The £15 Million BK Birla Scholars Programme will support 10 full-time MBA students at the London Business School every year. Five of them will be from India and the rest from all over the world. The scholarship endowment was announced by LBS alumnus and Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla in the memory of his grandfather, industrialist B K Birla.

Scholarship Details

• The BK Birla Scholars Program marks the largest endowed scholarship gift to a European Business School.
• It honors the legacy of Birla’s late grandfather, industrialist, philanthropist and pioneer Basant Kumar Birla. A humble and visionary leader, BK Birla (1921-2019) viewed access to higher education as a fundamental right for all.
• BK Birla Scholars will represent the most impressive talent across the School’s full-time MBA program and will embody academic excellence and high leadership potential.
• The top 5% of the class will be eligible for the award. The award will represent the mark of highest distinction among students. The first cohort will start in Autumn 2019.
• The Tuition fees for the 2019 intake at LBS are £82,000. A wide range of scholarships and loans are open to MBA students. Most are available to successful applicants in Stages 1, 2 and 3 of the MBA application process.
• Touted as the world’s most flexible MBA, LBS says the program could be customized to individual interests and career path. With flexible exit points at 15, 18 or 21 months, core courses could be tailored to individual needs along with 70+ electives and applied learning opportunities.

Comments from Birla and LBS Dean

Birla said the BK Birla Scholars Programme reflected his grandfather’s generosity of spirit and commitment to supporting the continued growth of emerging business leaders.

“I am extremely proud to honor my grandfather’s legacy and create something enduring through this landmark global scholars program at LBS. Through this program, we look to build a diverse and vibrant community of next-generation leaders who are committed to the ideals of integrity, dedication and service to humanity. The very values epitomized by my grandfather,” he added.

LBS Dean François Ortalo-Magné said, “It is an incredible gift to be able to honor BK Birla’s memory with this prestigious scholars program.”

BK Birla’s Legacy

BK Birla assumed a leadership role in his family business at an early age, using his strategic acumen and foresight to grow a vast global empire. Numerous leading institutions have been influenced by his wisdom and mature guidance, among them the Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani, the BK Birla Centre of Education in Pune, and the Birla Institute of Management Technology in Delhi.

More than 50,000 students are enrolled in the educational institutions established by him. The BK Birla Scholars Program continues that legacy and further cements the family’s decades-long association with LBS, Aditya Birla Group said in a release.

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