Indian Bank Keeps 1000s of Students in School After COVID

Thousands of Indian students were about to lose everything after COVID took their parents and their hope for education.

The Kotak Mahindra Group launched Kotak Shiksha Nidhi in response to the crisis unfolding across India. Children and young adults who had already suffered devastating loss were being forced to abandon their studies because their families could no longer afford tuition.

The program went beyond writing checks. Through the Kotak Education Foundation, students received full financial support to continue their education without interruption or compromise.

But the foundation recognized something crucial that many scholarship programs miss. Losing a parent during a pandemic carries an enormous emotional weight that money alone cannot fix.

Students received mental wellness support and counseling alongside their scholarships. The program operated under the principle "Hausla Hai Toh Ho Jayega," which means "If you have courage, anything is possible."

All subsidiaries of the Kotak Mahindra Group joined the effort. This collective response reinforced a shared belief that no student should lose their future because of circumstances beyond their control.

The Ripple Effect

The impact extends far beyond individual students. When education continues, families maintain hope and entire communities stay intact.

Each scholarship represents not just one saved academic career, but preserved dreams of becoming doctors, engineers, teachers, and entrepreneurs. These students will eventually contribute to India's economy and support their own families.

By addressing both financial and emotional needs, the program recognized that true support means caring for the whole person. Students didn't just receive aid, they received understanding during their darkest moments.

The program proves that corporate responsibility can mean something deeply human when companies choose to act with both resources and empathy.

Thousands of Indian students are still in school today because one foundation refused to let a generation's potential disappear with the pandemic.