20 Feb 2026
The Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship Program was one of the most prestigious scholarship initiatives designed to support Indian students pursuing an MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB). Established by Reliance Industries Limited through the Reliance Trust, the fellowship aimed to empower exceptional Indian leaders with global business education while ensuring their contribution to India’s economic and social development.
Although the fellowship has now been permanently discontinued, it remains one of the most searched MBA scholarships for Indian students planning to study in the United States. This guide covers everything you need to know about the program, including benefits, eligibility criteria, documents required, and the selection process.
The fellowship was created to remove financial barriers for talented Indian students admitted to Stanford GSB.
The fellowship covered approximately 80% of the MBA tuition fees at Stanford Graduate School of Business.
The total scholarship amount of around $150,000 USD covered:
Given Stanford GSB’s high tuition structure, this financial assistance significantly reduced the burden on selected fellows.
Recipients gained access to:
One important feature of the fellowship was that recipients were not required to work for Reliance Industries Limited after graduation.
Fellows were required to:
Failure to comply required repayment of the fellowship amount.
To qualify for the Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship, candidates had to first meet the Stanford MBA admission requirements.
Applicants were required to submit one of the following:
Candidates were required to submit:
Although work experience was technically optional, preference was given to candidates who demonstrated:
Only candidates who completed their senior secondary education in India were considered eligible.
The application process involved two major steps:
Candidates had to submit their MBA application to Stanford Graduate School of Business.
Eligible applicants were required to complete and submit the Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship form alongside the MBA application.
Both applications were evaluated separately but considered together during the fellowship selection process.
Applicants had to prepare a comprehensive documentation set.
Candidates were also evaluated based on academic and social recognitions, awards, and extracurricular achievements.
The Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship had an extremely competitive selection process.
Approximately 50 candidates were shortlisted based on:
Only 3 to 5 candidates were selected as fellows.
The acceptance rate was around 5.4%, making it one of the most competitive MBA fellowships for Indian students.
Selection criteria included:
The Stanford Reliance Dhirubhai Fellowship stood out because:
Stanford GSB consistently ranks among the top business schools globally, and gaining admission itself is highly competitive. Securing additional fellowship funding made this opportunity even more exclusive.
For official Stanford MBA program information:
Phone: +1 (650) 723-2146
Students should visit the official Stanford Graduate School of Business website for updated financial aid options.
) :
0 Comment
The scholarship offered approximately $150,000 USD, covering over 80% of MBA program costs.
While not strictly mandatory, candidates with leadership and professional experience were preferred.
No, recipients were not required to work for Reliance but had to return to India for two years.
Extremely competitive, with an acceptance rate of approximately 5.4%.
