Quick Read
- Covers up to Rs.1.14 crore (USD 120,000) toward a Master’s, MPhil, or PhD abroad.
- You must be an Indian passport holder born on or after 1 January 1996.
- The scholarship excludes Engineering, CS, MBA, Medicine and a few other fields.
- Applications for 2026 are closed; the 2027 cycle should open around February.
- You need an admission offer in hand before applying, not before enrolling.
- There is no published Inlaks Shivdasani scholarship contact number, only email support.
What Is the Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship
The Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship is the flagship award from the Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation, a private Mumbai-based trust that’s been funding Indian students since 1976. A few things worth knowing before anything else:
- Who runs it: The Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation, marking its 50th year in 2026, has given out more than 1,400 scholarships, grants, fellowships, and awards to Indians so far.
- What it funds: Full-time Master’s, MPhil, or Doctoral study at a university of your choice in the UK, USA, or Europe.
- How long it runs: Anywhere from nine months to four years, depending on your course.
- What it’s not: It’s easy to confuse the Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship with the Foundation’s other programs, like the Fine Art Award or the Research and Travel Grant. These are separate opportunities with their own eligibility and deadlines, covered further down.
Sources: Inlaks Foundation, The Inlaks Scholarship | Inlaks Foundation, About the Foundation
Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship Eligibility
Eligibility here depends on four things: your passport, your age, your grades, and whether you already hold an admission offer.
| Criterion | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Nationality and residency | Indian passport holder, resident in India at the time of application |
| Age | Born on or after 1 January 1996 (this cutoff moves forward each cycle, so recheck it for future years) |
| Academic qualification | Degree from a recognised Indian university; final-year students awaiting results can apply |
| Grade requirement (Social Sciences, Humanities, Law, Fine Arts, Architecture) | Minimum 65%, CGPA 6.8/10, or GPA 2.6/4 |
| Grade requirement (Mathematics, Sciences, Environment) | Minimum 70%, CGPA 7.2/10, or GPA 3.0/4 |
| Admission status | Conditional or unconditional offer already in hand |
| If your degree is from abroad | Must have lived, studied or worked in India for at least two years after that degree |
| Best For | Indian graduates who already hold an admission offer, clear the grade bar for their field, and were born on or after 1 January 1996 |
There’s only one deadline that matters here, and it applies to every criterion above: Based on the Foundation’s own yearly pattern, the 2027 application should open around mid-February 2027 and close around 31 March 2027, though the Foundation confirms exact dates on its site closer to the time.
My insight: The admission-offer rule trips people up every year. You cannot apply “in principle” while your university applications are pending; you need an actual offer letter, conditional or not, in hand before you submit.
Which Subjects the Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship Does Not Cover
Knowing what’s excluded matters just as much as knowing what’s covered, and it’s the part most guides skip entirely. A handful of otherwise-excluded fields do have narrow exceptions, so check the second column before writing your subject off completely.
| Excluded Subject | Exception You Can Still Use |
|---|---|
| Business and Finance | No exception |
| Computer Science | No exception |
| Engineering | Considered only for Engineering and Natural Sciences at Imperial College London |
| Fashion Design | No exception |
| Film and Film Animation | Documentary filmmaking is considered |
| Hospitality and Tourism | No exception |
| Indian Studies without contemporary relevance | No exception |
| Management Studies, including the MBA | No exception |
| Medicine, Dentistry, and related therapies | No exception |
| Music | Western classical singing is considered |
If your course falls outside this list entirely, in fields like Social Sciences, Humanities, Law, Fine Arts, Architecture, or the Sciences, you’re in scope for the full benefit: up to USD 120,000 toward tuition, living costs, travel, visa fees, and health coverage, exactly as described above. If it’s a straight MBA or Computer Science Master’s with no named exception, this isn’t your scholarship, and no amount of a strong application changes that.
Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship Amount: What It Actually Covers
The headline figure is a total cap for your entire course, not an annual payout, and it’s worth understanding what’s actually inside that number before you start budgeting.
| Component | Coverage |
|---|---|
| Maximum value | Up to USD 120,000 total for the full course, not per year |
| In rupees | Approximately Rs.1,14,19,200 (roughly Rs.1.14 crore) |
| What it covers | Tuition fees, living expenses, one-way travel, visa costs, and health allowance |
| If your course costs more | You’ll need to show proof of additional funding from another source |
Source: Inlaks Foundation, The Inlaks Scholarship, Duration and Value
My insight: Many older articles online still quote a much smaller figure for this scholarship, sometimes just a few thousand rupees. That number belongs to a different, smaller Inlaks program, not the main scholarship. If you see the Inlaks Shivdasani scholarship amount listed anywhere as just a few thousand rupees, that source hasn’t been updated in years.
Other Inlaks Opportunities You Might Be Confusing This With
The Foundation runs several other programs under the Inlaks name, and it’s easy to land on one of these while researching the main scholarship and assume they’re the same thing. They’re not; each has its own purpose, deadline, and value, and none of them fund an overseas Master’s or PhD the way the flagship scholarship does.
| Programme | What It Actually Funds | Applies to Overseas Master’s/PhD Study? |
|---|---|---|
| The Inlaks Fine Art Award | Independent art practice in India, plus a four-week residency | No |
| The Inlaks Theatre Award | Skill-building workshops and mentorship in theatre, in India | No |
| The Inlaks Research & Travel Grant | Short overseas trips for registered Indian PhD students to access material or experts | No, it’s a travel grant, not degree funding |
| The Inlaks Fellowship for Social Engagement | Mentored social-impact work, not academic study | No |
Documents You Need for the Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship Application
| Document | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Admission offer letter | Conditional or unconditional, from your chosen overseas university |
| Academic transcripts | Undergraduate and, if applicable, postgraduate records |
| Passport copy | First and last pages, confirming Indian citizenship |
| Statement of purpose | Explains your course choice, career goals, and reason for studying abroad |
| Reference letter | At least one, typically academic or professional |
| Portfolio | Required only for Fine Arts, Architecture, Music, or Acting applicants |
| Proof of English proficiency | If your offer carries a language condition, this must already be met before applying |
You submit all of this through the foundation’s own online system when the Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarships Apply Online window is active; there’s no postal or in-person option anymore. If the “Apply Now” link isn’t visible on the official page, the apply-online portal simply isn’t open for that cycle yet.
My insight: The Statement of Purpose here isn’t just about your course; it also needs to explain your reasoning for studying abroad specifically and whether the Inlaks board has interviewed you before. Treat it as a separate document from any SOP you’ve already written for your university application, not a copy-paste.
Should You Apply for the Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship
If you already hold an offer in an eligible field, the scholarship is worth building your funding plan around, given the scale of the award. The Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarships Apply Online window tends to move fast once it’s live, so start your application as soon as the portal opens rather than waiting for a reminder.
If you’re still waiting on offers when the window opens, you can still submit your Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship Application with a conditional offer, but you’ll need every condition cleared before your final interview if you’re shortlisted. Don’t wait for an unconditional offer to start your paperwork.
If your field is on the exclusion list, don’t spend time on this one. Look instead at broader study-abroad scholarships for Indian students that cover Business, Engineering or Computer Science.
What to Do If You Miss the Deadline or Aren’t Selected?
If the Inlaks Shivdasani scholarship deadline has already passed for the year:
There’s no late window. Your only option is to prepare early for the next cycle, and in the meantime look at an education loan to keep your admission timeline on track.
If you don’t hear back after the review stage:
The foundation is direct about this: if you haven’t received any communication by their stated cutoff date, assume you haven’t moved to the next round. No individual feedback is given, so don’t wait on an explanation before making your backup plans.
If you’re not selected after the final interview:
Your admission offer still stands. Many applicants reapply the following year if they remain eligible, since being unsuccessful once doesn’t affect a future application.
Key Takeaways on Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship
- Confirm your subject isn’t on the exclusion list before you invest time in this application; Engineering, CS, MBA, and Medicine are out, with narrow named exceptions.
- Secure your admission offer first. The Foundation only considers applicants who already hold one, so this scholarship comes after your university applications, not alongside them.
- Don’t confuse the main Scholarship with the Foundation’s other, smaller programs; each has its own value, deadline, and purpose.
Verified by: LeapScholar’s scholarships counseling team, with hands-on experience guiding Indian students through the Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship and similar merit-based awards.
Have questions about funding your Master’s or PhD abroad? Book a free session with a LeapScholar counselor.
Frequently Asked Questions About Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship
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What is the Inlaks scholarship exactly?
Think of it as the Foundation’s flagship award: a fully funded route for Indian students heading abroad for a Master’s, MPhil, or Doctoral degree. It covers up to USD 120,000 total toward tuition, living costs, travel, visa fees, and health coverage, but only for eligible fields, so this isn’t a blanket “any subject, anywhere” scholarship.
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What is the Inlaks Shivdasani scholarship amount in rupees?
At today’s rate of Rs.95.16 per USD, this amounts to roughly Rs.1.14 crore. That figure is a ceiling for your whole course, not a yearly amount, and it only stretches that far if your actual tuition and living costs stay within it.
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What are the Inlaks Shivdasani scholarships’ eligibility requirements?
You’ll need an Indian passport, residency in India when you apply, a birth date on or after 1 January 1996, a qualifying degree from a recognized Indian university, and an admission offer already in hand for an eligible subject. Minimum grades sit around 65% or 70% depending on which field you’re in.
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When is the Inlaks Shivdasani scholarship deadline?
Once a year, usually opening in February and closing by the end of March. The 2026 window has already passed, so if you’re planning ahead, expect the next Inlaks Shivdasani scholarship deadline to be in a similar period in 2027. The Foundation only confirms exact dates on its own site closer to the time, so don’t treat last year’s dates as definitive.
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Is there a contact number for the Inlaks scholarship that I can call?
Honestly, no, not one the Foundation itself puts out. Their site only lists email, info@inlaksfoundation.org for general questions and applications@inlaksfoundation.org if you’re mid-application. If you come across an Inlaks scholarship contact number on some random directory site, treat it with suspicion; that Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarships Contact Number almost certainly isn’t something the foundation has actually confirmed.
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Can I apply for the Inlaks Shivdasani Scholarship for an MBA?
Unfortunately not. Management Studies, MBA included, sits squarely on the exclusion list, alongside Business and Finance more broadly. This requirement trips up a surprising number of otherwise strong applicants who assume a great profile can override a subject restriction; it can’t.
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Do I need to already have a university offer before I apply?
You do, and this is where the Inlaks process differs from many other scholarships. The foundation simply won’t look at an application without proof of admission, conditional offers included. So the Inlaks Scholarship is a scholarship you apply for after your university offers land, not while you’re still waiting on them.
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What happens if my course costs more than USD 120,000?
You’re not automatically disqualified. You’ll just need to show where the rest of the money is coming from, whether that’s another scholarship, a sanctioned education loan, or your funds, to prove the gap is genuinely covered.
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