BITS Pilani launches PhD fellowships backed by ₹2.5 crore alumnus contribution

BITS Pilani has received a ₹2.5 crore contribution from alumnus Agendra Kumar, Managing Director of Esri India, to establish the Agendra Kumar Fellowships Fund aimed at supporting doctoral research.

The institute said the fund will support 10 PhD scholars over the next decade and is designed to strengthen research capacity across interdisciplinary fields.

The fellowships will focus on areas such as climate and sustainability, healthcare and biotechnology, cybersecurity for critical infrastructure, geospatial intelligence, water resource management, computational cancer research, and precision agriculture.

According to an official statement, the research will be conducted under the School of Interdisciplinary Research and Entrepreneurship, which runs programs including PhD DRIVE, which allows scholars to combine doctoral studies with work on deep tech and deep science ventures.

BITS Pilani said the initiative is intended to encourage research that addresses real-world challenges through technology-driven solutions. The funding will provide sustained financial support, enabling scholars to undertake long-term research without constraints.

The institute noted that the emphasis on interdisciplinary domains reflects the need for cross-sector expertise in areas such as energy, healthcare, agriculture, and digital infrastructure.

BITS Pilani has also been expanding its broader funding base through its endowment initiatives. The institute has set up a $100 million endowment fund to support research, faculty development, scholarships, and global engagement, with contributions from alumni in India and abroad.