Who was SB Ravi Pandit? KPIT Technologies founder passes away in Pune

SB Ravi Pandit, Founder and Chairman of KPIT Technologies, passed away on the morning of May 8, 2026, in Pune, according to a regulatory filing by the company.

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

Pandit was widely regarded as one of India’s pioneering technology and mobility leaders. He served as Chairman and Co-Founder of the K&P Group and played a key role in building KPIT Technologies into a global automotive software and mobility solutions company with operations across 15 countries.

Under his leadership, KPIT focused on software-defined mobility, autonomous driving, electrification and clean energy technologies. The company’s engineering solutions power millions of vehicles across markets in the US, Europe and Asia.

Apart from KPIT, Pandit also chaired Kirtane & Pandit Chartered Accountants (KPCA), one of the largest Indian-origin professional services firms with more than 1,200 professionals operating in 15 countries.

Beyond business, Pandit was associated with several civic, policy and sustainability initiatives. He co-founded institutions including Pune International Centre and Janwani, and supported the Centre for Sustainable Development at Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics. He also served as President of Jnana Prabodhini.

Pandit served on the board of Thermax Ltd and was associated with organisations such as World Resources Institute India and Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India.

He also represented Indian industry on several national platforms, including as President of Mahratta Chamber of Commerce (MCCIA), Industries and Agriculture and Chairman of the Research Council at Central Electronics Engineering Research Institute. Pandit was also a member of the Empowered Group under India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission.

One of his recent initiatives was HRIDAY (Hydrogen Revolution for India’s Development of Agriculture & Energy), aimed at building sustainable bioenergy ecosystems and advancing rural energy independence.

Ravi Pandit's academic and professional achievements

Academically, Pandit was a gold medalist Chartered Accountant and an alumnus of the MIT Sloan School of Management in the United States. He received honorary doctorates from institutions including Coventry University and Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth.

He was also elected as a Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy and co-authored the award-winning book Leapfrogging to Pole-Vaulting with Dr RA Mashelkar.

Pandit was known for advocating sustainable development, clean mobility and the use of technology for inclusive growth.

KPIT Technologies share performance

Meanwhile, shares of KPIT Technologies were trading 0.44 per cent higher at Rs 725.80 apiece as of 12 pm on the BSE on Friday. The stock touched a 52-week high of Rs 1,433 and a 52-week low of Rs 625 on June 19, 2025 and March 17, 2026, respectively.

Earlier this week, the company reported a 33 per cent year-on-year (YoY) decline in consolidated net profit to Rs 163 crore for the March quarter, compared to Rs 245 crore in the corresponding period last year. However, revenue from operations rose 12 per cent to Rs 1,711 crore in Q4 FY26 from Rs 1,528 crore a year ago.