Hyderabad’s Skyroot introduces Kalpana Fellowship to empower women passionate about space careers

The Kalpana Fellowship, unveiled on Tuesday, represents a significant step towards fostering gender diversity and inclusivity within the space industry.

Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based Skyroot Aerospace announced the launch of the Kalpana Fellowship on Tuesday, marking a significant milestone as India’s first-of-its-kind fellowship program dedicated exclusively to women in the space sector.

The Kalpana Fellowship is designed to inspire, encourage, and empower the next generation of female engineers to soar to new heights in the space industry. By providing a framework that facilitates working hands-on with cutting-edge space technology projects and advance the profession through career opportunities at Skyroot, the fellowship aims to foster creativity, innovation, and leadership pathways for women aspiring to make substantial contributions to the field.

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“We need more women in STEM and the space sector, and women can bring in more innovation, creativity and impact. Therefore, we conceived the Kalpana Fellowship to provide exciting opportunities for women engineers to work on cutting-edge space projects, receive mentorship from top experts, and gain access to world-class infrastructure at Skyroot,” said Pawan Chandana, Co-Founder and CEO of Skyroot.

Inspired by the legacy of astronaut Kalpana Chawla, the fellowship offers a unique, all-encompassing program featuring a monthly stipend, experiential learning, guidance from seasoned professionals, access to world-class infrastructure and innovative technologies at Skyroot Aerospace.

The program provides a monthly allowance for a year to successful candidates, with eligibility open to final-year students and recent graduates in relevant engineering disciplines to apply. The 2024 fellowship registration window is presently open. Exceptional candidates who complete the one-year fellowship will have the opportunity to transition into full-time roles at Skyroot Aerospace.