Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarship: How to Apply (2026 Guide)

The narotam sekhsaria scholarship is one of the most underutilised postgraduate scholarships available to Indian students going abroad. Most families planning for graduate study focus on the Fulbright, the Commonwealth, or university-level aid. Very few think to apply for the Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation scholarship, despite its relatively open competition for the funding it provides.

There is one thing you should understand clearly before applying: the scholarship has a loan component. It is not a pure grant. This guide covers the full structure, who qualifies, how to apply, and what the selection committee evaluates. For a complete picture of all postgraduate funding options, read our complete guide to scholarships for Indian students studying abroad.

What Is the Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation Scholarship?

The Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation (NF Foundation) was established to support talented Indian students in pursuing postgraduate education at premier universities globally. The foundation's postgraduate scholarship program is its primary offering for students heading abroad for Master's or doctoral programs.

The foundation funds students across disciplines: engineering, sciences, social sciences, arts, and humanities. There is no restriction to a specific field, which makes it one of the more broadly applicable Indian scholarships for international study. Students at top universities across the US, UK, Europe, Canada, and Australia have received funding through this program.

The Loan-Scholarship Structure: What It Means for You

This is the part most applicants do not read carefully enough. The Narotam Sekhsaria Foundation scholarship is structured as a hybrid: part of the funding is a grant that does not require repayment, and part is a loan that recipients are expected to repay once they are financially stable in their careers.

The exact split between grant and loan, and the repayment terms, can vary by award year and individual case. Before applying, read the current terms on the NF Foundation's official scholarship page. Do not assume the figures from previous years still apply. This is one of the few Indian scholarship programs where the financial structure genuinely requires careful family-level planning, not just an application form.

Who Is Eligible for the Narotam Sekhsaria Scholarship?

The foundation sets eligibility criteria that are broad enough to include students from most academic backgrounds, but selective enough that the average applicant pool is strong. Here is what the program requires:

• Indian national: Citizen of India at the time of application.
• Undergraduate degree from an Indian institution: You must have completed or be in the final year of a bachelor's degree at a recognised Indian university.
• Admission to a postgraduate program abroad: You need either a confirmed or conditional offer from an overseas institution for a Master's or doctoral program.
• Academic merit: Competitive applicants typically hold a first-class undergraduate degree, which in most Indian systems means 60% or above aggregate. The foundation does not publish a hard minimum.
• Financial need: The foundation considers the applicant's financial background as part of the selection process. Demonstrated need is a factor, though it is not the sole criterion.

Candidates who are already enrolled in an overseas program are generally not eligible. The scholarship is intended to support students at the point of transition, before or just as they begin their postgraduate journey.

What the Scholarship Covers

The NF Foundation scholarship covers a portion of postgraduate education costs, with the total amount varying by recipient and program. Historically, the scholarship has provided meaningful support toward tuition fees, with additional consideration for living expenses at many institutions.

Given the hybrid loan-grant structure, the effective grant portion is what you receive without obligation to repay. The loan portion adds to your total funding but carries a repayment obligation. When calculating whether NSF funding makes your target program financially viable, model both scenarios: the grant-only portion and the full grant-plus-loan amount.

The scholarship does not restrict which universities or countries you can attend. Premier institutions across the US, UK, continental Europe, Canada, and Australia are all covered, provided you are admitted and the program is at postgraduate level. For UK-specific funding options alongside NSF, see our guide on UK university admissions for Indian students.

The Application Process, Step by Step

The NF Foundation runs an annual application cycle. Applications typically open in January or February and close in March or April, with scholarship announcements following a few months later. The exact dates shift year to year, so check pg.nfroundation.org for the current cycle's deadlines.

Steps to Apply

Step 1: Confirm your eligibility. You must have an offer from an overseas institution in hand, or at least be in the process of applying. The foundation expects candidates to be seriously committed to a specific program, not exploring options.

Step 2: Prepare your academic documents. Transcripts, degree certificates, and marksheets from all undergraduate institutions are required. If you are in your final year, provisional documents are usually accepted, with final transcripts submitted later.

Step 3: Write your statement of purpose. This is the most important document in your NSF application. The foundation wants to understand why you are pursuing this specific postgraduate program, how it connects to your career goals, and what you plan to do with the education when you return to India. Generic statements about "passion for learning" do not work here.

Step 4: Secure two letters of recommendation. At least one should be from an academic who knows your intellectual work directly. The second can be from a professional or researcher who can speak to your capacity to handle graduate-level study abroad.

Step 5: Submit the online application. The foundation processes applications through their online portal. All documents are submitted digitally. Shortlisted candidates are called for an interview, which is usually conducted in-person or virtually.

What the Selection Committee Actually Evaluates

The NF Foundation selection committee is not simply looking for the highest academic scorer. They evaluate three things with roughly equal weight: merit, purpose, and India impact.

Merit is table stakes. A strong undergraduate record from a good Indian institution is expected. If your grades are below a first-class distinction, the rest of your application needs to be unusually compelling to compensate.

Purpose means clarity. Why this program? Why this university? Why now? The strongest applications connect a very specific academic or professional goal to a very specific gap that only the chosen postgraduate program can fill. Vague answers to these questions, even intelligent vague answers, signal that the applicant has not thought through their path seriously enough.

India impact is what separates NSF from many other scholarships. The foundation explicitly expects recipients to return and contribute to India after completing their studies. Applicants who can articulate a credible, specific vision for how their international postgraduate education will translate into work that benefits India carry a real advantage over those with equally strong academic profiles but no clear answer to the "and then what?" question.

The applicants who get shortlisted are not the ones with the highest scores. They are the ones who can answer "why this, why now, and why India?" with the kind of specificity that makes the committee believe the investment will pay off.

How NSF Compares to Other Indian Scholarships

Indian postgraduate students going abroad have several major scholarship options. Here is how the NSF sits relative to the most common alternatives:

vs. Inlaks Scholarship: The Inlaks Shivdasani Foundation scholarship is a pure grant (no repayment) and covers a broader set of costs, but it is significantly more selective and has far fewer annual recipients. If you are a strong candidate for Inlaks, apply for both. They are not mutually exclusive.

vs. JN Tata Endowment: The JN Tata Endowment has an almost identical structure: loan-scholarship hybrid, India contribution expected, postgraduate focus. The practical difference is in the application process and the amounts available. Applying to both in the same cycle is common and sensible. We cover the Tata scholarship options for Indian students in detail.

vs. Commonwealth Scholarship: The Commonwealth Scholarship is restricted to UK institutions and covers tuition, living costs, and flights as a full grant. If your target is a UK university, the Commonwealth is worth pursuing alongside NSF. The two are compatible.

vs. Fulbright India: Fulbright India is US-only, highly competitive, and primarily a grant. If you are targeting a US program, Fulbright and NSF serve complementary purposes: Fulbright covers more of your costs, NSF fills gaps.

The practical takeaway: the NSF scholarship rarely competes with other major scholarships. It works best as one piece of a multi-source funding plan, not as a standalone solution.

Building a Competitive NSF Application

The statement of purpose is where NSF applications are won or lost. Most candidates write competent academic summaries of their undergraduate work and their intended graduate program. The ones who get funded write something different: a tight argument for why this investment, in this person, at this moment, will produce a specific return for India.

This is exactly the profile work that our profile evaluation is built to address. Dr. Sanjay identifies the specific narrative that connects your academic record, your extracurricular depth, and your future goals into a coherent case for a scholarship committee. The same clarity that wins a scholarship application also wins admission to stronger programs, and vice versa.

Anushka from Delhi is a good example of how this clarity creates results across multiple applications simultaneously. Her spike was documented, real-world experience at an active law firm handling criminal cases, built over two years before her application cycle. That depth of experience made her statement of purpose specific rather than aspirational. She secured admission at Cambridge for graduate law and a scholarship package worth ₹88 lakh. The same narrative that convinced Cambridge's admissions office convinced scholarship committees too.

Tathagata from Pune took a different path into graduate study. Targeting a technology MBA at Cornell, his case was built around a fintech angle: specific professional work in financial technology that made the case for why a Cornell Tech MBA was the precise next step, not just a desirable one. Applications built around that level of specificity are the ones that also perform well in scholarship interviews, where selection committees probe exactly those "why this" questions that generic applicants struggle to answer.