Bhubaneswar, November 10: Strengthening academic excellence, research, innovation and infrastructure development emerged as key priorities at the 15th meeting of the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Bhubaneswar, held at Lok Seva Bhawan here.

The meeting, chaired by Odisha Chief Secretary and Board of Governors Chairperson Anu Garg, reviewed the institute's academic performance, student admissions, faculty recruitment, research initiatives, placement records and infrastructure requirements, besides discussing its future development roadmap.

A presentation on academic progress highlighted a steady rise in student enrolment. As many as 479 students joined B.Tech programmes in 2026, against 372 in 2025 and 398 in 2024. M.Tech enrolment also increased from 15 in 2024 to 29 in 2026. The institute has introduced a new postgraduate programme in VLSI Semiconductor Technology, while five research scholars enrolled in various PhD programmes during the year.

The institute's placement performance also came under review. During the 2025-26 academic year, the highest annual salary package stood at Rs 60 lakh, while the average package was Rs 9.6 lakh and the median package Rs 8 lakh. IIIT Bhubaneswar recorded an overall placement rate of around 83 per cent over the past two years. Several prominent companies, including DE Shaw, Dell, Oracle, Flipkart, Zoho, Razorpay, Sarvam AI and Siemens, participated in the recruitment process.

The Board also reviewed the institute's achievements in research, innovation and academic collaboration. IIIT Bhubaneswar organised several national and international events, including IEEE InGARSS 2025, Indocrypt 2025 and ICoICC-2025, along with international workshops on deep learning, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. Representatives from 14 countries participated in IEEE InGARSS 2025.

The institute also conducted various workshops and training programmes in emerging fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, cybersecurity, cryptography and deep learning to promote advanced research and strengthen technical expertise.

To further expand its research and innovation ecosystem, the Board deliberated on proposals to establish a Technology Innovation Hub and a Centre of Excellence in Semiconductor Technology on the campus. Plans for setting up an incubation centre and developing additional infrastructure, including hostels, an auditorium, classrooms and other essential facilities, were also discussed.

Emphasising the importance of strengthening human resources, the Board considered proposals for faculty promotions to higher pay scales, expediting regular recruitment to fill existing vacancies and creating additional faculty positions.

The meeting also reviewed initiatives aimed at improving academic standards, administrative transparency and research quality. The national and international recognitions and achievements earned by the institute's Director and faculty members were highlighted.

Other important agenda items included the proposed organisation of the next convocation ceremony in January 2027, approval of audited annual accounts, award of degrees, facilities for faculty members and employees, and other administrative matters.

Addressing the meeting, Chief Secretary Anu Garg directed the institute authorities to address existing infrastructure deficiencies on a priority basis. She stressed the need to strengthen IIIT Bhubaneswar's contribution to higher technical education, advanced research, semiconductor technology and the startup ecosystem in Odisha, with the objective of developing it into a centre of excellence.

She called for a comprehensive strategy to ensure that the institute emerges as one of the leading IIITs in the country and outperforms its peers. Underscoring the importance of preparing students for changing industry requirements, she advised the institute to strengthen industry-academia partnerships, promote industry-oriented teaching and give greater impetus to research and innovation.

Among those present at the meeting were Additional Chief Secretary of the Electronics and IT Department Vishal Kumar Dev, Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Sports, Skill Development and Technical Education Department Bhupendra Singh Poonia, IIIT Bhubaneswar Director Dr Ashish Ghosh, IIT Bhubaneswar Registrar and Controller of Finance Sabyasachi Hota, IIIT Bangalore Director Professor Debabrata Das and IIT Bhubaneswar Professor Sripad Karmakar, who joined virtually.

Representatives of various industries and other members of the Board of Governors also attended the meeting and participated in the deliberations.