A perpetual scholarship for successful, underprivileged applicants commencing in 2020 at IIT-Bombay has been established by the legacy of late Mr. Shantilal Mohanlal Shah. Moreover, a similar ten-year Scholarship has also been established at IIT-Delhi.
Late Mr. S M Shah migrated to Kenya from India in 1923 when he was 18 years old. His mother had passed away at a very young age, with responsibility on his father who was a headmaster in Porbandar (Gujrat), to raise six children. Upon encouragement from well-wishers, his father sent him as the eldest child to Africa with a view of earning money to support the family resulting in him not able to complete his matriculation. After arriving in Kenya, he settled in Thompson’s Falls. Without any educational qualifications, he could not land himself a job. He therefore had to strike out on his own. Amidst great hardship, he gradually expanded into multiple business enterprises and became very successful. He retired in Bhavnagar, India and spent the last twenty years of his life in altruistic endeavours to benefit the poorest members of the society. His motto was Service to Mankind is Service to God and Utilise wealth for maximum benefit for maximum number of people.
IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi are one of the premiere institutions in the world and the Trustees of late Mr. S M Shah hope that the scholarship will enable the brightest minds from an underprivileged background to get the best education, excel in life and support other deserving students in the future.
Prof. Suhas Joshi, Dean Alumni & Corporate Relations of IIT Bombay, said “We truly appreciate this thoughtful contribution from the S.M. Shah Trust. The Scholarship instituted will definitely help in supporting the studies of a needy deserving student. The impact of such scholarship will definitely inspire many. We strongly believe that this is the beginning of a long-standing relationship between the SM Shah Trust and IIT Bombay.” Prof. Naveen Garg, Dean Alumni Affairs at IIT Delhi mentioned, “We are grateful to the trustees of Late Mr S M Shah that they have chosen IIT Delhi to institute these scholarships. We hope that students who benefit from these scholarships will continue Mr Shah’s legacy of servicing mankind.”