Pilani, 21st July: Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani, announced a landmark contribution of USD 1 million from its distinguished alumna, Revathi Advaithi, Chief Executive Officer of Flex, and her husband, Jeevan Mulgund, to establish a permanent scholarship endowment for deserving women students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
A member of the BITS Pilani Class of 1990, Ms. Advaithi is an accomplished Fortune 500 business leader, and her husband, Jeevan Mulgund, is a manufacturing technology leader and investor. Through this endowment, the family seeks to ensure that financial circumstances do not prevent a talented young woman from receiving a BITS Pilani education.
Ms. Advaithi made the announcement while addressing the graduating class as the Chief Guest at Convocation 2026 at the Pilani campus.
During her Convocation address, Ms. Advaithi spoke about her own journey to BITS Pilani. Through insights and episodes of her personal life and journey, she pointed out to the audience that being ready isn’t a stage you achieve; one rather needs to decide that they are ready enough- to try, to finish and start again at the face of all odds.
Speaking about the USD 1 Million Endowment, Revathi Advaithi and Jeevan Mulgund said, “We are naming this scholarship after our mothers, Visalam Swamy and Sucheta Mulgund, because everything we have been able to do began with them. Neither had an easy path, and both understood that educating a daughter changes the trajectory of an entire family. BITS Pilani gave one of us that chance, and we want to pass it on. Our hope is that every young woman who receives this scholarship knows that someone believed in her before she ever walked through the gates — and that she, in turn, will one day open that same door for someone else.”
Ms. Advaithi graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering and was the only woman in her Mechanical Engineering class. She has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Flex since 2019, leading the global manufacturing and supply chain solutions company across nearly 30 countries. She has been recognised several times in Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business list and is a prominent advocate for the advancement of women across every field. She remains one of BITS Pilani’s most celebrated alumnae.
Speaking about how this endowment fund will inspire and support young female talent, Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Vice Chancellor, BITS Pilani, said, “Revathi Advaithi embodies everything that a BITS Pilani education seeks to nurture: ambition, resilience and a deep desire to create opportunities for others. By endowing scholarships in perpetuity, she is ensuring that generations of talented young women will benefit from her generosity. This strengthens our commitment to admitting the finest students, irrespective of their financial circumstances, and sets a powerful example as we build an endowment worthy of the aspirations of our alumni and the institution.”
Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai, Director, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus, said, “An endowed scholarship is among the most enduring gifts an alumna can make to her institution. It continues well beyond our lifetimes and quietly transforms one life after another. We are deeply grateful to Revathi for her generosity and for the inspiring example she has set for the entire BITS Pilani community.”
Prof. Arya Kumar, Dean, Alumni Relations, BITS Pilani, said, “Contributions of this nature are catalytic. They strengthen the growing culture of giving among BITS Pilani alumni across the world and transform gratitude towards one’s alma mater into permanent opportunities for future generations.”