Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani) conferred the Distinguished Alumnus Awards (DAA) on 13 eminent alumni. Since 2011, more than 70 alumni have received this prestigious award for their outstanding contribution in the field of academia, corporate, entrepreneurship, public life, philanthropy and community service.

Arya Kumar, Dean, Alumni Relations, said, “Entrepreneurship as a career option continues to be their passion in life, as around 10 per cent of the alumni plunge into this journey eventually. Ten unicorns, including Swiggy and Bigbasket been founded or co-founded by a BITSian. These awards are a humble way to recognise the contribution of our alumni to society.” 

Recognising service

BITS Pilani has also introduced two more awards— BITS Ratna Awards and the Distinguished Service Awards (DSA). Prashanth Palakurthi, Founder, Reflexis Systems and noted philanthropist, is the sole recipient of the first-ever BITS Ratna Award, for his outstanding service to the corporate world, community, and the institute. 

The DSA was conferred on the late Ravi Shanker of 118 Engineer Regiment posted in Jammu & Kashmir posthumously, for his supreme sacrifice to the motherland during ‘Operation Rakshak’ in the year 1997. DSA was also conferred on four other alumni for their outstanding service to BITS Pilani.

Few of this year’s recipients of the DAA include Sushil Kumar Roongta, Ex-Chairman, SAIL; Pramad Jandhyala, Co-founder, Latentview Analytics; Bhuvan Gupta, Co-founder and CTO of Business and Oxyzo; Samay Kohli and Akash Gupta, Founders of Grey Orange; Nasir Memon from NYU; Arul Jayaraman from Texas A&M University; and Kartik Hosanagar from Wharton Business School.