There’s no dearth of entrepreneurial achievers in India. Some of them become towering thought leaders over time, but many among them lose their voice, sooner or later, in the volcanic noise of their meteoric rise, which is when furious PR narratives across all channels and platforms – print, electronic, web, and outdoor - inevitably erode the core of their conviction and values. Consequently, every achievement - corporate and charitable – becomes a laminated advertisement, dribbled in gratification and devoid of gravitas.
Very few among corporate thought leaders are genuine thinkers and unassuming activists who retain the sincerity, grit, and gumption of their quest {in fact multiply each zillion times over} all the way from the vexing depths of their formative struggles to the soaring heights of success and renown.
Shashi Shekhar Balkrishna Pandit, better known as Ravi Pandit, gold medalist chartered accountant, co-founder and chairman of KPIT Technologies, and one of India’s most revered mobility and sustainability crusaders, was such a thought-leader practitioner.
His demise is truly an irreparable loss for India and the world, but such is the all-pervading impact of his lifetime thought and action en route a career spanning over three decades, that you didn’t need to meet him in person, or be part of the KPIT universe, to learn and evolve in the guiding light of his wit and wisdom.
There’s so much to absorb and emulate from his matter-of-fact synopsis of industries, individuals, institutions, and ideas, as also his visionary strides at KPIT:
Like his awe-inspiring summary of the automotive revolution, which didn’t flaunt KPIT quarterly numbers or market share; instead, it began with an ode to Henry Ford and his Model T followed by a neat synopsis of four successive paradigm shifts viz. electrification, autonomous vehicles, connected vehicles, and shared mobility…
Like his epoch-making focus on sodium ion batteries which weakened the Lithium monopoly of a handful of nations rich in it, and China as its processing hub. His collaboration with ISER made sodium do what Lithium does, and better and more economical at that…
Like his biomass vision brought to fruition in association with the Sugarcane Breeding Institute, Coimbatore, that turned farmers into hydrogen producers and help them double their incomes, as also reduce the country’s import bill and clean its air...
Like his Hydrogen Fuel Cell innovation in conjunction with National Chemical Laboratory, Pune for use in heavy-duty vehicles, a cost-effective substitute for diesel…
Like his unconditional gratitude to MIT, which did way more than extend a student loan on the spur to bail him out of a dead-end situation following the ad hoc loan denial by his Indian Bank citing a policy change; it blessed him with the esteemed company of Nobel laureates, purposeful coursework, disciplined rhythm of experiential learning, rich and expansive library open round the clock, and a deep love for computers and technology…
Like his emphasis on mass affordability in disruptive innovation sans quality dilution, and hence his unflinching focus on sustainable solutions for the price-sensitive Indian populace, a clear majority...
Like the endearing manner in which he speaks about charismatic leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, visionary industry doyens like Shantanurao Kirloskar, thinkers and authors like Bertrand Russell, Mark Twain, A.J. Cronin, E.F. Schumacher, Brian Greene, and Ray Kurzweil, and scientists like Dr. Satish Ogale and Dr. Ashish Lele…
Way back during his MIT days, he was part of a pragmatic assignment which asked participants to assume they are no more, and then script their desired eulogies by close friends, which were then converted into respective life plans.
Today, when Ravi sir is no more, there’s no dearth of close friends vouching for his life work on his behalf even more emphatically than he would have imagined, such has been his stellar contribution to serve the larger cause of his company, country, and community across the globe.
We have no doubt whatsoever in our mind that Ravi sir will continue to inspire innovators, creators, sellers, buyers and policymakers across the globe to move from leapfrogging to pole vaulting in the spheres of their calling or choice.
It is only apt to end this tribute reeling in the hypnotic charm of his invariably spiritual and indisputably actionable quotes which he shared in a social media podcast:
"I believe that everything in the world is connected. I'm connected to the plant. I'm connected to dead matter. I'm connected to a human being or a dog. I believe that energy is common to all.""If there is anything which has been constant in an environment which has been changing so much, it is the values and the culture. These are values that I inherited from my father. The value of integrity. The value of honesty to the customer. The value of going the extra distance for the person for whom you are working.""Building an organization involves getting people together who are better than you in at least one department. Whatever is your personal passion and vision, it should be infectious enough for others to see it. So it becomes not your dream. It becomes a joint dream of everyone.""A business is not a sprint, it's a marathon. Starting a company is like planting a tree. You plant a seed and you don't see anything happening because the roots are being made.”"The journey is never over. The journey would not be over when my life is over because there are so many other people in the company."