LBS welcomes sixth intake of BK Birla Scholars

London Business School (LBS) has welcomed 10 BK Birla Scholars to its MBA Class of 2026 thanks to a generous endowment from the Aditya Birla Group.

10 outstanding full-time MBA candidates benefit from the BK Birla Scholars programme each year, which honours the legacy of Basant Kumar (BK) Birla, a celebrated Indian businessman, philanthropist and pioneer.

Five scholarships are awarded to students from India and five to students from the rest of the world. All students are chosen because of their academic excellence, leadership potential and willingness to uphold BK Birla’s ideals of integrity, dedication and service to humanity.

Created in 2019, the BK Birla Scholars programme supports scholars’ ambitions to be the business leaders of tomorrow and has now provided financial support to 60 of the most talented students across the School's MBA programme.

Joining LBS’s MBA Class of 2026 are: Dipti Balaj (India), Eliza Bellamy (US), Ravi Chunduru (India/Australia), Victoria Clark (Canada/UK), Nelson Conteh (US/Sierra Leone), Aabhas Gaba (India), Vedant Gopal (India), Prapti Patel (India), Susan Ren (UK) and Shubhangi Sharma (India).

Eliza Bellamy MBA2026 said: “It is truly an honour to be awarded a BK Birla Scholarship, and the contribution has already made a significant difference to my LBS experience. With a lightened financial burden, I feel capable of fully focusing on my studies and professional development.

“As I attempt to switch industries from finance to sports, I feel grateful that I have the time to take advantage of all the resources that the LBS Career Centre has to offer and build a network in the sports industry in the UK.”

Prapti Patel MBA2026 said: “I am deeply grateful for the support I have received through the BK Birla Scholarship! This opportunity has already transformed my journey at London Business School, allowing me to focus fully on my studies, career goals, and the rich experiences offered by the LBS community.

“Knowing that someone believes in my potential and my commitment to impact-focused investing motivates me to strive for excellence each day.”

David Simpson, Recruitment and Admissions Director for MBA and MiF at LBS, highlighted the benefits that scholarships bring: “BK Birla believed that higher education is a fundamental right for all. The scholarships that bear his name are changing students’ lives and allowing us to open our doors to brilliant students who are the future leaders of the business world.

“Being able to recruit the brightest students and offer them a world-class business education because of generous endowments such as this brings benefit not only to scholars and to the School, but to the world of business in general.”