Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani (BITS Pilani) has received a fund of $1 million (approximately ₹8.6 crore) from its alumna Revathi Advaithi (CEO of Flex) and her husband, Jeevan Mulgund. This fund will be used to establish an endowment scholarship for female students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
Named the ‘Vishalam Swami and Sucheta Mulgund Scholarship,’ this initiative will provide long-term financial support to deserving female students, ensuring that a lack of funds does not hinder them from pursuing higher education at BITS Pilani. Revathi Advaithi, who graduated from BITS Pilani in 1990 with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and was the only female student in her batch, announced this contribution while addressing students as the chief guest at the institute’s 2026 convocation ceremony.
In a statement, BITS Pilani noted that she currently heads the global manufacturing and supply chain company ‘Flex’ and has frequently been featured in Fortune’s list of the world’s most powerful businesswomen.
Explaining the inspiration behind this endowment, Revathi Advaithi and Jeevan Mulgund stated that they have named the scholarship after their mothers, Visalam Swamy and Sucheta Mulgund. They did this to honour the role their mothers played in shaping their lives and to recognise the belief that educating a daughter can transform the entire family.
They explained that the purpose of this scholarship is to assist promising young women in studying at BITS Pilani, irrespective of their financial situation. Welcoming this contribution, BITS Pilani Vice-Chancellor Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao stated that this endowment will benefit many generations of female students and highlights the strong culture of alumni giving at the institution.
The announcement was made during BITS Pilani’s 2026 convocation ceremony, where the institute awarded degrees to 1,477 graduates. This graduating cohort comprised 1,087 undergraduate students, 271 postgraduate students, and 119 PhD scholars.
Explaining the inspiration behind this endowment, Revathi Advaithi and Jeevan Mulgund stated that they have named the scholarship after their mothers, Visalam Swamy and Sucheta Mulgund. They did this to honour the role their mothers played in shaping their lives and to recognise the belief that educating a daughter can transform the entire family.
They explained that the purpose of this scholarship is to assist promising young women in studying at BITS Pilani, irrespective of their financial situation. Welcoming this contribution, BITS Pilani Vice-Chancellor Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao stated that this endowment will benefit many generations of female students and highlights the strong culture of alumni giving at the institution.
The announcement was made during the 2026 convocation ceremony at BITS Pilani, where 1,477 degrees were conferred. The graduating class included 1,087 undergraduates, 271 postgraduates, and 119 PhD scholars.
The institute also honoured many students for their academic achievements. Aditya Mittal, Shubham Kumar, and Ritvik Singh were awarded the undergraduate gold, silver, and bronze medals, respectively. Among postgraduate students, Aviral Sundli received the gold medal, while Cherukupalli Surya Shashank and Isha Kancharla were honored with silver medals.
