BITS Pilani alumnus Mahesh Samdani, along with his wife Purva Ladha, has contributed a $1 million scholarship endowment to support academically talented female students from underprivileged backgrounds. The contribution will establish the Smt Kaushaliya Devi Samdani Scholarship, a merit-cum-need initiative instituted in memory of his mother, Kaushaliya Devi Samdani.

BITS Pilani received $1 mn scholarship endowment

Mahesh Samdani, who currently serves as Managing Director at JPMorgan Chase in New York, wants to enable deserving women from varied socio-economic backgrounds to pursue higher education at BITS Pilani without financial hurdles.

The scholarships will be awarded annually beginning Academic Year 2026–27, under BITS Pilani’s established and transparent scholarship framework, the institute said in a statement. 

“Educating one student uplifts an entire family. Through these scholarships, we hope to remove financial barriers and help shape opportunities for young women,” Samdani was quoted by The Indian Express as saying. 

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Over the years, Samdani has remained closely connected with his alma mater, supporting student placements, contributing to the Practice School programme, and engaging with students through lectures and interactions focused on management education, the institute said. 

‘Mahesh Samdani is creating a legacy’: VC BITS Pilani

BITS Pilani’s Vice-Chancellor Prof V Ramgopal Rao said that the alumni endowments play a role in advancing meritocracy, access, and long-term institutional excellence. “By setting up this scholarship, Mahesh Samdani is creating a legacy that will open doors for countless deserving students to access world-class education at BITS Pilani,” he was quoted by The Indian Express as saying. 

Dean of Alumni Relations Prof Arya Kumar noted that such efforts are essential for encouraging greater female representation in higher education, The Indian Express reported. “Empowering young women through education contributes directly to gender equality and leadership across sectors,” he was quoted by The Indian Express as saying. 

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This endowment also strengthens BITS Pilani’s larger $100 million Endowment Fund, which underpins initiatives related to faculty development, research growth, student financial aid, and international collaborations, supporting the institute’s vision of achieving global academic standing.

About Mahesh Samdani and Purva Ladha

Mahesh Samdani has been associated with JPMorgan Chase since 2008, where he currently serves as Managing Director, having earlier held the position of Executive Director at the bank. He is an alumnus of BITS Pilani and also holds an MS in Computer and Information Science from the New Jersey Institute of Technology.

Purva Ladha is presently self-employed, as per her Facebook profile. Based in New Jersey, she completed her schooling at Sophia College in Ajmer.