BITS Pilani, an Institute of eminence, has announced the establishment of three new scholarships, collectively valued at US $500,000, made possible through contributions from alumni spanning more than six decades of the Institute’s history. These scholarships will support meritorious students seeking admission to BITS Pilani and reflect the institution’s deepening culture of alumni philanthropy. All three scholarships will be administered under the BITS Pilani endowment fund, which is emerging as a key pillar in the Institute’s long-term vision.
The announcement comes at a significant moment in BITS Pilani’s philanthropic journey. The Institute’s endowment campaign, which aims to raise US $100 million to support student scholarships, faculty excellence, research capacity, and global engagement, has already crossed US $45 million in commitments and contributions from alumni and supporters across the world. With the campaign now approaching the halfway mark of its US $100 million goal in just under two years, BITS Pilani’s alumni-led philanthropy continues to gain remarkable momentum.
The newly announced scholarships, which include both merit and merit cum need support for deserving male and female students, are being established by Prof. Krishna Saraswat, Rickey/Nielsen Professor in the School of Engineering, Emeritus, Stanford University, and alumnus of the 1963 batch, S. K. Roongta, alumnus of the 1966 batch and former Chairman of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), and Srikrishna Sridhar and Arushi Aggarwal, an alumni couple from the 2005 batch.
Contributions from global faculty and distinguished alumni, reinforce confidence in BITS Pilani’s merit-based, transparent, and trusted scholarship framework, reflecting the Institute’s longstanding commitment to a rigorous and credible process that recognises talent and supports deserving students. With these additions, BITS Pilani now offers more than 300 alumni funded scholarships, in addition to the institutional scholarships that already support one in every four students each year.
Prof. Krishna Saraswat said, “I was born, brought up, and educated in Pilani from kindergarten to my BE degree at BITS. I owe my success to the excellent education I received in Pilani, and to the upbringing I had from my father, Prof. Hiralal Sharma, a professor at Birla College of Science, and my mother, Mrs. Kashi Devi. My wife Sonia Saraswat and I are grateful for this opportunity to establish a scholarship at BITS.”
K. Roongtasaid, “BITS Pilani has been foundational in shaping my professional journey and values. This scholarship is a small way of giving back to an institution that has given so much to me and to countless others. I hope it enables talented and deserving students to pursue their aspirations without financial constraints, and inspires them to uphold the spirit of excellence and integrity that defines BITS.”
Srikrishna Sridhar and Arushi Aggarwal said, “BITS Pilani was a life changing experience for us. It challenged us every day to strive for excellence. We hope this scholarship will enable more students to access a similar learning experience and build their own journeys of growth and impact.”
Prof. Arya Kumar, Dean, Alumni Relations, said, “It is inspiring to see alumni from the 1960s to the 2000s choosing to support students they may never meet. This is the BITSian spirit at its very best. It also reflects the growing strength of our endowment movement and the belief our alumni community has in the future of the institution. I hope the students who benefit from these scholarships will carry forward the same values of excellence, generosity, and responsibility.”
