118 Rural Girls Earn Science Degrees Through Pfizer–GITAM Initiative

In a push for women’s education and employability, 118 girl students from rural backgrounds graduated with B.Sc. degrees on Friday under a joint higher education and industry training initiative of Pfizer Healthcare India and GITAM Deemed to be University.

The graduates completed the Pfizer Autonomous Team programme, which combines academic study with structured professional exposure in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors, enabling students to gain industry experience alongside their degree.

Muralidhar Sharma, Vice-President and Global Supply Site Lead, Pfizer, said the initiative, launched in 2022 with 47 students, has expanded steadily. “Students gain three years of industry experience along with academic learning, so they graduate job-ready,” he said.

GITAM Vice-Chancellor Eroll D’Souza said empowering young women through education is key to social and national development. “Partnerships like this show how industry can support inclusive growth,” he said.

Dean of GITAM School of Science Ananta Ramakrishna urged students to pursue higher studies and research. Ravi Kiran Teegala, Director, People Experience Wing, Pfizer Global Supply India, said the programme focuses on practical skills, with participants drawn from nearby districts. N. V. S. Venugopal, Head of the Department of Chemistry, said the department’s teaching and research are aligned with industry needs.

Organisers described the programme as a model of industry–academia collaboration creating career pathways for rural girls in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors.