Dr. Sekar Viswanathan epitomises the vision, vibrant spirit and energy that has helped in establishing VIT as a premiere institute in the country. Dr. Sekar has over 30 years of experience in the industry and academics. He was a rank holder in Electronics and Communication Engineering from University of Madras. He received his Master’s degree in Computer Science from Rochester Institute of Technology, USA. He has a Ph.D., in the area of faculty motivation from University of Madras.

During the 90s, he served as the Vice-Chairman of his alma mater, Vellore Engineering College (which was later renamed as VIT). During this period, he had launched a number of new programmes and initiatives which paved way for the university status of VIT. Later, Dr. Sekar went to USA and worked with IBM, NetClerk and Walmart.com to gain international industrial experience. Walmart.com conferred the “Best Engineering Manager” and “Best Achiever” awards on him.

As VP at VIT, Dr. Sekar focuses on the university growth strategy, academic policies, international relations and placements. He has brought in numerous improvements to benefit the students including STARS (Support the Advancement of Rural Students) scheme, Fully Flexible Credit System (FFCS), Semester Abroad Programme (SAP) and Curriculum for Applied Learning (CAL). Dr. Sekar was bestowed with the prestigious Young EDGE National Award in 2012 in recognition of his innovative and useful contributions to the field of education. He currently serves as a member of national-level Higher Education Committee of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry) and member of the Higher Education committee of EPSI (Education Promotion Society of India), New Delhi.