The Mantra Awards were instituted and funded in 2009 by Anupendra Sharma, CoFounder of BITSAA & the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL), to recognize BITSians for demonstrating overall leadership as well as leadership in the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, and social ventures.

Mantra Award winners serve as role models who inspire future generations of BITSians, and have gone on to accomplish great things. CEL is proud to collaborate in organizing the award program since its inception.

Mantra Awards are given in the following categories

1. Mantra Award for Outstanding Leadership – 2 awards (1 male, 1 female): For outstanding achievement in areas of leadership, with a particular focus on at least 1 outstanding achievement in a chosen category, and consistent demonstration of all-round leadership potential.
2. Mantra Entrepreneur of the Year Award: For outstanding achievement in entrepreneurship demonstrated during the stay at BITS, either in writing business plan(s), starting social or commercial ventures, or creating commercializable innovations on campus.
3. Mantra Award for Social Leadership: For demonstrating a commitment to social leadership either through the creation of sustainable ventures or for contribution in not-for-profit events on campus.
4. Mantra Innovator of the Year Award: For demonstrating an ability to invent or build innovative products or ideas in the labs. (Optional Award)

The awards include a certificate signed by the Vice-Chancellor of BITS Pilani and a cash award. $2000 in cash prizes is shared equally amongst all awardees.

Eligibility

These awards shall be open to all current, full-time students of BITS Pilani (on-campus or Practice School), except for:

• CEL student member on the Award selection Panel
• Any past winner of Mantra Awards in that category
• Any student with a record of indiscipline and/or malpractice at BITS Pilani.
• Cases, where the eligibility is not clear, will be decided by the Award Panel.

CEL will also proactively seek out people to nominate as recipients of these awards.

The Panel

• The Panel will include faculty members and students from all four campuses.
• In order to ensure fairness, the identity of the student on the Panel shall be known only to the Panel members and the CEL Student President.
• The faculty members for the next year’s Panel will be decided by the Panel members, with advice from the CEL Faculty Coordinator and Student President.
• Faculty members may serve the Panel for more than one year. Student members may not serve for more than one year.

Calling for Nominations

• The Panel would call for nominations beforehand by electronic submission.
• CEL should also proactively nominate deserving candidates.
• CEL student body would be responsible for coordinating the awards.
• Advertisements calling for nominations shall be put up on campus. They would also be marketed electronically, through email etc.

 CEL student body needs to submit the following to the BITSAA Scholarships and Awards team

• All accepted applications
• Nominations
• Evaluation Criteria
• Selection Process

The selection process will be in two steps.

1. Candidates submit a short write-up on their achievements electronically. If required, more information would be requested from the candidates
2. Winners would be announced at the event. All nominees would be invited.

Please contact the CEL representatives from your campus to know more about the Award and apply for the same.

1. Pilani : Mr. Sachin Arya (sachin.arya@pilani.bits-pilani.ac.in)
2. Goa : Prof. Nitin Sharma (nitinn@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in), Prof Saroj Baral (ssbaral@goa.bits-pilani.ac.in)
3. Hyderabad : Prof. Aruna Malapati (arunam@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in)
4. Dubai : Prof. Trupti Gokhale (trupti@dubai.bits-pilani.ac.in)

Mantra Award Winners 2023-24