The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras has partnered with Herbalife, a health and wellness company, through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to provide 1,000 scholarships to students starting the foundational level of the IIT Madras BS Degree in Data Science and Applications.

• The scholarships, awarded based on merit and financial need, are designed to assist underserved students, with 50 per cent specifically reserved for female students.
• This commitment supports IIT Madras’s goal of advancing gender equality and boosting female participation in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines, as outlined in an official statement from the institution.
• The initiative is part of IIT Madras’s "IIT Madras for All" vision, which focuses on making top-quality education accessible to students from varied economic backgrounds across India.
• This programme aims to bridge educational gaps and expand opportunities for a more diverse student base.
• Professor Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean of Alumni and Corporate Relations at IIT Madras, expressed appreciation for Herbalife’s contribution, emphasising that partnerships with corporates through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives allow the institute to offer scholarships, enhance research, and broaden its educational impact, making these ambitious goals achievable.