THE AUTO SOFTWARE PLAY

KPIT has redefined its trajectory by betting on automotive software, thanks to MD & CEO Kishor Patil's start-up mindset and AI-driven vision

- BY PALAK AGARWAL

THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE for any legacy business is breaking free from its deep-rooted mindset. Reinventing the way a company operates requires more than just strategy—it demands vision, risk-taking, and an unwavering belief in transformation.

Kishor Patil, 63, a chartered accountant-turned-entrepreneur, embodies this spirit. Having co-founded the IT services firm in 1990, he steered it to a successful IPO by 1999 and built it into a ₹4,300 crore market cap company by 2018.

But instead of getting comfortable, Patil made a bold move—divesting 70% of his business to Birlasoft and sharpening his focus on automotive engineering and mobility solutions.

Today, KPIT Technologies, also known just as KPIT, is a ₹33,082 crore enterprise, having grown multifold since 2019. It is one of the largest independent software and system integration partner to the mobility ecosystem with 13,000 employees.

It is because of his gumption he is the joint winner in the Tech Titan category.

Inspired by firms like Accenture and PwC, where professionals transitioned from traditional domains to technology, Patil aspired to build something global. "In India, engineers were leading big companies, and we thought, why not us," he recalls.

With no prior experience in technology, Patil immersed himself in learning. "I studied, took courses, and approached smaller clients to understand the business," he says.

By the early 2000s, KPIT faced a crucial crossroad. The IT export market had slowed post-9/11, the dotcom bust, and the end of Y2K. "We had to make a strategic decision," Patil says. While most firms doubled down on banking, finance, and telecom, KPIT took a contrarian route—manufacturing.