The Quad STEM Scholarship Scheme is a Government of India programme run by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations and paid for by the Ministry of External Affairs. India announced it at the Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, and ICCR opened the first cycle for the academic year 2025-26.
It carries 50 slots a year and covers a four-year undergraduate engineering degree at a Government of India-funded technical institution. Eight institutes take Quad scholars, among them Malaviya National Institute of Technology in Jaipur, Delhi Technological University and Anna University in Chennai.
Slots are allocated country by country and handed out by the Indian Mission that covers the applicant, so each country has its own small quota. ICCR lists the scheme as running only for the academic years 2025-26 to 2027-28.
Benefits & funding
- Full tuition fees paid to the institute.
- Monthly living allowance of INR 18,000 for undergraduate scholars.
- House rent allowance of INR 6,500 a month in Grade I cities and INR 5,500 in other cities.
- Annual contingent grant of INR 5,000 for books and stationery.
- Return economy-class airfare to the airport nearest the place of study, plus third AC train fare for the onward leg.
- Students must cover all medical costs through insurance or their own funds; ICCR bears no costs or liabilities for health issues.
- Payments run through India’s Public Financial Management System into the scholar’s Indian bank account, with three months of stipend released in advance after arrival.
- The student pays hostel and mess deposits, laboratory chemical charges in science courses, immigration registration fees and the insurance premium.
Eligibility
- Open to nationals of the countries ICCR allocates Quad STEM slots to: Eswatini, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Rwanda, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Malawi, Burundi, Seychelles, Madagascar, Comoros, Australia, Fiji, Kiribati, Tonga, Tuvalu, Japan, Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Samoa, Niue, Cook Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Philippines, Palau, Micronesia, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
- For a four-year BE or B.Tech undergraduate engineering degree only.
- A school-leaving qualification at 10+2 level (12th standard or equivalent) is required.
- Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics are compulsory subjects in Grades 11 and 12.
- ICCR’s 2026-27 guidelines set the undergraduate age range at 18 to 35 as on 1 July 2026. The scheme’s own 2025-26 annexure allowed 18 to 40, and individual missions have published other caps, so confirm the figure with the Indian Mission that covers you.
- English strong enough to follow lessons: a 500-word essay in English is written inside the application, with a TOEFL or IELTS score added if the applicant holds one.
- A passport with at least two years’ validity as of 1 July 2026.
- Study is limited to the eight institutes named for this scheme.
- Medical insurance with a minimum sum assured of INR 500,000 a year must be purchased before travel or immediately after reaching India.
Can you apply?
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Eligible nationalities
Eswatini · Ethiopia · Lesotho · Rwanda · South Africa · Uganda · Zimbabwe · Tanzania · Kenya · Mozambique · Malawi · Burundi
+ 30 more
Seychelles · Madagascar · Comoros · Australia · Fiji · Kiribati · Tonga · Tuvalu · Japan · Marshall Islands · New Zealand · Samoa · Niue · Cook Islands · Vanuatu · Papua New Guinea · Solomon Islands · Philippines · Palau · Micronesia · Cambodia · Laos · Malaysia · Singapore · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Vietnam · Indonesia · Myanmar · Bangladesh
Education required
High School
Age requirement
18–35 yrs
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Application process
- 1Register on ICCR’s A2A portal for the academic year and apply online; only online applications are processed.
- 2Upload the documents: passport pages, Grade 11 and 12 certificates and marksheets showing Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics, a 3.5x4.5cm photograph, and character references from the current institution.
- 3Write the 500-word English essay inside the portal, and attach a TOEFL or IELTS score if available.
- 4List university and course preferences in order; ICCR allows up to five.
- 5Universities check admission eligibility on the portal, hold online interviews where they choose to, and confirm provisional admission.
- 6The Indian Mission covering the applicant’s country allocates the scholarship against that country’s slots and issues the offer letter.
- 7Accept the offer on the portal and, as a selected candidate, submit the Medical Fitness Certificate during acceptance; buy the required medical insurance before travel or immediately after reaching India.
Program timeline
20 February 2025
A2A portal opened for the first Quad STEM cycle (AY 2025-26).
30 April 2025
applications closed for AY 2025-26.
27 February 2026
portal opened for AY 2026-27.
22 April 2026
last date to apply for AY 2026-27.
universities finish scrutinising applications and uploading provisional admission confirmations.
31 May 2026
Indian Missions and Posts finish the first-round selection process.
15 June 2026
Indian Missions and Posts conduct a second selection round for any vacant slots.
15–30 June 2026
the last academic year ICCR lists for the scheme; no opening date is published yet.
AY 2027-28