Convocation 2024-BITS Pilani, Pilani Campus

BITS Pilani, a renowned institution known for its commitment to innovation held its convocation at the Pilani campus, where degrees were conferred across BE, MSc, ME, and Ph.D. programs, to 1,832 students. In total this year 15,681 degrees have been awarded by the institute including all campuses, programs, and WILP programs. Highlighting their focus on diversity in STEM, 3,893 women graduated this year. The event was graced by illustrious dignitaries like Mr. Sanjay Mehrotra, President and CEO of Micron Technology, and Dr S. Somanath, Chairman of ISRO, who awarded degrees, emphasizing BITS Pilani’s strong ties to industry and academia.

On the academic front, BITS Pilani has secured a placement rate of 81% nationally, followed by 80% at the Pilani campus. The rest pursued higher studies and entrepreneurship as careers. The top recruitments happened across IT, banking and finance, and electronics sectors. The IT sector was the most contributing with about 42% placements in roles ranging from Software development, Data Science, AI/ML, Cybersecurity, etc followed by Banking and Finance & Electronics with 18% & 16% respectively. Top recruiters included IMC Trading, Google, Microsoft, Cisco, Goldman Sachs, and Wells Fargo. Emerging industries like high-frequency trading (HFT) and Supply Chain Management also played a significant role in this year's placements with recruiters like Tower Research Capital, IMC, Quadeye, Trexquant, Vegapay, Ola, Micron, etc.

The institute also reported a remarkable growth in PhD enrolment, with a CAGR of over 20% in the last five years, now standing at over 2050, out of which 42% are female scholars. Additionally, during FY 2023-24, the institute approved 72 research projects worth ₹81.33 Cr, demonstrating its commitment to enhancing research competitiveness. Furthermore, BITS Pilani filed 121 new patent applications in the same year, contributing to a total of 419 filed patents and 107 granted patents to date. These achievements underscore BITS Pilani's ongoing dedication to fostering academic excellence and innovation.

During the ceremony, Professor V. Ramgopal Rao, Vice Chancellor, BITS Pilani commented “This is a special moment for BITS Pilani as we see another batch of talented individuals start their journey to shape the future. Our graduates are already making it big in various fields and I am sure they will continue the legacy of BITS Pilani by making a difference in society. We are also incredibly grateful for the exceptional support from our alumni network, who play a pivotal role in guiding and empowering our students. Their involvement, particularly in emerging fields is invaluable in bridging the gap between academia and the professional world.”

Chief Guest, Dr S. Somanath, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), emphasized, “At ISRO, we aspire to reach the stars, and we see the same spark in the eyes of BITS Pilani graduates. India’s future as a global leader in technology depends on your ability, your dedication, and your unwavering faith in what we can do together.

Guest of Honour, Mr. Sanjay Mehrotra, President, and CEO of Micron Technology added, “I am proud and grateful to have started my undergraduate journey at BITS, which has provided a solid foundation for my transition to UC Berkeley in the US, and as an entrepreneur. Today’s graduates are tomorrow’s innovators and leaders, and as we embrace the future of technology, we must create an inclusive environment where young people can explore, create, and thrive.”

The unwavering commitment of BITS Pilani alumni to nurture the success of future generations was evident in this year's placement season. Among the attendees were 6 alumni who have pledged $1 million each towards the $100 million BITS Pilani endowment fund that was officially launched during the Pilani campus convocation 2024, aimed at supporting various institutional development projects. This year’s alumni involvement extended beyond financial contributions, with Professor Arya Kumar, Dean of the Alumni Division, leading an initiative to connect with alumni globally, resulting in more than 150 alumni-led organizations becoming Practice School Stations for Internships.  Alumni have been helping BITS in curriculum review, startup and career mentorship, guest lectures, supporting clubs and activities, and organizing cultural, sports, entrepreneurship, and technical festivals. The institute draws from a vast pool of over 200,000 alumni for tangible and non-tangible engagement.

Many alumni were honoured with prestigious awards across multiple categories. The 2024 BITS Ratna Award was conferred to Pratul Shroff, Philanthropist and Founder of eInfochips who graduated from BITS Pilani in 1976 with an electronics degree. Students across all campuses were awarded for their outstanding academic achievements with Partha Sarathi Purkayastha from the Pilani Campus being awarded the Gold Medal, while Ananya Singh received the Silver Medal.

In the category of Academia and Research, Distinguished Alumnus Awards 2024 were awarded to Prof. Sudhir Kumar, Laura H. Carnell Professor, Temple University, Mr. Shishir Joshipura, Managing Director & CEO at Praj Industries, Mr. Vinod Saraf Executive, Chairman, Vinati Organics, and Dr. Anil Gupta, Chairman and Founder, Microtek Okaya Power and Okaya EV. 

Distinguish Services Awards 2024 were awarded to Dr Satya Gupta, President VLSI Society of India, Lt Gen. Arvind Walia, Engineer-in-Chief, Indian Army, and Mr. Sundi Natarajan, Co-Founder and Board of Trustees, Sparksoft Corporation and Honoris causa Doctorate of Science (D.Sc.) Degree certificate was awarded to Mr. Sanjay Mehrotra respectively.

In addition to the academic honours, the event also witnessed the much-anticipated launch of two significant books titled: Bits Pilani, A journey of innovations in higher education by Prof LK Maheshwari and Bits Pilani Trailblazers by Prof Sudhir Kumar Barai, Prof NVM Rao, Dr Ranjan Kumar Thakur and Bhaskar S Ayer. Both the books were published by Macmillan.

View Camera Photos View Video