Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani has appointed Prof Mohan Krishnamoorthy as the Director of its Amaravati campus, with his tenure set to begin in January 2027.
Prof. Krishnamoorthy will lead the development of the new campus and build its academic, research and industry ecosystem, with a particular focus on emerging technologies such as computer science and artificial intelligence.
The appointment comes as BITS Pilani works to establish Amaravati as a distinctive campus with a strong emphasis on technology, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Expertise in research and institutional development
Prof. Krishnamoorthy is a Professor of Operations Research and holds a PhD from Imperial College London.
He is currently serving as Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor (India Engagement) at RMIT University and as Director of Industry Research and Interactive Learning Solutions (IRIS) at BITS Pilani.
He brings experience in higher education leadership, international partnerships, research, industry engagement and institutional development.
Prof. Krishnamoorthy was the founding CEO of the IIT Bombay–Monash Research Academy, where he was involved in establishing the academy and developing its research and institutional ecosystem.
He subsequently initiated the UQ–IIT Delhi Research Academy, contributing to large-scale research collaborations between India and Australia.
Focus on AI, robotics and healthcare
At BITS Pilani Amaravati, Prof. Krishnamoorthy will be responsible for translating the institution’s vision for the new campus into an academic and research ecosystem.
The campus will focus on areas including artificial intelligence and data, robotics and advanced manufacturing, digital transformation, life sciences and healthcare, as well as technologies aimed at addressing societal and environmental challenges.
The institution also plans to build stronger links between academia, industry and global partners as part of the campus’s development.
“To be given the opportunity to be the founding director of BITS Amaravati is both a tremendous privilege and an exciting responsibility,” said Prof Mohan Krishnamoorthy said.
“Building a campus from the ground up offers a rare opportunity to shape its culture, ambitions and place in the world from the very beginning,” he added.
Prof. Krishnamoorthy said the focus would be on creating an environment where students can tackle consequential problems and use AI and technology to make an impact on industry, government and society.
BITS Pilani looks to build new ecosystem
BITS Pilani Group Vice Chancellor Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao said his combination of academic leadership, research experience, industry engagement and international partnerships would be valuable for the development of the Amaravati campus.
“His experience in creating new research and institutional ecosystems will be particularly valuable as we develop BITS Pilani Amaravati into a distinctive campus with a strong focus on emerging technologies, innovation and entrepreneurship,” said Prof. Rao.
He added that Prof. Krishnamoorthy would lead efforts to build an academic and research community and establish connections with industry and global partners.
Amaravati campus to target emerging technologies
The appointment places emerging technologies at the centre of the development plans for BITS Pilani Amaravati.
With AI and data, robotics, advanced manufacturing, digital transformation, life sciences and healthcare among its focus areas, the campus is expected to combine academic programmes with research and industry engagement.
The institution’s emphasis on emerging technologies and entrepreneurship is also intended to create opportunities for collaboration between students, researchers, industry and international partners.
Prof. Krishnamoorthy will assume charge as Director in January 2027 and will oversee the next phase of development of the Amaravati campus.