Who Was SB Ravi Pandit? KPIT Founder And Chairman Passes Away In Pune

Ravi Pandit, the co‑founder and long‑time Chairman of KPIT Technologies Ltd, one of India's leading automotive and mobility software engineering firms, has passed away, the company confirmed in an exchange filing.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of our Founder and Chairman of the Board, Mr. S. B. (Ravi) Pandit on the morning of May 8, 2026 in Pune," said the company in filing.

An alumnus of the Sloan School of Management at MIT, USA, Pandit co-founded KPIT (then KPIT Cummins) in 1990, along with Kishor Patil. Under his leadership, KPIT evolved into an IT services and consulting firm, becoming a specialist in automotive and mobility software.

In the last three decades, Ravi Pandit played a key role in turning KPIT into a global leader, with presence in 15 countries. The company's engineering solutions has powered millions of vehicles across US, Euope and Asia.

Beyond business leadership, Ravi played a central role in shaping India's civic and sustainability agenda. He notably co-founded and guided institutions such as Pune International Centre and Janwani. 

He also strengthened policy research through his support to Centre for Sustainable Development at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE). He served as President of Jnana Prabodhini as well.

Ravi Pandit also served on the Board of Thermax Ltd and influenced national environmental and rural development priorities through his role as a board member with World Resources Institute, India and Aga Khan Rural Support Programme, India.

Shares of KPIT are trading 1.5% lower in trade today at Rs 712.5, compared to Thursday's closing price of Rs 724.3. The stock has fallen as much as 44% in the past 12 months. 

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