KPIT Technologies founder Ravi Pandit passes away in Pune

PUNE: Ravi Pandit, the founder and chairman of KPIT Technologies, died on 8 May in Pune, the company announced in exchange filings. He was a towering figure in India’s technology industry, having spent three decades building institutions, shaping policy and turning a chartered accountancy practice into a globally recognised automotive software company.

KPIT Technologies, which Pandit founded and led, has grown into a leader in software-defined mobility, focused on automotive engineering solutions, with a presence in 15 countries. The Pune-headquartered company sits at the heart of the global shift towards cleaner, smarter vehicles, a transition Pandit championed long before it became fashionable.

Beyond KPIT, Pandit chaired Kirtane and Pandit Chartered Accountants, one of the largest Indian-origin professional services firms, with more than 1,200 experts operating across 15 countries. He co-founded Pune International Centre and Janwani, backed policy research through the Centre for Sustainable Development at the Gokhale Institute of Politics and Economics, and served as president of Jnana Prabodhini.

A gold-medallist chartered accountant and an alumnus of the Sloan School of Management at MIT, Pandit was also a fellow of the Indian National Science Academy. He co-authored the award-winning book Leapfrogging to Pole-Vaulting, a title that, in retrospect, reads as an apt summary of everything he set out to do.

He did not just build a company. He built an ecosystem. That is a harder thing to replace.