Pune: The Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT), Pune, on Friday announced a series of student-focused initiatives, including three new BTech programmes.The initiatives also included industry-taught credit courses, expanded research collaborations and entrepreneurship support, aimed at strengthening employability and industry readiness.Addressing a press conference, IIIT, Pune, director Vineet Kansal said the institute would introduce BTech programmes in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and data science, and microelectronics and VLSI design from the 2026-27 academic year.The programmes have been designed in line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 with a focus on India’s growing demand for talent in artificial intelligence, semiconductor technology and cybersecurity.A major initiative announced by the institute was the introduction of industry and academic experts as part of the regular curriculum through microcredit courses. Faculty members from IIT-Bombay, IIT-Kanpur and IIT-Kharagpur, along with experts from IBM India and the United States, are expected to teach specialised courses. It would provide students with direct exposure to emerging technologies and real-world industry practices.“Our effort was to bridge the gap between classroom learning and industry expectations. Students should graduate with not just strong fundamentals, but also practical knowledge,” Kansal said.The institute also highlighted its strong placement performance, with the highest annual package touching Rs 45 lakh. The institute’s average package remained Rs 17.88 lakh, and internships offered stipends of up to Rs 1.5 lakh per month. The major recruiters were Amazon, Nvidia, IBM, Walmart, Salesforce, Tata Electronics and Siemens, among others.IIIT, Pune, recently signed institutional collaborations with IIT-Bombay and IIT-Bombay Trust Lab. The partnerships would facilitate joint research, internships in cybersecurity, innovation projects and faculty and student exchanges. The institute was also in talks with AIIMS, Nagpur, PGIMS, Lucknow, and the Indian Council of Medical Research to collaborate on artificial intelligence applications in healthcare.Kansal said the institute was also establishing a Start-up and Innovation Cell to encourage student entrepreneurship through mentoring, incubation support and industry networking.
