Faculty
STAI Faculty is an effective mix of academicians & industry practitioners. While the academicians ensure coverage of concepts, mathematics & principles that underpin Computer Science Engineering, Industry Practitioners teach through current projects & real problem solving.
Suresh Ramani
Chairperson
Suresh Ramani
Head Development Office & Acting Vice-Chancellor
- Alumnus – IIT Madras and IIM Bangalore
- President – Sricity Education Foundation; former Chief Commercial Officer at DP World
- 3+ decades across supply chain, logistics and consulting with senior roles at TVS Supply Chain, TCS and Whirlpool
K. Nagabhushan Raju
K. Nagabhushan Raju
Pro-Vice-Chancellor
- Commonwealth British Fellowship for doctoral research at UMIST, Manchester, UK
- Founder Director of an Atal Incubation Centre under NITI Aayog
- 32+ years in academia with 110+ publications and 18 PhD scholars guided; recipient of A.P State Scientist and Teacher Awards
- Early Career at Tata Energy Research Institute
Gopi Santhanam
Gopi Santhanam
- Deputy Dean & Director – School of Nova Media at Sricity International University
- 30+ years across Branding, Telecom, Advertising and Digital Transformation; Marketing Leadership at Airtel
- IICA-certified Independent Director; expertise in Web3, Blockchain and emerging media technologies
Sathishkumar Thangaiah
Sathishkumar Thangaiah
- Deputy Dean – School of Technology & AI at Sricity International University. Alumnus NIT (Trichy)
- 28+ years in higher education with leadership roles in AI, cloud computing and national accreditation initiatives
- Published 15+ Scopus/Web of Science research papers and filed 3 patents; former State Head of a Government of India skill development program
Ritesh R Bhat
Ritesh R Bhat
- Deputy Dean – School of Advanced Manufacturing at Sricity International University
- Editor-in-Chief of a Scopus-indexed engineering journal
- International academic experience in Industrial automation, Robotics and Lean manufacturing
- Published 3 Books, 45 Scopus-indexed journals, 9 Scopus-indexed proceedings, 13 Scopus-indexed editorial prefaces
Ranganadha Raju V (Venu Raju)
Ranganadha Raju V
(Venu Raju)
- Alumnus of IIT Madras, Duke University, Rice University, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Germany
- Specialist in geotechnical engineering, sustainability and infrastructure systems
- Technical Director & Board Member for Keller Group Plc.
- Led global engineering operations and innovation across 40+ countries
M.K. Badrinarayanan
M.K. Badrinarayanan
- Associate Dean – School of Business at Sricity International University
- Ph.D in Competitiveness of MSME Clusters and MBA in Finance & Systems; University Rank Holder and three-time Gold Medalist
- Academic leader with over 20 years of experience in higher education, institutional leadership and industry-academia collaboration
- Expert in academic strategy, accreditation, research and entrepreneurship
- 22 Scopus-indexed publications and six Ph.D scholars guided
Srinivas Rao Mahankali (MSR)
Srinivas Rao Mahankali (MSR)
- Alumnus – IIM Bangalore
- Former CEO – T-Hub, one of the world’s largest startup innovation ecosystems
- Co-Founder & CEO of a leading cybersecurity company (acquired by NSEIT); nearly 4 decades across IT services and innovation ecosystems
Padma Kiran Rao
Padma Kiran Rao
- Alumnus – XLRI Jamshedpur; IICA-certified Independent Director and Executive Coach
- Senior Director & Head – HR Global Operations and R&D Centres at Kantar (across 6 countries)
- 35+ years of global HR leadership, including senior roles at Société Générale, Deloitte, and Cognizant
Manikandan
Manikandan
PROFESSOR
- Director, Industry Partnerships, Sricity International Unviersity
- PhD in Computer Science & Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)
- Professor at VIT with 23+ years of leadership in industry partnerships, curriculum design, placements and skill development initiatives
- Recognised for pioneering AI-driven education ecosystems
Arvind Jeenoor
Arvind Jeenoor
Director, Zdotapps
- B.E. in Electronics & Communication and PMP-certified professional
- 30+ years of leadership experience across healthcare technology, mobility platforms, enterprise software and business transformation
- Expert in product strategy, digital transformation, and innovation ecosystem building
Manjunath Navalagi
Manjunath Navalagi
Director, FACT-Ops
- B.E. in Computer Science
- 15+ years of experience in software engineering, product development, and technology leadership
- CTO with expertise in product engineering, AI-driven automation, enterprise solutions, and large-scale technology delivery
BV Jagadeesh
Chairperson
B V Jagadeesh
Chairperson
- Founding Managing Partner – Silicon Valley Quad
- Chairman and Member of the Board for various global institutions and enterprises
- 4+ decades of leadership; co-founded Exodus Communications
- Led NetScaler as CEO (acquired by Citrix); early investor in Nutanix
Praveen Akkiraju
Praveen Akkiraju
- Alumnus – Harvard Business School
- Managing Director – Insight Partners; former Managing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisers
- Leadership role at Cisco; invested in disruptive technology ventures, specifically in AI
Rajashekar Kuppuswamy Mitta
Rajashekar Kuppuswamy Mitta
- Alumnus – IIT Bombay, IIM Ahmedabad & Stanford University
- 4+ decades in global consulting at Arthur D. Little and Booz Allen & Hamilton; early career at Unilever and Mars Inc.
- Chief Investment Officer at a Singapore-based investment firm. International Board Member of YPO, former Vice Chairman at L Catterton Asia (LVMH-sponsored PE fund)
Srini Raju
Srini Raju
- Founder & Chairman – iLabs Capital; Chairman – Sri City Pvt Ltd
- Founding CEO of Dun & Bradstreet Satyam Software (which evolved into Cognizant); former COO of Satyam Computer Services
- Pioneer of India’s venture capital ecosystem. Governing member at IIIT Hyderabad, ISB, IIIT Sri City and Krea University
Ravindra Babu Sannareddy
Ravindra Babu Sannareddy
- Alumnus – Johns Hopkins University, NIT (Trichy)
- Co-Founder & Managing Director – Sri City Pvt Ltd, home to 200+ global companies from 30 countries
- National Chairman – ASSOCHAM Council on SEZs & Industrial Zones; advisor on national SEZ and industrial infrastructure policy
Jayaprasad Vejendla
Jayaprasad Vejendla
- Alumnus – Stanford Graduate School of Business
- Founder & CEO of a global tech company specialising in cloud, analytics and digital transformation
- Co-Founder & Board Member – FalconX B2B Accelerator; actively supports pediatric healthcare and digital literacy initiatives
Raju Indukuri
Convener
Raju Indukuri
Convener
- Co-Founder – FalconX B2B Accelerator; Chairman of a smart-city IoT analytics company
- Serial entrepreneur across smart infrastructure and clean energy; founded a storage company acquired by Dell
- Active angel investor in 24+ technology ventures
Deenanath Harapanahalli
Deenanath Harapanahalli
- Alumnus – Carnegie Mellon University, IISc
- Former Country Head – Invesco India; former Chair of NASSCOM GIC Forum
- Serial founder across startup studios, enterprise FACT-Ops platforms and India’s leading cycling and wellness platform
Vasudeva Varma
Vasudeva Varma
- Head- Language Technology Research Centre & Founding Head of iREL
- Former Dean – R&D and CEO of IIITH Foundation, leading research and startup initiatives
- Expert in AI, NLP, semantic search and intelligent content systems
- Founding Mentor- IIIT Sri City
Vijay Kumar
Vijay Kumar
Associate Professor
- Ph.D. in Computer Science with research expertise in Deep Learning, Computer Vision & Cognitive Computing.
- Academic administrator and technology mentor with 17+ years of experience in higher education
- Expertise in Artificial Intelligence & Academic Digitisation.
Sasi Jayaram
Sasi Jayaram
Adjunct Faculty
- Master of Computer Applications (MCA) from Muthayammal Engineering College
- Lead Software Engineer at Zdotapps with 10+ years of experience in software development, web technologies, and API engineering
- Expert in Python, Django, cloud applications, microservices, and API architecture
Ruban Raj
Ruban Raj
Adjunct Faculty
- B.E. in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from Loyola Institute of Technology, Chennai
- Product Manager at Zdotapps with 12+ years of experience in operations management, service delivery, and project execution
- Certified Six Sigma Green Belt with expertise in process optimisation
Hareesh K
Hareesh K
Adjunct Faculty
- M.S. in Computer Science from Birmingham City University, UK
- Senior Data Analyst at Zdotapps with experience in analytics, automation, business intelligence, and operational optimization across global organisations
- Specialises in AI, machine learning, predictive analytics, and data science
Mohammad Lateef Choudhary
Mohammad Lateef Choudhary Chief Operating Officer, Epack Durables, Sri City
- MBA from Manav Bharti University and a Commerce graduate from Madurai Kamaraj University
- 28+ years in manufacturing and operations leadership, serving as COO of EPACK Durables since its inception
- Oversees large-scale manufacturing operations with expertise in commercial management
Naresh Hinduja
Naresh Hinduja
Managing Director, Swan Enterprises Pvt Ltd
- Production Engineering graduate from K.J. Somaiya College of Engineering, Mumbai University
- 35+ years leading Swan Enterprises in industrial design, manufacturing and fabrication
- Expertise spans the design, manufacturing, and installation of column internals for refineries, fabrication of automotive components and promoting skill-based education
S Purushothaman
S. Purushothaman
General Manager, HR and Administration, THK India Pvt Ltd, Sri City
- PhD in Law with advanced qualifications in international law, psychology, governance, and dispute resolution
- 30+ years of leadership across HR, manufacturing, engineering, and corporate operations
- Specialist in strategic HR, governance, compliance, ESG, and organisational development
Anshuman Yenigalla
Anshuman Yenigalla
Head - Electronics Vertical, iLabs Group
- Master's, IIT Kharagpur; B.E. Industrial Engineering, Osmania University
- Electronics and components manufacturing, HVAC/RAC and consumer durables, motion technology and ESDM, vertical integration and scale-up
- Leads the electronics vertical at iLabs Group, building a vertically integrated electronics and appliances manufacturing platform. Over 20 years across consumer retail and energy, previously scaling solar EPC and manufacturing to a multi-state footprint
Sudharsan Manivel
Sudharsan Manivel
Sigma Advanced Systems, Hyderabad
- B.E. Mechanical Engineering, PSG College of Technology; PG in Management, Indian School of Business (ISB), Hyderabad
- Precision metal components and assemblies, aerospace and defence systems, manufacturing strategy, technology transfer, operational excellence, quality systems, and scaling industrial businesses
- Over two decades in aerospace and defence manufacturing, operational leadership, and supply chain transformation. Founded Inticore Engineering; earlier Managing Director of VAF Def-Aero Systems Pvt. Ltd., a leading manufacturer of precision-engineered aluminium castings for aerospace and defence
Lakshminathan
Lakshminathan
Founder and Managing Director, Kryon Technology Pvt Ltd, Sri City
- Mechanical Engineering graduate from BITS Pilani
- 30+ years of leadership across AC and refrigeration manufacturing in India, the Middle East, and Africa
- Led large-scale manufacturing transformations and global joint ventures, including a 1000-unit-per-shift plant with Hisense China
S.A.K. Jilani
S.A.K. Jilani
- Academic leader and researcher with 23+ years of experience in Electronics, AI, IoT and emerging technologies
- Served in key leadership roles, including HoD, Dean–R&D, Professor and Research Supervisor
- Holder of 12 international patents and author of 90+ research publications
Mr. Sathish Gunasekaran
Mr. Sathish Gunasekaran
- DME and B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering
- Engine assembly, vehicle assembly, production operations, lean manufacturing, 4M optimisation, Kaizen, shop floor management and skill development
- Automotive manufacturing across leading OEMs, including TATRA Motors, the Renault-Nissan Alliance and ISUZU Motors
Dr. Kishor Kumar Gajrani
Dr. Kishor Kumar Gajrani
- PhD in Manufacturing (IIT Guwahati), M.Tech in Machine Design (IIT Guwahati), B.E. in Mechanical Engineering (BIT Durg), and postdoctoral research at IIT Bombay
- Sustainable machining, tribology, micro-manufacturing, additive manufacturing, and lubricants and coolants
- Assistant Professor at IIITDM Kancheepuram, more than 100 publications, several books with CRC Press and ASME Press, and featured in the World's Top 2% Scientists list (Stanford, Elsevier) for four consecutive years
S. Rajesh
S. Rajesh
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
- M.Tech in Telecommunication Networks at SRM University
- Program Coordinator at the School of Advanced Manufacturing, driving industry partnerships, internships and Work Integrated Learning Programs
- Experienced in industry-academia collaboration, Industrial IoT, and smart manufacturing
Rajeev Srinivasan
Rajeev Srinivasan
- MBA from Stanford University, M.S. in Computer Science from Syracuse University and B.Tech from IIT Madras
- Innovation strategist and technology leader with 40+ years of experience across academia, venture capital, public policy and global technology companies
- Contributed to India's National IPR Policy, led pioneering startup incubators and held leadership roles at Sun Microsystems, Siemens and AT&T Bell Labs
Kaustav Das
Kaustav Das
CEO, Ralph & Das Advertising
- Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calcutta
- Advertising and brand communication leader with 34 years of experience across organizations including HUL, Lintas, Ogilvy & Mather, Publicis, TBWA, Mudra and Havas
- Expert in brand strategy and account planning, having worked with leading brands such as Apple, Sony, Titan, Citibank and HDFC; a certified Disruption Moderator and visiting faculty at MICA Ahmedabad and Symbiosis Pune
Anil Thomas
Anil Thomas C0-FOUNDER & CHIEF CREATIVE OFFICER AT RALPH AND DAS
- B.Com graduate with a PGDM from the University of Mumbai
- Advertising and brand leadership professional with 30 years of experience across DMB&B, DDB, TBWA, Lintas, Ogilvy, McCann and TTM Jakarta
- Worked with leading brands including Unilever Foods, Britannia, ITC Foods, Titan, Coca-Cola, Tata Tea and Blue Star; recognized among the Top 10 Creative Directors and Most Influential Advertising Leaders for five consecutive years
John Devasahayam
John Devasahayam CEO AND MANAGING DIRECTOR,PIXSTONE
- Managing Director of PixStone, one of India's leading visual effects studios, delivering high-end VFX for feature films across Hollywood, Bollywood, and regional cinema industries
- Technology and media leader with senior leadership experience at Satyam Computers, Sify, and Zenith Computers, driving business transformation, operational excellence and organizational growth
- Brings a unique blend of enterprise technology expertise and creative industry vision, contributing to India's emergence as a global hub for IT services and world-class visual effects production
Shashi Shekar
Shashi Shekar ADJUNCT FACULTY
- Certified Generative AI professional and Animation Technology specialist
- Creative Director at The Creativ Grid with over 12 years of experience across leading animation studios and advertising agencies
- Expertise in animation, visual storytelling, creative design, and AI-driven content creation
Jay Dhirawani
Jay Dhirawani ADJUNCT FACULTY
- MBA from the University of Maharashtra
- General Manager at Ralph & Das with 17 years of experience across Madison World, Fulcro, Shapoorji Pallonji, Experience Commerce, and Tonic Media
- Expert in digital marketing, media planning, and brand strategy, having worked with leading brands such as ITC, Pidilite, Marico, Adani FMCG, Godrej, Nippo Batteries, and Bluestar; certified by Google in Digital Marketing and Media Planning & Buying
A. N. Suresh
A. N. Suresh VISITING FACULTY
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (Painting)
- Production Head and Technical Consultant with over 30 years of experience in animation, multimedia, visual effects, and film production
- Worked on South Indian, Hindi, Hollywood, and international animation projects, while mentoring creative professionals for over two decades
Satheesh Krishnamurthy
Satheesh Krishnamurthy VISITING FACULTY
- Author, brand strategist, and startup consultant
- Over 20 years of leadership experience with brands such as CavinKare, Cricinfo, and Reliance, along with leading advertising agencies including McCann and Mudra
- Author of 8+ books on marketing, branding, startups and advertising
Manikandan
Manikandan
PROFESSOR
- Director, Industry Partnerships, Sricity International Unviersity
- PhD in Computer Science & Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT)
- Professor at VIT with 23+ years of leadership in industry partnerships, curriculum design, placements and skill development initiatives
- Recognised for pioneering AI-driven education ecosystems
- Recognised for pioneering AI-driven education ecosystems
- Recognised for pioneering AI-driven education ecosystems