BITS Pilani has received a philanthropic contribution of USD 1 million from alumnus Mahesh Samdani of the 1986 batch and his wife, Purva Ladha, to support female students at the institute.

The endowment will establish the Kaushaliya Devi Samdani Scholarship, named in memory of Samdani’s mother. The scholarship is aimed at assisting meritorious and financially needy female students, enabling access to higher education without financial constraints.

Mahesh Samdani, who currently serves as Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase in New York, has been associated with BITS Pilani through earlier contributions to student placements, the Practice School programme, and management education initiatives.

Welcoming the contribution, Vice-Chancellor V Ramgopal Rao said the endowment would help transform students’ lives by providing access to a world-class education at BITS Pilani. He expressed gratitude for Samdani’s continued support of the institution.

Speaking about the initiative, Mahesh Samdani said the family believes that educating one student can uplift an entire family, adding that the scholarships are intended to remove financial barriers and create long-term opportunities.

Dean of Alumni Relations Arya Kumar said such scholarships play an important role in empowering young women and promoting gender equality in higher education and leadership.

The scholarships will be awarded annually starting from the 2026–27 academic year and will be administered under BITS Pilani’s existing framework with transparent selection criteria. 

The endowment also contributes to the institute’s broader USD 100 million BITS Endowment Fund, which supports faculty development, research, student scholarships and global engagement initiatives.