Prof MP Gupta, Director of IIM Lucknow, welcomed the initiative and said that it was a matter of immense pleasure to announce the setting up of the IIM Lucknow 1999 Batch Fellowship for PhD students. According to him, the fellowship symbolises the long-standing commitment of the alumni to fostering research excellence at the institute.

Commenting on the fellowship, Ashish Bhagare, a 1999 batch graduate, said that the idea behind the initiative is to enhance the research output of IIM Lucknow in order to improve its global rankings. He said that this year the batch is funding two PhD scholars and intends to facilitate more scholars in the coming years.

The selection process for fellowship involves pitching of research plans by applicants in front of a chosen selection committee, which will assess the proposals on pre-defined parameters. After a rigorous selection process, two PhD candidates have been selected for funding. In addition to the fellowship, the grant offers a Rs 1 lakh award for publishing or getting research accepted in top-tier (Category A or higher) journals. Scholars will also receive a Rs 3 lakh conference grant to present their work at major international events, along with further academic support such as contingency funds and data-collection assistance, as outlined in the PhD Program Manual. Ayushi mentioned that IIM Lucknow provides strong support to its researchers and that this recognition encourages her to continue producing meaningful, high-quality work.