Kotak Education Foundation launches Kotak Kanya Scholarship 2026 for 500 meritorious girls, offering up to Rs. 1.5 lakh annually for professional courses.
MUMBAI (India CSR): Kotak Education Foundation (KEF), the CSR implementing arm of Kotak Mahindra Group, today announced the launch of the Kotak Kanya Scholarship 2026 under the campaign banner “One in a Million”, a search for exceptional girl students across India whose merit deserves to be recognized and supported, irrespective of financial circumstances. Now in its sixth year, the programme continues to open the doors of professional higher education to meritorious girl students from underserved sections of society, enabling them to pursue their ambitions without financial barriers standing in the way.
Since its inception in 2021, the Kotak Kanya Scholarship has already impacted 1,525 girls across 24 states, with 500 new scholars to be onboarded in 2026-27. In addition to financial aid, KEF ensures holistic development through expert mentorship, valuable career guidance, industry exposure and finishing school sessions, nurturing critical thinking, 21st-century competencies and work readiness in professional sectors.
Ridhi Bhatia, Senior Vice President – Group CSR, Kotak Mahindra Bank said, “Education is one of the most powerful drivers of long-term community development. However, for many deserving young women, financial constraints continue to limit access to professional higher education at a pivotal stage in their lives. Through the Kotak Kanya Scholarship, we seek to ensure that merit and ambition – not economic circumstance – shape a young woman’s future, enabling her to unlock her potential and create lasting impact for her family, community and beyond.”
Arati Kaulgud, Head of Scholarship Program and Executive Committee Member (EC), Kotak Education Foundation said, “As we celebrate the first successful outcomes of the Kotak Kanya Scholarship, we are proud to see our scholars creating a ripple effect. From joining leading global technology companies and India’s top corporates to graduating as our first doctors, they are fulfilling not only their own aspirations but also the dreams of their families. Their success inspires us to extend this opportunity to 500 more deserving young women. Our rigorous selection and focus on holistic development make us one of the most impactful scholarship programmes. By enabling more women to pursue careers in traditionally underrepresented fields, we are helping build a more gender-balanced workforce. We encourage India’s brightest young women to apply and become the next generation of changemakers.”
Scholarship highlights:
1. Rs. 1.5 lakh* per scholar per year until completion of the professional graduation course/degree
2. Covers professional courses such as engineering, MBBS, architecture, design, and integrated LLB at NIRF-accredited institutes of repute
3. Access to mentoring, life skills, and mental well-being sessions
4. Scholars from 136 top institutions across India
Eligibility criteria for Kotak Kanya Scholarship 2026-27:
• Open to meritorious girl students across India
• Must have scored 75% or more marks (or equivalent CGPA) in Class 12 board examinations
• Annual family income must be less than Rs. 6,00,000
• Must have secured admission to the first year of a professional graduation programme (2026-27) at an NIRF or NAAC-accredited institute of repute in streams such as engineering, MBBS, integrated LLB (5 years), integrated BS-MS/BS-Research (IISER, IISc Bangalore), design, or architecture
• Children of employees of Kotak Mahindra Group, Kotak Education Foundation, and Buddy4Study are not eligible to apply
KEF’s scholarship wing has supported over 4,000 scholars to date, with 2,000+ alumni now thriving as professionals in leading companies and other institutions.
*Disclaimer: Terms and conditions apply. Scholarship selection and amount are based on fulfilment of the eligibility criteria and remain at the discretion of Kotak Education Foundation.
The Kotak Education Foundation
Kotak Education Foundation (KEF) is the primary implementing agency for the education-focussed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of the Kotak Mahindra Group under its CSR identity, Kotak Karma.
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