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In a significant move to address the skill gap in the telecom industry and empower India’s youth, Bharti Airtel Foundation has launched the ‘Bharti Airtel Scholarship Program’. This merit-cum-means based scholarship program is aimed at supporting 4,000 students annually with an outlay of INR 100+ crore. This scholarship will cover 100% of college fees and provide laptops to Bharti Scholars.
The target audience for this program is students enrolled in undergraduate (UG) and integrated tech courses at the top 50 NIRF (Engineering) colleges, including IITs. The first batch will support 250 students, marking the 25th anniversary of the Bharti Airtel Foundation. The program will incrementally scale up to reach 4,000 scholars, offering comprehensive support, including hostel and mess fees for those in need.
The program focuses on economically disadvantaged backgrounds and aims to eliminate financial barriers to quality education. For that, eligible students must have an annual family income not exceeding INR 8.5 lakh.
Bridging the Skill Gap
The Bharti Airtel scholarship program is designed to address the critical skill gap in the telecom industry, the scholarship program focuses on fields such as Electronics & Communication, Telecom, Information Technology, Computer Sciences, Data Sciences, and Emerging Technologies like AI, IoT, AR/VR, Machine Learning, and Robotics. The program aims to develop a skilled workforce ready to drive innovation and growth in the telecom sector by nurturing talent in these areas.
Rakesh Bharti Mittal, Vice Chairman of Bharti Enterprises and Co-Chairman of Bharti Airtel Foundation said, “As we reflect on the last 25 years, the Bharti Airtel Foundation is proud to have touched 6 million+ lives through our educational initiatives. With this pioneering Bharti Airtel Scholarship Program, we are expanding our commitment to empower students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds, particularly girl students, to achieve academic excellence and pursue their dreams. We firmly believe that education is the cornerstone of societal progress and economic empowerment. The selected institutes have always showcased a confluence of exemplary learning and accessible education to students across different strata. Our endeavor is to strengthen these tenets in Indian academia, towards nurturing professionals equipped to handle the dynamic evolution of the technological landscape of tomorrow.”
Steps Ahead
Beyond financial support, Bharti Scholars will be encouraged to give back by supporting at least one student voluntarily once they graduate and are employed. This approach aims to create a cycle of empowerment and continuous improvement in access to quality higher education.
The Bharti Airtel Scholarship Program represents a significant step towards bridging the skill gap in the telecom industry by providing comprehensive support to students from disadvantaged backgrounds, it aims to create a pipeline of skilled professionals ready to lead the industry into the future.