Professor V Kamakoti appointed as new director of IIT Madras – Times of India

CHENNAI: Kamakoti Veezhinathan, a professor from computer science and engineering department, has been appointed as the new director of IIT Madras.
Professor Kamakoti led the research team that designed India’s first indigenously-developed microprocessor ‘Shakti’ which can be used in mobile computing devices and networking systems. It can reduce the reliance on imported microprocessors in communications and defence sectors.
An alumnus of IIT Madras and an expert in artificial intelligence, he has been appointed as the head of the AI task force by the union commerce ministry and is also currently a member of the National Security Advisory Council. He is currently working as associate dean of Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (ICSR) at IIT Madras.
Congratulating professor Kamakoti on appointment, the current director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said, “With Kamakoti at the helm, IIT Madras is poised to scale new heights in the coming years. He is an excellent teacher and researcher, and an able administrator. He has played key roles in many national projects, bringing to bear his deep expertise in computing and cybersecurity.”
In a statement, professor Kamakoti said, “Our immediate priority would be on augmenting the skill-set for indigenous technology development addressing local and global requirements aligning with the objectives of the National Education Policy.”
He also has other interests including organic farming and is trained in Carnatic music (Violin).