IIT Bombay Alumnus Launches “WINGS” STEM Scholarship

• WINGS offers tuition support for female STEM undergraduates at IIT Bombay.
• Initiative empowers women nationwide to pursue STEM careers without financial barriers.
• Program inspires inclusive education, fostering diversity and innovation in India.

Bharat Desai and Neerja Sethi, both IIT Bombay alumni, have introduced the WINGS (Women INspiring Growth in STEM) scholarship. A program designed to support and empowers women pursuing careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics).

The scholarship will provide opportunities for women in STEM fields. WINGS will spur the development of comparable influential initiatives for women's education in India.

IIT Bombay WINGS scholarship will provide financial assistance for tuition to female undergraduate students in STEM at IIT Bombay.

This will also ensure that financial limitations do not prevent them from accessing their educational aspirations. The plan is expected to inspire young women across the country to engage in a STEM education. The first batch will begin in the 2026–2027 academic year and the program will encourage students from rural outreach areas to apply to IIT Bombay.

Professor Shireesh Kedare, Director of IIT Bombay, welcome the initiative, emphasizing its significance for the future of higher education. “Financial constraints should never determine a student’s future. This scholarship initiative is a commitment to ensuring that talented young women in STEM have the freedom to pursue their aspirations without limitations. It is a step toward a more equitable and diverse student community at IIT Bombay, that will shape the future of science and technology,” he said.

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Bharat Desai stated, “Education is the most powerful tool for change. By removing financial obstacles, we are unleashing the talent and determination of young women who will drive the future of innovation and progress in India”.

According to officials at IIT-B, the initiative aim is to provide financial assistance to women as well as encourage more young women across India to seek higher education in the STEM disciplines. The scholarship intends to be the catalyst for many other similar efforts across the country, and ultimately, to foster a more inclusive academic atmosphere with greater engagement of women.