Archive · 10 Aug 2026
Tamil Nadu teen earns Rs 3.5-crore Brown University scholarship
A 17-year-old boy named Pranav Ilango lives in Erode, a city in Tamil Nadu, India.
A teacher noticed how smart he was and encouraged him to study the Cambridge IGCSE curriculum, an international school programme.
Pranav did so well in his IGCSE Mathematics exam that he was named the world topper.
That success helped him win a big scholarship to Brown University in the United States.
Brown University is part of the Ivy League, a group of famous American universities.
The scholarship pays for all his classes and living costs for four years.
The news reports say the scholarship is worth either Rs 3.35 crore or Rs 3.55 crore, which is a huge amount of money.
At Brown, Pranav will study applied mathematics and public health.
He will be the first person in his family to study abroad.
He is expected to start his classes in late August.
Pranav Ilango, a 17-year-old from Erode, Tamil Nadu, won a full scholarship to study at Brown University in the US.
One report states the scholarship is worth Rs 3.35 crore, while another reports it as Rs 3.55 crore.
He will study applied mathematics and public health at Brown during the 2026-30 academic years.
The scholarship covers all of his academic and living expenses for the four-year undergraduate programme.
Encouraged by a teacher to switch to the Cambridge IGCSE curriculum, he went on to become world topper in IGCSE Mathematics.
- Who
- Pranav Ilango, a 17-year-old student from Erode, Tamil Nadu
- What
- Won a full scholarship to study applied mathematics and public health at Brown University, an Ivy League school in the US; reports value it at Rs 3.35 crore or Rs 3.55 crore
- When
- For the 2026-30 academic years, beginning in late August
- Where
- Erode, Tamil Nadu, India; Brown University in the United States
- Why
- A teacher recognized his academic potential and encouraged him to switch to the Cambridge IGCSE curriculum, where he excelled and became world topper in IGCSE Mathematics
- Student
- Pranav Ilango, age 17
- Hometown
- Erode, Tamil Nadu
- School
- CS Academy School, Erode (Cambridge IGCSE)
- University
- Brown University (Ivy League, US)
- Scholarship value
- Rs 3.35 crore (one report) / Rs 3.55 crore (another)
- Field of study
- Applied mathematics and public health
- Coverage
- All academic and living expenses for four years
- Academic years
- 2026-30
