Amit Gopal Patodia ’97 has been named the Wilson College of Textiles’ 2026 Distinguished Alumnus.

For Patodia, the honor brings him back to a place that still feels remarkably close.

“NC State was never simply the university from which I received my degree,” he says. “It was where I grew up, became independent, developed lifelong friendships, discovered my passion for textiles and engineering, and began forming the values that would eventually shape me as a business leader.”

Earlier this year, Patodia returned to his alma mater, the Wilson College of Textiles, with his wife, Shashi, and daughter, Anushree. The campus looked different from the one he knew as an international student in the 1990s, yet returning to Alexander Hall, where he lived as a student, brought back fond memories.

Those years in Raleigh would eventually lead Patodia back home to India and into a family business with roots stretching to 1908. They also gave him relationships that have lasted for decades and a way of looking at the world that still influences how he leads today.

“[NC State] was where I grew up, became independent, developed lifelong friendships, discovered my passion for textiles and engineering, and began forming the values that would eventually shape me as a business leader.”

“This honor means more to me than I can adequately express,” he says of his Distinguished Alumnus Award. “What makes this recognition meaningful isn’t just what I’ve accomplished since graduation. It feels like a recognition of the whole journey that began here, and of the enduring relationship between an institution and its alumni.”

For Patodia, that enduring relationship exemplifies the college’s Wilson for Life slogan.

“From his extraordinary leadership in the global textiles industry to his commitment to lifelong learning and developing others, Amit represents the very best of our college community,” says David Hinks, Prakash Chand Kochhar Dean of the Wilson College of Textiles. “He has carried the knowledge and global perspective he gained at NC State throughout an exceptional career. We are incredibly proud to recognize Amit Patodia as our 2026 Distinguished Alumnus.”

The Wolfpack helped open up his world

Patodia moved quickly through college. Focused on beginning his career, he completed his bachelor’s degree in textile technology in just two and a half years.

Ask him what he remembers most, though, and he talks about people.

“It’s all about the friendships, the independence of living away from home, the feeling that the world was opening up in front of me,” he says. “Coming from India, studying in the United States was the first time I really experienced the world beyond my immediate environment: different cultures, different ways of thinking and people with completely different backgrounds.”

In Raleigh, he learned to find his footing far from home. In his classes, Patodia appreciated how closely coursework was tied to what happened in mills, manufacturing facilities and the broader textiles industry.

Some of the most lasting parts of his NC State experience happened outside the classroom, though.

During his first year in Alexander Hall, which is home to NC State’s Global Village, Patodia formed friendships that remain important to him nearly three decades later. Those relationships have stayed with him through a career that has taken him around the world.

“Looking back, NC State gave me something far more valuable than a degree,” he says. “Returning to campus after almost three decades, walking through Alexander Hall again, meeting today’s faculty and students, seeing how dramatically the Wilson College has evolved, brought back memories I hadn’t realized were still so vivid.”

A family business more than a century in the making

When Patodia arrived home to India after graduating in 1997, he did not expect to become the fourth generation of his family to lead its textiles business, Patodia Eurotex Group of Industries.

“My entry into the family business was actually somewhat unexpected,” he says. 

His family had been in the industry since 1908, when his ancestors established a spinning company. The original plant is still operating today.

Patodia returned during a difficult period for his family and became involved in the business largely by circumstance. At the same time, India was changing. Economic liberalization was opening new opportunities and the internet was beginning to connect Indian manufacturers with customers around the world. He saw room for the company to grow, and his NC State education gave him the confidence to help move it forward.

Over the years, Patodia helped modernize Patodia Eurotex Group and expand its reach internationally. Today, the company is one of India’s leading vertically integrated textiles businesses, exporting products ranging from cotton yarn to advanced technical textiles used in high-performance applications.

“From his extraordinary leadership in the global textiles industry to his commitment to lifelong learning and developing others, Amit represents the very best of our college community.”

Even as the company evolved, Patodia remained mindful of the generations who built it.

“Transformation doesn’t mean abandoning what your family built,” he says. “It means preserving its values while having the courage to change almost everything else.”

He sees his role as carrying that legacy forward.

“You’re never simply running a business,” Patodia explains. “You’re, for a time, the custodian of something that began long before you and will hopefully continue long after.”

That perspective is part of what makes his Distinguished Alumnus Award especially meaningful.

“This award feels like it belongs to that whole chain,” he says. “The generations before me, the education that shaped how I think about this industry and the team that carries it forward every day.”

What he wants the next generation to know

Patodia has spent much of his career learning from other leaders and helping others find their own footing.

Since 2007, he has been active in YPO, a global leadership organization. He served on its Global Board of Directors from 2018 to 2022 and currently serves on its Global Board Audit Sub-Committee. The experience has reinforced his belief that good leaders pay attention to the people around them.

“Leadership isn’t about having all the answers,” he says. “It’s about staying curious, listening more than you speak and leading through relationships rather than authority.”

“Leadership isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about staying curious, listening more than you speak and leading through relationships rather than authority.”

That message feels especially relevant to Patodia when he thinks about today’s Textiles students. His advice to them is simple.

“Never be afraid to reinvent yourself,” he says. “The technical knowledge you build today matters, but your ability to keep learning and adapting will matter more.”

He also encourages students to pay attention to the relationships they are building along the way. His own friendships from NC State have lasted across countries, careers and decades.

Coming back to the Wilson College of Textiles

His recent visit also gave Patodia a chance to see how much the Wilson College of Textiles has changed since his days as a student.

He left impressed by its growth and excited about where it is headed. He also saw ways his own experience could be useful, particularly as the college looks to strengthen relationships with India and its rapidly evolving textiles and manufacturing industries.

“Build relationships. Some of the people you meet at NC State will become lifelong friends, mentors or collaborators. I know because I’ve lived it.”

There may even be another Patodia on campus someday.

His son, Anirudh, is currently in 12th grade. Exams prevented him from joining the family on their recent visit to Raleigh, but his father has been encouraging him to consider NC State.

“I would be immensely proud if he became the next Patodia to walk through those doors,” he says.

Whether Anirudh ultimately follows that path remains to be seen. What Patodia already knows is how much can begin in a place like this: a friendship formed on the first day, an unexpected career path or a connection that stays with you long after commencement.

It is why his advice to today’s Wilson College of Textiles students is so personal.

“Build relationships,” Patodia says. “Some of the people you meet at NC State will become lifelong friends, mentors or collaborators. I know because I’ve lived it.”