PNN
Bangalore (Karnataka) [India], December 22: The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), one of the world's leading professional engineering bodies, has announced Rithika S K, a student of KCG College of Technology, as the national winner of the 9th edition of the IET India Scholarship Award--one of India's most prestigious honours for undergraduate engineers.
Rithika made it to the top from a total of 43,971 applications received from across India, following a rigorous, multi-stage evaluation process that assesses academic excellence, innovation, leadership, and commitment to societal impact. Her solar-powered healthcare kiosk (HEKIO), won the National Finals held in December, reflecting the programme's emphasis on applying engineering thinking to real-world challenges and moving ideas beyond concept towards practical implementation. As the national winner, Rithika received a scholarship of ₹3 lakh along with a complimentary IET membership.
Vansika Jhawar, from Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT), was named First Runner-up, while Khushi Malhotra from SRM University AP secured the Second Runner-up position. In total, the programme awarded ₹10 lakhs of scholarship prize money this year.
The 2025 edition of the IET India Scholarship Award also marked a significant milestone for gender representation among young engineers. For the first time since the programme's inception, all five national finalists were women, underscoring the growing leadership and impact of young women engineers in India's technology ecosystem.
Prof. Abhijit Chakrabarti, Chair, IET India Scholarship Advisory Committee, said: "The IET India Scholarship Award celebrates young engineers who demonstrate not just technical ability, but leadership and a strong sense of purpose. This year's cohort deserves special commendation for the quality of their solutions and the effort taken to move these ideas as close to real-world implementation as possible. The fact that this year marked the first-ever all-women finalist group further reflects the depth and diversity of engineering talent emerging from India. I congratulate the winner and finalists and look forward to the contributions they will make as future engineering leaders."
Now in its ninth edition, the IET India Scholarship Award has been established as a flagship national scholarship programme for undergraduate engineering students. Instituted in 2013, the award follows a four-stage, merit-based evaluation process. As the programme prepares to enter its 10th edition in 2026, it marks a key milestone -having spotlighted nearly 25 national winners who have gone on to build impactful careers across leading technology firms, research organisations, and innovation-driven enterprises in India and abroad. Applications for the next edition will open in April 2026.
About the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET)
The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is one of the world's largest professional engineering bodies, with over 168,000 members across 150 countries. It is uniquely multidisciplinary, reflecting the evolving nature of engineering in the modern world. The IET works to engineer a better world by inspiring, informing, and influencing engineers, technologists, and all those who engage with engineering.
About IET India
The IET began operations in India in 2006, with its office in Bengaluru. Today, IET India has over 13,000 members, making it the organisation's largest membership base outside the UK. With India's growing importance as a global engineering hub, IET India focuses on strengthening engineering capability, fostering collaboration between industry, academia, and government, and driving innovation across sectors of national importance. For more information, please visit: https://india.theiet.org/
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