BITS Pilani gets USD 1 million endowment from alumna for women scholarships; 1,477 graduate at convocation

Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani has received USD 1 million from its alumna Revathi Advaithi, CEO of Flex, and her husband Jeevan Mulgund, to set up a permanent scholarship endowment for deserving women students from economically weaker backgrounds.

Advaithi, a member of the BITS Pilani Class of 1990, is a Fortune 500 business leader, while Mulgund is a manufacturing technology leader and investor. Through the endowment, the couple aims to ensure that financial constraints do not come in the way of a talented young woman securing a BITS Pilani education. The announcement was made by Advaithi during her address as Chief Guest at BITS Pilani's Convocation 2026, held on July 19 at the Pilani campus, where she reflected on her own journey and urged graduates to embrace readiness as a choice rather than a stage.

Advaithi, who graduated in Mechanical Engineering as the only woman in her class, has led Flex as CEO since 2019 and has been featured multiple times in Fortune's Most Powerful Women in Business list.

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. …We hope 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”.

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BITS Pilani convocation

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”.

Sudhirkumar Barai, director, BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus, added that an endowed BITS scholarship is one of the most enduring gifts an alumna can give to her institution, as it continues well beyond a lifetime and quietly transforms one life after another. He expressed deep gratitude to Advaithi for her generosity and the inspiring example she has set for the BITS Pilani community.

Arya Kumar, dean, alumni relations, BITS Pilani, said such contributions strengthen the growing culture of giving among BITS Pilani alumni worldwide and turn gratitude towards one's alma mater into lasting opportunities for future generations.

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The convocation 2026 saw 1,477 graduates, including 1,087 undergraduates, 271 postgraduates, and 119 PhD students. Aditya Mittal, Shubham Kumar, and Ritvik Singh received the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals, respectively at the undergraduate level, while Aviral Sundli, Cherukupalli Surya Sasank, and Eesha Kancharla were honoured at the postgraduate level.

Prof Rao also highlighted the institute's recent milestones, including its rise to 7th position in NIRF University rankings, over Rs 650 crore in cumulative research funding, and ongoing expansion projects worth over Rs 1,200 crore across its campuses.