The scholarships can be accessed by students pursuing a four-year undergraduate engineering program at a Government of India-funded technical institution. 

The announcement was made at the fourth in-person Quad summit, last week, which hosted representatives from the US, Japan, Australia, and India. 

US president Joe Biden hosted Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware. 

“India is pleased to announce a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth $500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a four-year undergraduate engineering program at a Government of India-funded technical institution,” read the Wilmington Declaration. 

The initiative will also expand to include postgraduate and doctoral students, who will be able to study STEM subjects in the US, in 2024. 

The Quad governments also welcomed the second cohort of Quad Fellows, facilitated by the Institute of International Education, which oversees the implementation of the Quad Fellowship. 

Moreover, the alliance celebrated the program’s expansion to include students from ASEAN countries for the first time.

“The Quad is committed to strengthening the deep and enduring ties between our people, and among our partners. Through the Quad Fellowship, we are building a network of the next generation of science, technology, and policy leaders,” added the declaration. 

The Japanese government is supporting the program to allow Quad Fellows to study in Japan. 

The grouping also welcomed the support from the private sector, especially Google, the Pratt Foundation, and Western Digital, for the next cohort of fellows, as per the declaration. 

The sixth edition of the Quad Summit was launched amid growing concerns over China’s growing influence and military actions in the Indo-Pacific region. 

The strategic alliance also focused on improving maritime capabilities, disaster response, and curbing major diseases worldwide at the 2024 summit. 

This year’s summit also served as a farewell event for both Biden and Kishida as they prepare to step down from their respective offices.