GUWAHATI: Devendra Jalihal has officially assumed the role of Director at the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati (IIT Guwahati), succeeding Rajeev Ahuja. Ahuja had been holding the additional charge of IIT Guwahati since November 2023.
Prior to his appointment, Jalihal served as a professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Madras. In his inaugural statement as the new Director, Jalihal remarked, “IIT Guwahati is a renowned institution consistently ranked among the top 10 by the NIRF Rankings, with a high research citation rank of 32 in QS world rankings. Situated in one of the most biodiverse and economically dynamic regions of the country, this area has witnessed rapid infrastructure development, skill enhancement, and industrial growth.”
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Emphasising the industrial potential of the region and IIT Guwahati’s pivotal role within it, Jalihal highlighted, “With the imminent establishment of the Tata-sponsored Semiconductor testing and packaging industry near Guwahati, IIT Guwahati is well-positioned to spearhead the technological advancement of the region. As the sole IIT in the northeast, the institute is committed to fulfilling the aspirations of all stakeholders.”
Jalihal received his B.Tech. (Hons) from IIT Kharagpur in 1983 and earned his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Duke University, Durham, USA, in 1992. He joined the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Madras in 1994 and served as the Head of the Department (HoD) from 2016 to 2019. Before his appointment at IIT Guwahati, Jalihal led the Centre for Outreach and Digital Education at IIT Madras, overseeing all educational outreach activities of the institute.
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With an array of research interests spanning digital signal processing, wireless communication, real-time voice and video communication, and societal applications of wireless technologies, Jalihal has contributed to numerous projects. These include endeavours such as low bit-rate video conferencing, tactical communication systems, disaster management communication systems, and satellite communication networks. He has also collaborated with the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) on strategic communication challenges.
