12th December 2025, Mumbai: Kotak Education Foundation (KEF), the CSR implementing arm of Kotak Mahindra Group, celebrated its annual scholarship felicitation ceremony, RIZE 2025, with pride and joy, recognizing 1,400+ new scholars and supporting their higher education from economically disadvantaged sections across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The event underscored KEF’s commitment to fostering educational excellence and holistic development for its beneficiaries. The ceremony was graced by Rinku Hooda, a celebrated Indian para-athlete and 2025 World Champion in javelin. With multiple global podium finishes, including silvers at the World Para Athletics Championships 2023 (Paris) and 2024 (Japan), along with notable medals at the Asian Para Games, he stands as one of India’s most accomplished and inspiring sporting talents. His presence deeply motivated the scholars, as he personally engaged with them, offering heartfelt words of encouragement and inspiration. The event featured several memorable moments, including a soul-stirring address by alumnus and Chief Guest, Mr. Vishal Nevge, Assistant Commissioner of State Tax, GST Department, Government of Maharashtra. He expressed deep gratitude for the Kotak Junior Scholarship Programme and shared inspiring words of encouragement with the scholars. Additionally, Devang Gheewalla, Group Chief Financial Officer, Kotak Mahindra Bank, motivated the scholars, highlighting the significance of the scholarship program and its remarkable growth over the past few years. Paul Parambi, Trustee, Kotak Education Foundation, delivered an inspiring address, urging the new batch of scholars to pursue their goals with determination and resilience. Arati Kaulgud, Director of Scholarship Program, Kotak Education Foundation, said, "These 1,400+ Kotak Scholars are a testament to how education can shape futures. With these scholarships, we’re not just supporting their academic journey, we’re opening a world of opportunity, growth, and mentorship that will help them rise to their highest potential." The ceremony witnessed stellar performances by the scholars, showcasing their talents beyond academics. Each scholar was awarded their scholarship certificate, along with felicitating the achievers, marking the beginning of their journey in higher education across diverse fields. The atmosphere was filled with pride and accomplishment as the scholars received their certificates amidst enthusiastic applause. The ceremony was also attended by prominent members of Kotak Education Foundation’s management, including Mr. Ganesh Raja, CEO at KEF; Ms. Jayasree Ramesh, COO, Education at KEF; and Ms. Kavita Shanghvi, Director, Education at KEF. RIZE 2025 was a celebration of talent, perseverance, and promise, a testament to Kotak Education Foundation's unwavering commitment to empowering the next generation through education and ensuring they achieve their full potential. Kotak Education Foundation It has been a rewarding 18 years since we embarked on our mission to equip economically disadvantaged children and youth with education and foundational skills, galvanizing them towards a better future. Our ‘Inch Wide Mile Deep’ approach, home-grown projects focused on quality education for the low-income segment have been instrumental in shaping the success of our projects across India. KEF’s approach is primarily three-pronged – the continuity of a) holistic interventions with children and educators in school, b) equitable scholarships for higher studies, and c) vocational education and skills training for livelihood. KEF launched Kotak Kanya Scholarship in 2021 to offer financial and academic support to meritorious girl students for the pursuit of higher education from all across India. Kotak Junior Scholarship supports meritorious students from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region for pursuing 11th and 12th Standard. The Kotak Graduate Scholarship is a thoughtfully designed program for eligible scholars aspiring to pursue professional courses such as Engineering, MBBS, Integrated LLB, professional certificate courses. Kotak Shiksha Nidhi, a timely, groundbreaking initiative by KEF, was introduced PAN-India after the COVID-19 pandemic. It enabled school and college education of students who were impacted by the tragic loss of one or both parents or a primary earning family member due to COVID-19. KEF’s scholarship wing has been supporting students for over a decade, providing scholarships and financial assistance to over 7500+ scholars till date. Over 1500+ alumni are successful white-collar professionals working in leading companies and other esteemed institutions. This year KEF initiated a scholarship program exclusively for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs). The objective is to support students with disabilities across India by reducing financial barriers and enabling them to continue their education with dignity and independence. In the first year we will be supporting 150+ children across school and college. KEF’s Unnati program upskills unemployed youth from economically weaker sections of society and coaches them in the basics of IT and spoken English, life skills and personality development. It ensures placements for all eligible participants so they can stride with confidence into any professional sphere. Armed with its vast experience and expertise, KEF now scales its depth as well as the breadth of its reach. KEF’s philosophy is evolving from a ‘school as a unit’ to working toward district/state level education transformation. As KEF expands its ambit, it will help drive systemic reform and state education transformation to create long-term Impact at Scale. Strengthening school leadership and teacher capacity building, creating a digital ecosystem and learning environment in schools, equipping middle school students with confidence and skills of communicative English, upskilling teachers to provide Foundational Literacy & Numeracy skills through Kshamata project and supporting districts in building and running Model Schools through these key projects. KEF is expanding to new geographies through the capacity building- Kshmata project beyond Maharashtra, supporting schools in Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Goa. Kotak Education Foundation is the primary implementing agency for the CSR initiatives of Kotak Mahindra Group in Education. Kotak Karma is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) identity of Kotak Mahindra Group Companies.For more information, please visit the Company’s website at www.kotakeducationfoundation.org (Disclaimer: The above content is a press release and PTI takes no editorial responsibility for the same.). PTI