Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani has appointed Prof Mohan Krishnamoorthy as the Director of its Amaravati campus. He will take charge in January 2027 and lead the development of the new campus and its academic, research and industry ecosystem.
Prof. Krishnamoorthy will lead the development of the new campus with a focus on emerging technologies, particularly Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence (AI).
Prof Krishnamoorthy
Prof Mohan Krishnamoorthy is a Professor of Operations Research and holds a PhD from Imperial College London.
He is currently Associate Deputy Vice-Chancellor (India Engagement) at RMIT University and Director of Industry Research and Interactive Learning Solutions (IRIS) at BITS Pilani.
As the founding director of the Amaravati campus, he will be responsible for developing its academic and research ecosystem and strengthening links with industry and global partners.
Prof Krishnamoorthy said the opportunity to build the campus from the beginning would allow its culture, goals and global position to be shaped from an early stage. He said the campus would aim to create an environment where students can address major problems and use AI and technology to contribute to industry, government and society.
Experience in research and international partnerships
Prof Krishnamoorthy has experience in higher education leadership, research, international partnerships, industry engagement and institutional development.
He was the founding CEO of the IIT Bombay–Monash Research Academy. In that role, he helped establish the Academy and develop its research and institutional ecosystem.
He later initiated the UQ–IIT Delhi Research Academy, contributing to large-scale research collaborations between India and Australia.
BITS Pilani Amaravati campus focus areas
At the Amaravati campus, Prof Krishnamoorthy will work on developing a distinct academic and research environment.
The campus will focus on several areas, including:
- Artificial Intelligence and data
- Robotics and advanced manufacturing
- Digital transformation
- Life sciences and healthcare
- Technologies addressing social and environmental challenges
BITS Pilani Group Vice Chancellor Prof V Ramgopal Rao said Prof Krishnamoorthy’s academic leadership, research experience, industry engagement and international partnerships would support the development of the Amaravati campus.
He said his experience in building research and institutional ecosystems would be useful in creating a campus focused on emerging technologies, innovation and entrepreneurship.
About BITS Pilani
Established in 1964, BITS Pilani is a multi-campus university with campuses in Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad and Dubai.
Its Mumbai campus houses BITSoM, BITS Law School and BITS Design School, which offer programmes in management, law, design and technology.
The institute has more than 18,000 students across its four campuses and an alumni network of over 210,000 members. BITS Pilani is known for its academic programmes, research, industry connections and international collaborations.
The institute holds an A++ grade from NAAC. In the NIRF Rankings 2025, it was ranked second in Pharmacy, seventh among universities, 11th in Engineering and 16th in the Overall category.
BITS Pilani is also featured in the QS World University Rankings 2026 and QS Asia University Rankings 2026.
