Former IIT Delhi director, V Ramgopal Rao appointed group VC for BITS institutions

NEW DELHI: Professor V Ramgopal Rao, former director at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IITD) has been appointed as the new vice-chancellor of BITS Pilani with campuses located in Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad, Dubai, and Mumbai. According to an official notification from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, Rao will replace Professor Souvik Bhattacharyya, current vice-chancellor of BITS Pilani by March 10, 2023.

Welcoming Professor Rao to BITS Pilani, Kumar Mangalam Birla, chancellor, BITS said: "I am happy to announce the appointment of Professor V. Ramgopal Rao as the new Vice Chancellor for BITS Pilani with campuses located in Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad, Dubai, and Mumbai. Professor Rao joins us from IIT Delhi where he was the erstwhile Director of IIT Delhi during 2016-2021 and is currently the Pillay Chair Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering."

"Before joining IIT Delhi as the Director in April 2016, Professor Rao served as a P K Kelkar Chair Professor for Nanotechnology in the Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Bombay," he added.

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"After 25 years of being a part of the #IIT system in various capacities both at IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi, it's time to move on and take up new responsibilities. I will be joining as the Group Vice Chancellor for the BITS institutions in Pilani, Hyderabad, Goa, Dubai and Mumbai," Rao tweeted.

After 25 years of being a part of the #IIT system in various capacities both at @iitbombay and @iitdelhi , it's time to move on and take up new responsibilities. I will be joining as the Group Vice Chancellor for the #BITS institutions in Pilani, Hyderabad, Goa, Dubai and Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/zWOcluae1K

— V. Ramgopal Rao, Ph.D. (@ramgopal_rao) February 23, 2023

Former IIT Delhi director holds a Dr-Ing Degree from Germany and honorary doctorates from three universities in India. He is a Fellow of IEEE, TWAS, INAE, INSA, IASC, and NASI. Rao has received over 35 international awards and honours and is an internationally recognized researcher in the field of nanoelectronics and sensors. He has published over 480 research papers and holds over 50 patents.

V Ramgopal Rao serves as the chairman for multiple committees at the National level related to Education, Research, and Innovation programmes in India.