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Dr S.B. (Ravi) Pandit, chairman and co-founder of KPIT Technologies, died on May 8, 2026, in Pune, the company said in a regulatory filing. His contributions were instrumental in shaping India's automotive software and engineering services industry over several decades.
Pandit co-founded KPIT Technologies and led its expansion into software-defined mobility, electrification, autonomous systems, and clean energy engineering, establishing operations in 15 countries and serving major mobility firms across the US, Europe, and Asia. He also chaired Kirtane & Pandit Chartered Accountants, a multinational professional services firm.
Beyond industry, Pandit co-founded the Pune International Centre and Janwani, supported policy research at the Gokhale Institute through the Centre for Sustainable Development, and served as President of Jnana Prabodhini. He held board positions at Thermax Ltd, World Resources Institute India, and Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India.
In recent years, Pandit served as the sole private-sector member of the Empowered Group for India’s National Green Hydrogen Mission and launched HRIDAY, an initiative promoting hydrogen technology in agriculture and rural development. The company has not announced succession plans; tributes have begun pouring in from government and industry leaders.