Sri City: The Indian Institute of Information Technology (IIIT) Sri City celebrated a dual milestone on Saturday as it hosted its 9th batch convocation ceremony – conferring degrees on the Class of 2025 and marking a decade of academic excellence.

Delivering the convocation address, Chief Guest Dr G Satheesh Reddy, former Chairman of DRDO and Honorary Advisor (Aerospace & Defence) to the Government of Andhra Pradesh, called on the institute to serve as a national anchor for technology development by bridging academic research and real-world innovation.

“I see IIIT Sri City as a unique institute embedded in a thriving industrial hub. You must lead with innovation, research, and entrepreneurship to help build a ‘Viksit Bharat,” Dr Reddy said. Stressing the need for deeper R&D collaboration between academia and industry, he noted the growing establishment of advanced testing facilities supported by national agencies. However, he added that Indian industries must themselves step up to invest in design and development to remain globally competitive.

Applauding IIIT’s initiatives, he remarked, “Institutes like IIIT must anchor technology development by bridging knowledge and application — a true engine of national growth.”

The convocation was presided over by Dr Sridhar Vembu, Founder of Zoho Corporation and Chairman of the IIIT Sri City Board of Governors, who lauded the institute’s steady growth and urged graduates to embrace a life of purpose and societal contribution.

Prof MV Karthikeyan, Director (Additional Charge), conferred degrees upon 318 graduating students, including 9 PhD scholars and 309 BTech graduates from CSE and ECE streams. Of them, 20 students completed their BTech with specialisations in Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning (AI/ML), and Data Science. Further, 18 students were recognised for research excellence, while three received gold medals for outstanding academic performance.

The event was attended by members of the Board of Governors, including Sri City MD Ravindra Sannareddy and Director of IIT Tirupati Prof KN Satyanarayana.