The Dean & Director of SIT

Prof. Ketan Kotecha, PhD (IIT Bombay)

Dean, Faculty of Engineering, Symbiosis International (Deemed University)

Professor & Director, Symbiosis Institute of Technology
director@sitpune.edu.in

Head, Symbiosis Centre for Applied AI ( SCAAI)
head@scaai.siu.edu.in

Message

Welcome to the dynamic world of engineering at SIT, where innovation is not just a goal but a way of life. At the forefront of technological advancements, we blend expertise, technology, and creativity to propel our community towards excellence. SIT stands as a centre for creativity, a beacon for learning, and a convergence point for ideas that shape the future. Our success is rooted in the unwavering commitment of our faculty members to academic rigour, groundbreaking research, and mentoring. Their dedication goes beyond the confines of classrooms, influencing the lives of our students in profound ways. Our overarching objective has always been to bring out the best in our students, moulding them into professionals with strong ethical and moral values. As you embark on your journey at SIT, you join a diverse community engaged in hands-on learning and cutting-edge research, paving the way for successful careers in business, government, or academia. Our faculty, involved in high-impact research across various domains, including Artificial Intelligence, Cyber Security, Blockchain, Data Science, Robotics, GIS, Nanoscience, Cloud Computing, Embedded Systems, Infrastructure Design and Building Information Modelling (BIM), ensures that our students are exposed to the latest advancements in their field. Through creative instruction, hands-on projects, and involvement in various student competition teams, our undergraduates and postgraduates receive an exceptional educational experience. Industry-sponsored capstone projects and internships further foster professional ties, laying the groundwork for post-graduation success. At SIT, we strive to create an inclusive and dynamic environment where excellence in teaching, research, and service is paramount. I look forward to working with each one of you and contributing to the success and growth of our vibrant engineering community. Should you have any comments, questions, or ideas, please feel free to email me at director@sitpune.edu.in.

Welcome to SIT, where your journey towards engineering excellence begins!

Expertise

Dr. Ketan Kotecha is a distinguished researcher and educator specializing in deep learning, artificial intelligence, computer algorithms, and machine learning. Passionate about fostering critical thinking skills, he has mentored over 20 PhD students to successful outcomes.

Experience

With over 30 years of experience at the forefront of AI and deep learning, Dr. Kotecha is globally recognized, ranking among the top 2% scientists worldwide, a distinction conferred by Stanford University. He boasts a prolific publication record, with over 450 Scopus-indexed papers and 12 patents to his name. His work, cited over 11,000 times, reflects his profound impact on the field.

Dr. Kotecha's expertise extends to securing prestigious research funding for Applied AI projects. Notable grants include a PURSE grant from DST worth INR 5.2 crores in AI for affordable Healthcare and a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology grant worth INR 199.04 lakhs on Human Computer Interface, highlighting his leadership in impactful research.

Recognized for his contributions, Dr. Kotecha has received grants such as the Indo-Canadian Shastri grant SSTSG 2023-24 and SPARC projects worth INR 166 lakhs from MHRD. His accolades also include Erasmus Plus Faculty Mobility Grant, DUO-India Professors Fellowship, grants from the Royal Academy of Engineering and DST under Indo-Italy and Indo-Serbia schemes. He was also selected by MHRD Govt of India for a prestigious LEAP grant for leadership program at Cambridge University UK. He also received 3 projects from DRDO worth INR 30 lacs and 4 projects from UAEU university under 'AI for Sustainability' grant.

Dr. Kotecha has led consultancy projects with industry giants Philips, Avegen,ArcOne & Dassault System demonstrating his ability to bridge academia and industry. His leadership at SIT Pune has secured significant CSR grants and government funding for initiatives such as the Bajaj Engineering Skills Training Centre(worth INR 30 crores) and a 5G use case lab in AI+telemedicine(worth INR 50 lacs).

As an Adjunct Professor at Swinburne University, Australia, Honorary Professor at Aston University UK and a visiting professor at UCSI University Malaysia, Dr. Kotecha continues to expand his global footprint in academia.

A sought-after keynote speaker, Dr. Kotecha has addressed prestigious forums worldwide, including the Machine Intelligence Lab at USA, Imperial college of London UK, Swinburne University of Technology, Australia, Pretoria University, S Africa, RUDN university Russia and many more.