Manjima Karmakar receives his graduation from DRDO Chairman Sudhir V. Kamat at the 22nd convocation of NITW on Saturday.

Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) Chairman Samir V. Kamat emphasized the importance of embracing boldness in the face of challenges and highlighted the importance of lifelong learning. He was speaking at the 22nd convocation of National Institute of Technology (NIT-Warangal) on Saturday.

Addressing academics, he also shared insights on India’s progress in defense technology, particularly in missile systems, and mentioned DRDO’s initiatives such as establishing 15 academic centers of excellence across the country. Reflecting on his journey, Kamat expressed his gratitude to his first boss at DRDO, Malakondiah, an alumnus of NITW, for mentoring him during his early career.

NITW Director Bidyadhar Subudhi said the institute secured projects worth ₹ 54.72 crore and consultancy grants of ₹ 4.19 crore. Over 300 reputed companies visited the campus for placements. The highest annual pay package offered last year was ₹88 lakh. “An endowment fund of 2.3 crores, set up with contributions from alumni, was another notable achievement,” he added.

As many as 1,875 students, of which 147 Ph.D. researchers, were awarded their degrees at the event. Eleven students received gold medals for their academic achievements. Manjima Karmakar of Electrical Engineering was awarded Gold Medal for Overall Excellence. Manisha Varshney of MCA bagged the topper’s gold medal among all postgraduate courses. Arun Kumar of Chemistry was awarded the best Ph.D. the dissertation’s gold medal.

Earlier, Kamat inaugurated the institute’s health center. The new facility features a 10-bed emergency department, a laboratory, physical therapy services and a pharmacy, which will serve the health needs of students and staff.