Decades after graduating from BITS Pilani and building one of the most remarkable careers in global manufacturing, Revathi Advaithi, the CEO of Fortune 500 company Flex has returned to her alma mater with a gift designed to change the future for generations of young women.
During BITS Pilani‘s Convocation 2026, where she served as chief guest, Advaithi and her husband, Jeevan Mulgund, announced a permanent $1 million scholarship endowment for economically disadvantaged women students. The initiative aims to ensure that financial hardship never becomes a barrier for talented young women aspiring to pursue higher education, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
For Advaithi, the contribution is more than philanthropy. It reflects a lifelong belief that education can transform lives.
A scholarship rooted in gratitude
Born in Gujarat into a Tamil family, Advaithi spent her childhood in Bihar, Assam and Chennai as her father, A. N. N. Swamy, worked with Indian Oil Corporation. After her father’s death, her mother, Visalam Swamy, raised five daughters on her own, ensuring each received a quality education despite the challenges. Advaithi has often credited her mother for instilling discipline, curiosity and independence, values that would shape her journey from India to the global boardroom.
From BITS Pilani graduate to Flex CEO
A mechanical engineering graduate of BITS Pilani, Advaithi began her career as a shop floor supervisor at Eaton in Oklahoma. She later held leadership positions at Honeywell before returning to Eaton, where she rose to become Chief Operating Officer. In 2019, she took over as CEO of Flex, one of the world’s largest advanced manufacturing and supply chain solutions companies.
Under her leadership, Flex has expanded beyond contract manufacturing to provide end-to-end technology and supply chain solutions for customers across industries. She has also championed sustainable manufacturing, with the company committing to halve operational emissions by 2030 and achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
Beyond corporate performance, Advaithi has become one of the most influential voices advocating for women in STEM, inclusive workplaces and responsible business leadership. Her influence extends beyond Flex through roles on Uber’s Board of Directors, the MIT Presidential CEO Advisory Board and advisory committees appointed by former US President Joe Biden on trade policy and supply chain competitiveness. She has also helped shape global conversations through leadership roles at the World Economic Forum.
Her impact has earned widespread recognition. Advaithi has appeared on Fortune magazine’s prestigious Most Powerful Women list every year from 2019 through 2025 and was named to CNBC’s inaugural Changemakers list in 2024. In 2023, she was honoured as Global Indian of the Year at the ETPrime Women Leadership Awards.
Yet despite leading a global Fortune 500 company, Advaithi has consistently spoken about expanding opportunities for the next generation. She has long argued that greater diversity strengthens innovation and that girls should have equal access to education and careers in engineering and technology.
Opening doors for the next generation of women in STEM
The new scholarship at BITS Pilani embodies those beliefs. By creating a permanent endowment, Advaithi and Mulgund have established a long-term source of financial support that will continue helping deserving women students long into the future. For recipients, it could mean the difference between abandoning an engineering dream and building a successful career.
The announcement also carries symbolic significance. It brings Advaithi back to the institution where her own engineering journey began, demonstrating how alumni can invest in creating opportunities for those who follow them.
As industries worldwide grapple with talent shortages in STEM fields, initiatives like this address two challenges at once, expanding access to higher education while encouraging more women to enter technical professions.
For Revathi Advaithi, whose career has taken her from a shop floor in Oklahoma to leading one of the world’s largest manufacturing companies, giving back is not simply about financial generosity. It is about opening the same doors that education once opened for her, ensuring that talent, determination and ambition matter more than economic circumstances.
