BITS Pilani Convocation 2026: 1,477 Students Graduate; Revathi Advaithi Announces USD 1 Million Scholarship Endowment

Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani hosted its Convocation 2026 at its iconic main campus, marking a major milestone for nearly 1,500 graduating students. The event celebrated academic excellence, research contributions, and alumni philanthropy.

1,477 Graduates Step into the Future

A total of 1,477 students received their degrees during the ceremony across diverse levels of higher education:

• Undergraduate (UG): 1,087 students

• Postgraduate (PG): 271 students

• Doctoral (PhD): 119 scholars

Speaking at the event, Vice-Chancellor Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao commended the batch for their resilience and academic rigor. He noted that BITS Pilani continues to foster talent capable of solving complex global problems.

Alumni Gift: USD 1 Million ($8.6 Crore) Endowment for Women

The highlight of Convocation 2026 was the announcement of a USD 1 million endowment (approximately ₹8.6 crore) by Chief Guest Revathi Advaithi, CEO of global manufacturing giant Flex, and her husband Jeevan Mulgund.

Advaithi—a 1990 Mechanical Engineering graduate of BITS Pilani and the only woman in her discipline’s batch—conferred the transformative gift to support future generations.

The Visalam Swamy and Sucheta Mulgund Scholarship

Named in honor of the couple’s mothers, this permanent endowment fund will provide full financial support to talented female students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in perpetuity.

“Everything we have been able to do began with our mothers. We hope every young woman who receives this scholarship knows that someone believed in her before she ever walked through the gates.”

— Revathi Advaithi & Jeevan Mulgund

Academic Distinction: Top Performers Honored

The ceremony recognized outstanding academic toppers across both undergraduate and postgraduate cohorts.

Outstanding Academic Performers

Special Research & Memorial Awards

Several special departmental awards were conferred to honor individual research and subject-matter excellence:

• Prof. Suman Kapur Memorial Best PhD Thesis Award (Biological Sciences): Sakshi Priya

• VNMM Award for Outstanding Research (Mechanical Engineering): Vinay Pratap Singh Negi

• Shri Bahadur Chand Memorial Award (Electrical & Electronics): Siddharth Ganesh and Madhav Krishna

• Sneh Vardhan Memorial Award (Civil Engineering): Sudhanshu Modi and Vagisha Chaudhary

A Vision for Inclusive Education

Prof. Sudhirkumar Barai, Director of the Pilani Campus, expressed deep gratitude for the endowment, calling it an enduring gift that will shape the institute’s landscape for decades to come. By removing financial barriers for female leaders, BITS Pilani reinforces its target of maintaining equal access to world-class engineering education.

Written by Simran

Simran is currently working as a Senior Content Writer at Findmycollege , where she creates engaging and research-driven learning resources for students. She has completed her Graduation in Journalism from Delhi University. With 4 years of experience in the EdTech industry, she has previously contributed to leading platforms like Leverage Edu and Aakash. Her expertise lies in simplifying Engineering and Medical entrance exam content to guide aspirants in their preparation journey. Beyond writing, Simran enjoys sketching, watching movies, and finding creative inspiration in everyday life.

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