Prof. Kamakoti Veezhinathan is the Director of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), one of India’s leading institutions for higher education, research, and innovation. An alumnus of IIT Madras, he earned both his M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering from the institute and joined its faculty in 2001. He assumed office as Director of IIT Madras in January 2022.
A distinguished researcher and academic leader, Prof. Kamakoti’s areas of expertise include Computer Architecture, Information Security, Secure Systems Engineering, VLSI Design, and High-Performance Computing. He led the team that designed and developed SHAKTI, India’s first indigenously developed microprocessor, a landmark contribution toward strengthening the nation’s semiconductor and computing ecosystem.
Beyond academia, Prof. Kamakoti has played an influential role in national technology initiatives. He has served as Chairman of the Government of India’s Artificial Intelligence Task Force and is a member of the National Security Advisory Board, contributing to policy and strategic initiatives in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, trusted computing, and digital infrastructure.
Under his leadership, IIT Madras has continued to expand its impact in research, entrepreneurship, online education, deep technology innovation, and industry collaboration. His contributions to science, engineering, education, and nation-building have earned him numerous recognitions, including the Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship, IBM Faculty Award, IESA Techno Visionary Award, DRDO Academic Excellence Award, and the Padma Shri.