PUNE: The Lila Poonawalla Foundation (LPF), a non-profit organization committed to empowering girls through Education, celebrated a historic milestone, its 30th Postgraduate Scholarship Award Function on October 5, 2025, held at Dewang Mehta Auditorium, Persistent Systems, Pune. The event was made even more memorable as Dr. Kiran Bedi, IPS (Retd.) and Former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry, returned as the Chief Guest.
From being the Chief Guest at LPF’s very first award function in 1996 to exactly 30 years later, she called it an ‘Inspiring Journey’. In 1996, she was concerned whether the Foundation would survive even for ten years, and if it did, she would return as the Chief Guest & she did in 2005 & also said that now she is confident that the Foundation will successfully run forever. Today, her presence was not only an inspiration to the young scholars but also a testament to continuity, resilience & the power of keeping faith in the vision & mission of the Foundation.
Freny Tarapore, Shernaz Edibam, Maya Thadani (shared video message) & Firoz Poonawalla, LPF’s Founder Trustees, graced the event with their presence & each one of them spoke, making the event truly memorable.
Dr. Bedi released the souvenir on the occasion of LPF’s 30 years of Excellence & Mr. Poonawalla presented it to her & spoke about its significance, “This wall clock is a symbol of ever-running & ever-growing Lila Poonawalla Foundation, and I am happy to gift it to you on the occasion of the Foundation’s 30th anniversary.”
The presence of Members of the LPF Board of Trustees, together with several of the 1996 (first) batch Girls, some joining the celebration in person and others sharing their heartfelt video messages, added a truly special touch to the event. The continued guidance of the Trustees, constant support from Individuals, Charity Partners, Trainers, Alumni, Well-wishers, and the dedicated office team are the reasons why LPF was able to bring this transformative change in the lives of thousands of girls.
Apart from that, LPF’s several Corporate Partners, without whom this journey of growth & impact wouldn’t be possible, marked their presence at the event. They not just supported financially but also contributed to the holistic development of Girls through conducting volunteering programs, industrial visits, placement drives & by providing constant mentorship & guidance.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Bedi shared, “ I am feeling proud to return as the Chief Guest in the 30th year of the Foundation. Three decades ago, when I came, there were just 20 girls, and now LPF is a family of more than 18,000, which reminds me of the strength that you LILA Girls have. The responsibility lies on your shoulders, run this movement for many, many years & decades”.
Reflecting on the journey, Ms. Lila Poonawalla said, “Our mission has always gone beyond scholarships. It is about nurturing confident, capable, and compassionate women leaders of tomorrow & I thank you all who have believed in this mission and walked with us.”
Over the years, LPF has grown beyond Pune and operates in five additional regions: Wardha, Amravati, Nagpur, Hyderabad & Bengaluru. It expanded the scholarship programs to support not only Post-graduation & undergraduate, but it also launched a program for School Girls 2morrow 2gether’ across various streams.
As LPF marks 30 years of impact, the Foundation now looks ahead to positively transform the lives of nearly 25,000 financially challenged girls by 2030, impacting not only the girls but also their families & the communities they live in.