institutes and have gone on to occupy leadership positions in their communities and organisations in India and abroad. 
For the Reliance Foundation Undergraduate Scholarships 2022-23, nearly one lakh students expressed interest by registering and out of 40,000 applications from nearly all states of India, 5,000 scholars were selected on the basis of eligibility and performance in the aptitude test. Out of these, 51% of the students were women and 97 scholars were people with disabilities. The selected scholars were from 1,630 educational institutions pursuing full time graduation courses from all streams of study.

For more details about Reliance Foundation Scholarships and to apply, please visit www.scholarships.reliancefoundation.org.