BITS Pilani has received a $1 million donation from US-based alumnus Mahesh Samdani and his wife, Purva Ladha, to establish a new scholarship endowment for female students. The donation has been formally announced by the institute and will be used to fund merit-cum-need scholarships beginning in the 2026–27 academic year.The contribution creates the Smt. Kaushaliya Devi Samdani Scholarship Endowment, named in memory of Samdani’s mother, Smt. Kaushaliya Devi Samdani. According to the institute, the endowment will support female students who demonstrate strong academic performance alongside significant financial need.Scholarships under the endowment will be awarded annually and administered through BITS Pilani’s existing scholarship framework.
Who is Mahesh Samdani
Mahesh Samdani is a 1986 batch alumnus of BITS Pilani, where he studied computer science. He currently serves as a Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase & Co. in New York and has spent several decades working in global banking and finance.The institute said Samdani has remained engaged with his alma mater over the years, including participation in student placement-related activities, the Practice School programme, and academic interactions. The scholarship endowment has been jointly funded by Mahesh Samdani and his wife, Purva Ladha. In a statement, Samdani said the donation was established in memory of his mother and reflects his family’s belief in education as a means of improving long-term opportunities.He said the aim of the endowment is to help reduce financial barriers for students pursuing higher education and to support meritorious female students from financially constrained backgrounds.
Placement within BITS Pilani’s endowment plans
The $1 million contribution forms part of BITS Pilani’s broader endowment fund, which the institute has said is intended to support scholarships, faculty development and research initiatives. The university has stated that alumni contributions are a key source of funding for this endowment.According to the announcement, the first scholarships funded by the Samdani endowment will be awarded from the 2026–27 academic year. Selection will be based on academic merit and financial need, in line with criteria defined by the institute.
