July 28th, 2026: Kotak Education Foundation (KEF), the CSR implementing arm of Kotak Mahindra Group, today announced the launch of the Kotak Kanya Scholarship 2026 under the campaign banner “One in a Million”, a search for exceptional girl students across India whose merit deserves to be recognized and supported, irrespective of financial circumstances. Now in its sixth year, the programme continues to open the doors of professional higher education to meritorious girl students from underserved sections of society, enabling them to pursue their ambitions without financial barriers standing in the way.
Since its inception in 2021, the Kotak Kanya Scholarship has already impacted 1,525 girls across 24 states, with 500 new scholars to be onboarded in 2026-27. In addition to financial aid, KEF ensures holistic development through expert mentorship, valuable career guidance, industry exposure and finishing school sessions, nurturing critical thinking, 21st-century competencies and work readiness in professional sectors.
Ridhi Bhatia, Senior Vice President – Group CSR, Kotak Mahindra Bank said, “Education is one of the most powerful drivers of long-term community development. However, for many deserving young women, financial constraints continue to limit access to professional higher education at a pivotal stage in their lives. Through the Kotak Kanya Scholarship, we seek to ensure that merit and ambition – not economic circumstance – shape a young woman’s future, enabling her to unlock her potential and create lasting impact for her family, community and beyond.”
Arati Kaulgud, Head of Scholarship Program and Executive Committee Member (EC), Kotak Education Foundation said, “As we celebrate the first successful outcomes of the Kotak Kanya Scholarship, we are proud to see our scholars creating a ripple effect. From joining leading global technology companies and India’s top corporates to graduating as our first doctors, they are fulfilling not only their own aspirations but also the dreams of their families. Their success inspires us to extend this opportunity to 500 more deserving young women. Our rigorous selection and focus on holistic development make us one of the most impactful scholarship programmes. By enabling more women to pursue careers in traditionally underrepresented fields, we are helping build a more gender-balanced workforce. We encourage India’s brightest young women to apply and become the next generation of changemakers.”
Scholarship highlights:
- ₹1.5 lakh* per scholar per year until completion of the professional graduation course/degree
- Covers professional courses such as engineering, MBBS, architecture, design, and integrated LLB at NIRF-accredited institutes of repute
- Access to mentoring, life skills, and mental well-being sessions
- Scholars from 136 top institutions across India
Eligibility criteria for Kotak Kanya Scholarship 2026-27:
- Open to meritorious girl students across India
- Must have scored 75% or more marks (or equivalent CGPA) in Class 12 board examinations
- Annual family income must be less than ₹6,00,000
- Must have secured admission to the first year of a professional graduation programme (2026-27) at an NIRF or NAAC-accredited institute of repute in streams such as engineering, MBBS, integrated LLB (5 years), integrated BS-MS/BS-Research (IISER, IISc Bangalore), design, or architecture
- Children of employees of Kotak Mahindra Group, Kotak Education Foundation, and Buddy4Study are not eligible to apply
KEF’s scholarship wing has supported over 4,000 scholars to date, with 2,000+ alumni now thriving as professionals in leading companies and other institutions.
About Kotak Education Foundation
Kotak Education Foundation (KEF) is the primary implementing agency for the education-focussed Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives of the Kotak Mahindra Group under its CSR identity, Kotak Karma.
For nearly two decades, KEF has been working to transform the lives of children and youth from economically disadvantaged communities through high-quality education, skills development, and livelihood opportunities. Guided by its philosophy of creating deep, sustainable impact, KEF designs and implements evidence-based interventions that strengthen education ecosystems and enable learners to realise their full potential.
KEF’s integrated approach spans the entire educational continuum from strengthening foundational learning, improving school leadership and building teacher capacity, Communicative English Future Readiness (CE-FR) skills, STEM education to expanding access to higher education through scholarships, and enhancing employability through vocational education and skilling programmes.
Through strategic partnerships with government bodies, educational institutions, communities, and sector stakeholders, KEF has built scalable models that are driving measurable improvements in learning outcomes and educational access.
Today, KEF’s programmes reach thousands of schools, educators, and learners across multiple states in India through its flagship initiative KSHAMATA. As it enters the next phase of its journey, KEF is expanding its vision from school-level interventions to district and state-level transformation. By combining on-ground implementation expertise with system-strengthening partnerships, innovation, and scale, KEF is working towards creating equitable, future-ready education systems that empower millions of children and youth to thrive and contribute meaningfully to India’s growth story.
Beyond school education, Kotak Education Foundation (KEF) has built a comprehensive ecosystem of scholarships and employability initiatives that support young people at critical transition points in their educational and professional journeys. KEF’s scholarship programmes are designed to ensure that financial constraints do not become barriers to aspiration and achievement. The Kotak Kanya Scholarship empowers meritorious young women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds across India to pursue professional higher education through financial assistance, mentorship, academic support, and holistic development opportunities. The Kotak Junior Scholarship enables high-potential students from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to continue their education in Grades 11 and 12, while the Kotak Graduate Scholarship supports deserving students in pursuing undergraduate studies and preparing for successful careers.
Complementing these efforts, KEF’s vocational education and employability programmes equip youth from underserved communities with industry-relevant skills, including digital literacy, spoken English, life skills, workplace readiness, and professional competencies. With a strong focus on employment outcomes, these programmes empower young people to access sustainable livelihood opportunities and confidently navigate the world of formal employment.
Today, KEF stands at the forefront of education transformation in India. Building on nearly two decades of implementation experience and deep community engagement, the organisation is evolving from driving impact at the individual school level to enabling systemic change across districts and states. Through strategic partnerships with governments, institutions, and ecosystem stakeholders, KEF is creating scalable models that strengthen education systems, improve learning outcomes, enhance employability, and expand opportunities for millions of children and youth. By combining innovation, evidence-based practice, and a commitment to equity, KEF continues to work towards building a future where every learner has the opportunity to learn, thrive, and succeed.
For more information, please visit: www.kotakeducationfoundation.org
About Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited
Established in 1985, Kotak Mahindra Group is one of India’s leading diversified and integrated financial services conglomerates, providing a wide range of financial solutions across customer and geographic segments. The Group strives to deliver value for its key stakeholders – customers, company, colleagues, and the larger community – through an overarching focus on “Doing it Right by the Customer”. The Group offers products across banking and lending, capital markets, asset management, and protection, enabling it to serve its customers across every spectrum of their financial needs. As on 31st March 2026, the Group has a national footprint of 5,584 branches and reported a consolidated balance sheet size of ₹10 trillion.
For more information, please visit the Company’s website at https://www.kotak.bank.in
