Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani has received a landmark $1 million endowment from distinguished alumna Revathi Advaithi, Chief Executive Officer of Flex, and her husband Jeevan Mulgund, to establish a permanent scholarship fund for meritorious women students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
The endowment will provide long-term financial support to deserving women pursuing higher education at BITS Pilani, ensuring that financial constraints do not prevent talented students from accessing quality education.
Advaithi, a member of the BITS Pilani Class of 1990, announced the contribution while addressing the graduating class as the Chief Guest at Convocation 2026 on the Pilani campus.
Scholarship honours their mothers
The scholarship will be named after the couple’s mothers, Visalam Swamy and Sucheta Mulgund, in recognition of their role in shaping their lives.
“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,” Advaithi and Mulgund said in a joint statement.
“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,” they added.
Inspiring the graduating class
During her convocation address, Advaithi reflected on her journey from being the only woman in her Mechanical Engineering class at BITS Pilani to leading one of the world’s largest manufacturing and supply chain solutions companies.
She encouraged graduates to embrace challenges, saying that success comes not from waiting to feel completely prepared but by deciding they are “ready enough” to take the next step, persevere through setbacks and begin again.
Advaithi earned her Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from BITS Pilani and has served as Chief Executive Officer of Flex since 2019, overseeing operations across nearly 30 countries. She has been featured multiple times in Fortune’s Most Powerful Women in Business list and is widely recognised for championing women in leadership.
Strengthening inclusive education
BITS Pilani Vice Chancellor Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao said Revathi Advaithi exemplifies the values the institution strives to instil.
“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,” he said.
BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus Director Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai said Revathi Advaithi has made one of the most enduring contributions an alumna can offer.
“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,” he said.
BITS Pilani Dean, Alumni Relations Prof. Arya Kumar said Revathi Advaithi’s contribution would encourage a stronger culture of philanthropy among alumni.
“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,” he said.