Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives’ (SFPI) Vidyadhan scholarships for economically disadvantaged meritorious students from across India to reach 1 Lakh in next four years
Plan to prevent high dropout rates after high school among marginalised students by providing scholarships for higher education
The goal is to support the national vision of raising the Gross Enrolment Ratio (GER) in higher education to 50% by the year 2035.
And, through organised mentoring, it also enables students to secure fulfilling careers
The scholarships range from Rs. 10,000 to Rs 75,000 per year, through the entire duration of their course
Bangalore, May XXX, 2025: Quality and affordable education is essential for the long-term growth of underprivileged students, helping them lead better lives and contributing to the nation’s progress. The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives (SFPI) is working dedicatedly to fulfil this dream of economically disadvantaged students through its flagship Vidyadhan scholarship program currently running in 22 states/UTs. Vidyadhan now aims to offer 1,00,000 (one lakh) scholarships to economically disadvantaged students across all the states (28) in the country over the next four years.
Vidyadhan provides scholarships from Grade 11 onwards till graduation ranging from Rs. 10,000 to Rs 75,000 per year through the duration of the entire course. The total value of the scholarships would amount to Rs 50 Crores over four years. The platform also provides residential training, including career orientation and employability skills.
Kumari Shibulal, Founder and Chairperson, SFPI, explains the objective of SFPI and the philosophy that underpins the Vidyadhan program: “At SFPI, we believe that education is the greatest equalizer, as it has this transformative quality to it. It adds value to the individual and the nation in a sustainable manner. So, we aim to enhance the scale of our current work that involves both providing scholarships and mentoring to guide the students to a meaningful career. Our objective is to offer 1,00,000 scholarships to meritorious, economically disadvantaged students across all the states in India. Additionally, the ease and transparency of the Vidyadhan IT platform, along with the impact of ‘Each One Teach One’ model, has attracted external sponsorship. This has enabled us to scale faster and reach out to a much larger number of states and students. We believe ensuring quality education for the 300 million students in our country requires a strong partnership between three sectors – samaaj’ (society), sarkar’ (government) and ‘bazaar’ (market or the economic forces).
We focus on three key aspects of education in our philanthropic work. The first is accessibility: This remains a major challenge both at the plus-2 level and during higher education. The second focus is affordability: Making higher education affordable to underprivileged groups. The third aspect is awareness: In rural India, many people are still unaware of the transformative power of education. They don’t fully realize its potential to improve lives, create opportunities, drive social mobility, and lift people out of poverty. To address this, we promote affordability through scholarships and raise awareness by highlighting role models.”
S D Shibulal, Co-Founder, SFPI observes: “In a context of escalating educational costs in the rapidly evolving Indian and global economy, access to financial resources to acquire educational capital is vital for less-economically endowed students. Vidyadhan makes this access possible from early on to ensure students pick up high-quality education that places them at the top-end of the economic value chain. Scaling in the India context is crucial, given its vast student populace. By integrating strategic thinking, technology, and collaborative approaches, the Vidyadhan program significantly enhances students’ prospects, launching them into comfortable careers and income opportunities. The core mission of Vidyadhan is to economically empower and uplift those with limited means.”
The Vidyadhan scholarship program has impacted over 17,000 students across 22 states and UTs so far through 63,000 scholarships. In FY 2024-25, Vidyadhan onboarded 4,900 students across 22 states and UTs for both post-schooling and intermediate education. Scholarships are offered to students in the fields of MBBS, Engineering and other courses of their choice.
According to a study done by IIM-K, students who have graduated with Vidyadhan have received three times (3x) the scholarship amount as their first year’s salary. In addition, 100% of families of students who availed the scholarship have broken out of poverty in 1-2 years. The scholarship has positively impacted up to 3 family members by offering indirect financial support, providing educational assistance and career guidance to their siblings. Around 60% of the graduated students have emerged as primary breadwinners. Close to 82% of them have seen better career potential. About 87% of them have experienced enhancement in respect for the family from society – other families, groups, friends, relatives and neighbours.
The beneficiary families supported by Vidyadhan number around 17,000 +. These families have been able to break out of the poverty cycle. Moreover, Vidyadhan alumni are now role models in their communities and are also committed to supporting the education of other children to ensure a meaningful career and life for them. Over 4,000+ alumni, who have availed of this scholarship, now work in highly reputed organizations and companies like Volvo, Shell, Accenture, HDFC, ICICI, TCS, Wipro, Cognizant, E&Y, PWC, Dell and Infosys among others. This has enabled them to earn respectable incomes and hence lead productive, fulfilling lives.
An interesting aspect of the Vidyadhan program is that many individuals and corporations have utilized the platform to offer sponsorships for education, mentorship, and to create opportunities for employment for students who graduate. Under this initiative, 100% of the sponsorship amount goes to the students, and a one-to-one connection between sponsors and students is established. There are zero administrative costs to the sponsor (as this is borne by the foundation). There is complete transparency in usage of funds and student information. Many scholarship recipients later sponsor other students after getting employed and the entire contribution has helped trigger the ‘pay-it-forward’ mindset.
Meera Rajeevan, Chief Operating Officer, Vidyadhan offers a perspective on the vision behind SFPI and how Vidyadhan plays a crucial role in its realization: “At Vidyadhan, we believe that education is the most powerful transformative enabler and the cornerstone of inclusive progress. Vidyadhan focuses on higher education, going beyond financial aid to offer training, mentoring, and counselling, ensuring that students can perform to their fullest potential. It is the shared responsibility of every citizen, corporation, and social sector organization to create opportunities for our youth. The Vidyadhan platform offers sponsors a unique opportunity that is 100% transparent, with clear, visible impact and zero administrative cost to the sponsor. What began in Kerala in 1999 has now expanded to 22 states and Union Territories. Our alumni network is growing stronger each year, with many now stepping forward to give back, creating a powerful cycle of empowerment and change.”
A committed team of professionals, volunteers, advisors, and trustees ensures that deserving youth gain access to opportunities that enable them to contribute to, and benefit from the nation’s economic growth. Through technology, partnerships with state departments, and a focus on scalability, we are building a more equitable society, one student at a time.
About Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives (SFPI)
Driven by a deep sense of responsibility toward society, the Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives (SFPI) has been transforming lives for over 25 years through focused efforts in education, healthcare, organic farming, and the arts. Founded by Mrs. Kumari Shibulal and Mr. S.D. Shibulal, SFPI operates on the belief that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty, a principle that shaped the founders’ own journeys.
SFPI’s educational initiatives — Ankur, The Samhita Academy, Vidyadhan, and Vidyarakshak — empower students from underserved communities, creating opportunities for a better future.
In addition, its program Shikshalokam, addresses systemic change in public education. Today, Shikshalokam is co-building Shikshagraha, a people’s movement for education equity that brings together governments, educators, civil society, and communities to drive people-powered reform.
Every member of the Shibulal family is personally involved, guided by a shared vision to bridge inequity and create meaningful change. Learn more at www.sfpi.org
About Vidyadhan
Vidyadhan empowers underserved students to pursue higher education through scholarships, training, and mentoring. The initiative’s transparent and inclusive model has been a catalyst for social change, impacting thousands of lives. Learn more at www.vidyadhan.org
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Roselin Kiro