BENGALORE (India CSR): Amazon today announced 500 new scholarships for 2026 under its Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) program in India, providing female engineering students from low-income families with financial support, mentorship, and career opportunities in technology. Amazon Future Engineer (AFE) is Amazon’s global computer science education program designed to increase access to technology education and career opportunities. With this expansion, the program currently supports 2,000 active scholars.
The AFE scholarship provides Rs 2 lakh in financial assistance over four years to female students pursuing B.E. or B.Tech degrees in computer science or allied branches, from low-income backgrounds. Beyond financial support, scholars receive a laptop, technical training through bootcamps, webinars from Amazon Women of the World (WoW), one-on-one mentorship from Amazon engineers, and paid eight-week internship opportunities at Amazon after their second year.
“Every student deserves the opportunity to discover their potential. With the Amazon Future Engineer Scholarships, we’re investing in the leaders who will shape the future of work—the talented, determined students in communities across India” said Candi Castleberry, Vice President of Amazon eXperiences and Upskilling. “The 2026 scholarship recipients demonstrate what’s possible when we create upskilling pathways together and remove the barriers standing between young people and their dreams.”
Announced on the sidelines of the inaugural Together India Summit, the expansion reflects Amazon’s continued focus on creating pathways to learn and build careers in technology so we are future ready. As part of the internal summit, Together at Amazon is an initiative focused on helping employees grow, thrive, and connect through access to skills development, workplace support, and community engagement. As part pf this framework, In This Together is an initiative helping students, customers, communities, partners, and business owners discover pathways to Amazon.
First Cohort Graduates with 89% Placement Rate
Launched with 200 scholars in 2022, the program has expanded significantly year on year, increasing to 500 annual scholarships from 2023 onwards. Scholars are selected through a rigorous process evaluating academic merit, financial need, and leadership potential. The program’s first graduating cohort in 2025 has achieved an 89% placement rate, with graduates securing roles at Fortune 500 companies including Amazon. To date, about 400 scholars have completed internships across various technical roles at Amazon, with hundreds of others set to take up internships in the coming months as newer cohorts become eligible.
Many scholars are first-generation college graduates from tier-2 and tier-3 cities, reflecting the program’s reach across underserved regions in India. Graduates such as Sreya Mula from Telangana, now a Software Development Engineer, Keerthi Sankara from Andhra Pradesh, a Cloud Support Associate, and Anjali Ashtake from Nagpur, Maharashtra, now a Graduate Analyst at Deutsche Bank, are among those who have gone on to build careers in technology, demonstrating the program’s impact in enabling access to long-term opportunities.
Reaching 4.8 million Students in Government Schools
Amazon has invested ~Rs 50 crore (approximately USD 6 million) in the AFE program since 2022, building a structured pathway from scholarship to career for young girls in technology. The scholarship program is implemented in partnership with the Foundation for Excellence, while NavGurukul delivers technical training to help scholars build industry-relevant skills and prepare for internships.
Beyond engineering scholarships, the program has reached 4.8 million students across more than 50,000 government schools in India between 2021 and 2025, providing computer science and AI education.
(India CSR)
