IIT Guwahati announced the appointment of Prof Devendra Jalihal as Director on May 15. Prior to this appointment, Prof Jalihal was a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Madras. Prof Rajeev Ahuja was replaced by Prof Jalihal as the additional charge of IIT Guwahati from November 2023.
Professor Jalihal expressed his honor upon assuming the position as Director of IIT Guwahati in his inaugural statement, stating, “IIT Guwahati is a prestigious institution consistently ranked among the top 10 by the NIRF Rankings and ranked 32 in QS world rankings for research citations. The region has experienced rapid infrastructure development, skill enhancement, and industrial development as a result of its location in an economically dynamic and biodiverse region of the country.”
Highlighting the industrial potential of the region and IIT Guwahati’s strategic position within it, Prof Jalihal said, “With the upcoming Tata-sponsored Semiconductor testing and packaging industry near Guwahati, IIT Guwahati is poised to lead the technological advancement of the region. As the only IIT in the northeast region, the institute will work to fulfill the aspirations of all the stakeholders.”
In 1983, Prof. Jalihal earned his B.Tech. (Hons) from IIT Kharagpur and completed his doctoral studies at Duke University, Durham, USA, in 1992. Since 1994, he has served as Head of the Department (HoD) of IIT Madras’ Department of Electrical Engineering. Before assuming his role at IIT Guwahati, Prof. Jalihal has served as Director of the Centre for Outreach and Digital Education at IIT Madras, overseeing all outreach activities of the institute.
In addition to his research interests in digital signal processing, wireless communication, voice and video communication in real-time, and societal applications of wireless technology, Prof. Jalihal has contributed to many projects, including low-bitrate video conferencing, tactical communication systems, disaster management communication systems, and satellite communication networks. Additionally, he collaborates with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on strategic communication issues.
