Know all about NMAMIT: An Interview with Prof (Dr.) Gopal Mugeraya (Vice President)

In this exclusive interview with Careers360, Prof (Dr.) Gopal Mugeraya, Vice President (Technical Education) at NITTE (DU), NITTE Education Trust shares details about the NMAMIT admission process, collaborations, facilities, placements and more. To know more about the NMAM Institute of Technology go through the complete interview.

About: Nitte Mahalinga Adyantaya Memorial Institute of Technology (NMAMIT), Nitte, established in 1986 and recognised by the All India Council for Technical Education, New Delhi, has been a constituent college of Nitte (Deemed to be University). NMAMIT courses are offered at UG, PG and doctoral levels which include BTech, MTech, MCA and PhD. Rank band 101-150 in the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) 2023 by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, the college has been placed under the ‘Platinum’ category for having high industry linkages by the AICTE-CII Survey of Industry-Linked Technical Institutes 2020.

Q. Tell us something about the institute - when it was set up, vision and mission.

A: NMAM Institute of Technology, NITTE, a reputed engineering institute located at Nitte, Udupi district of Karnataka is a constituent college of NITTE (Deemed to be University), Mangaluru. It was established in 1986 by NITTE Education Trust, which was founded by the Late Justice K S Hegde, former judge of the Supreme Court of India and Speaker of the Lok Sabha.

The institute's vision is to pursue excellence, empower people and partner in community development. The mission is to develop NMAM Institute of Technology as a Centre of Excellence by imparting quality education to generate competent, skilled and humane manpower to face emerging scientific, technological, managerial and social challenges with credibility, integrity, ethics and social concern.

NMAMIT is today, one of the premier engineering colleges in Karnataka, known for its academic excellence, state-of-the-art infrastructure, excellent placements and emphasis on research, innovation and start-ups. NMAM Institute of Technology offers undergraduate, postgraduate & doctoral programmes in various engineering disciplines and has been consistently ranked among the top engineering colleges in India.

Being a part of a multi-disciplinary university, NMAMIT offers exciting opportunities for its students to learn in a stimulating environment cutting across traditional disciplinary boundaries.

NMAM Institute of Technology welcomes talented students from diverse background to our inclusive campus.

Q. Tell us something about the NMAM Institute of Technology admission process.

A: The NMAM Institute of Technology admission process is competitive and thorough, aiming to select candidates with the potential to excel in their chosen field of engineering. NMAMIT admits students to the BTech programmes on the basis of inter-se merit in the Nitte University Common Admission Test (NUCAT).

Students who have passed Class 12th with not less than 50% marks (40% for reserved category) in aggregate in the optional subjects of Physics, Mathematics and any one of Chemistry/ Biotechnology/ Biology/ Computer Science/ Electronics, with English as one of the languages of study and qualified in NUCAT, are eligible to join the NMAM Institute of Technology BTech programme. The online application of the NMAM Institute of Technology BTech programme is available on apply.nitte.edu.in

Eligible candidates can choose their preferred branch of engineering based on their NUCAT rank and availability of seats during the counselling sessions. On allotment of seats, candidates are required to complete the NMAM Institute of Technology BTech admission formalities by remitting the prescribed fee and submitting the documents.

NMAM Institute of Technology scholarships are offered to meritorious students and students who have excelled in sports.

NMAMIT also offers Dual Degree & Twinning programmes in partnership with Penn State University, Harrisburg, USA and University of Wollongong, Australia which provides an opportunity for students to learn at reputed international universities.

Q. What kind of infrastructure can students expect at NMAM Institute of Technology? Please elaborate.

A: A wide range of infrastructure tailored to support the academic & extracurricular activities of students is provided at NMAMIT.

Laboratories & Workshops: NMAMIT facilities include well-equipped laboratories for various disciplines such as Electronics, Computer Science, Robotics, Mechanical, Civil, Biotechnology etc. which provide hands-on experience & practical knowledge essential for understanding theoretical concepts.

Industry-supported Labs & Centres of Excellence: Facilities have been established in collaboration with industry partners to provide contemporary & employment-relevant training.

Classrooms & Lecture Halls: Modern classrooms equipped with audio-visual aids facilitate effective teaching & learning.

Library: The Library & Information Centre at NMAMIT operates as a fully automated system, boasting a vast collection of books, journals & research papers related to various engineering disciplines. It also provides access to online databases and e-books.

Research Facilities: Research Centres and facilities where faculty & students can engage in cutting-edge research projects are established. Facilities include specialised equipment & funding opportunities for research activities.

Conference Halls & Auditoriums: Air-conditioned seminar halls and open-air auditorium equipped with audio-visual equipment are used for group discussions, meetings, presentations, seminars and conferences.

Sports Facilities: Physical fitness is essential for overall well-being. NITTE provides excellent sports facilities like gyms, indoor/ outdoor courts and fields for various sports activities. The BC Alva Sports Complex encompasses a 14,000 sq. ft indoor stadium featuring 3 badminton courts and one basketball court. Additionally, the complex offers facilities for table tennis, carrom and chess. The complex boasts of standard 400-meter athletic turf track, facilities for various throws, and a pavilion equipped with a fitness centre.

Outdoor sports are well-supported with dedicated grounds for football, hockey and cricket. Furthermore, the complex provides courts for volleyball, throwball, basketball, handball and netball.

Hostel Accommodation: Hostel facilities for students that provide a conducive environment for studying and living, fostering a sense of community among students are provided on campus. NMAMIT provides safe, secure, clean and well-furnished hostels with hygienic vegetarian & non-vegetarian food. The hostel has zero tolerance towards ragging, use of tobacco and drug abuse.

Cafeteria: NITTE’s on-campus dining facilities provide students with nutritious veg and non-veg meals, snacks and a space to socialise during breaks.

Medicare: The campus clinic is equipped with an ambulance and a full-time doctor, ensuring prompt & reliable healthcare service for students. Nitte Gajria Speciality Hospital known for its excellent specialised medical care and located close to the campus, gives them more healthcare choices.

Transportation: NMAMIT has a fleet of 33 buses for students commuting from nearby areas.

Wi-Fi Connectivity: Students at the NITTE campus have access to high-speed internet for research, coursework and staying connected.

Placement & Career Development Centre: This centre envisions NMAMITians as joyful, healthy, socially and ecologically conscious individuals - ethical, collaborative, technically skilled, highly employable and universal citizens. It offers career counselling, job placement assistance and internship opportunities to help students transition smoothly from academia to industry.

Student Clubs: Thirteen distinct student clubs cater to the specific interests of students. These clubs serve as platforms to showcase their talents and build networks. The clubs include Annadana, Aura, Authorcraft, Clicz, Crack the Campus, Grey Matter, Kalanjali, Stereo, Taaleem, Aero, Robotics, Aisiri, Kalasangama, Samvaada, Tudar Siri, Shipwright, HackerEarth Hub, Soft Skills & Communication Association, Rachana and Yuj for Life.

These infrastructure components collectively create an environment conducive to learning, research and personal growth for a student.

Q. There is a lot of stress that is being made with regard to interaction with the industry as well as companies that recruit. What are the steps being taken by NMAM Institute of Technology in this direction?

A: Efforts to strengthen ties between educational institutions & industry are crucial for enhancing student learning, career opportunities and overall institutional impact. Some of the steps taken by NMAM Institute of Technology to foster better interaction with the industry and recruitment companies are:

Industry-Academia Partnerships: NMAMIT has established partnerships with industry players through collaborations, joint research projects and advisory boards. These partnerships provide opportunities for knowledge exchange, internships and placements for students.

Guidance from prominent Industry members: The institute invites industry leaders to provide guidance on curriculum development, industry trends and skill requirements.

Internship Programmes: NMAMIT facilitates internships & industrial visits, allowing students to gain real-world experience and industry insights.

Career Fairs, Networking & Alumni Engagement events: NMAMIT organises industry talks and networking events where students interact with representatives from various companies, explore career options and build professional connections. Alumni also guide and mentor students.

Industry-sponsored Projects: NMAMIT collaborates with companies for sponsored research projects, providing students with hands-on experience and exposure to industry challenges.

Placement Assistance: Abhyuday, the Department of Counselling, Welfare, Training and Placements provides placement assistance services, including resume building, interview preparation and job placement support, to help students secure employment opportunities with reputable companies.

New Age Incubation Network (NAIN): NMAMIT was one among the 9 engineering colleges selected by the Govt. of Karnataka for the Karnataka New Age Incubation Network. Students work on their projects and bring them to the prototype level at NAIN.

Centres of R&D: NMAMIT has various Centres of R&D with state-of-the-art facilities to actively encourage research & development.

Research & Innovation Centre (RIC): Research, innovation and product development activities are given prime importance at NMAMIT. Postgraduates and undergraduates are encouraged to participate in research, innovation, product development and publications, under the guidance of faculty mentors.

NMAMIT has established various Centres of Excellence (CoE) in collaboration with industries viz., Centre for Welding Technology (in association with M/S Fronius India Private Limited), NIDEC Advance Technology Corporation CoE, Autoliv CoE, Kobayashi Create CoE, CoE on Natural Language Processing & Speech Processing, Automotive Learning Factory (Technical collaboration with Ashok Leyland); Texas Instruments CoE, Wipro 3D CoE etc.

Atal Incubation Centre (AIC): NITTE was one among the top 75 institutions in the country selected by NITI Aayog, GoI for setting up the Atal Incubation Centre under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM). It supports entrepreneurs by providing mentorship and access to investors and also supports start-ups in Agriculture, Health Science, Information and Communication Technologies. The Centre also supports the existing Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSME) in the region.

Entrepreneurial Development Cell: The Department of Science & Technology (DST), GoI established the Entrepreneurial Development Cell (EDC) at NMAMIT to conduct training programs to promote the development of business ventures, small-scale industries, micro-enterprises and employment opportunities in the region.

Q. Internships are now mandatory as per AICTE guidelines. Does NMAM Institute of Technology help students with this? If yes, how?

A: NMAM Institute of Technology typically help students with internships in several ways to comply with AICTE guidelines:

Placement Department: NMAM Institute of Technology has a well-established and dedicated placement department to assist students in finding suitable internship opportunities. NMAM Institute of Technology placement department maintains good connections with various organisations to facilitate placements.

Industry Tie-ups: NMAMIT has forged partnerships & collaborations with industries relevant to the academic programs offered by the college. These partnerships have resulted in internship opportunities for students, as well as potential recruitment avenues.

Internship Fairs & Events: NMAMIT organises internship fairs & events where students get to interact with representatives from different companies and explore internship opportunities.

By offering these support services, NMAMIT ensures that students have access to meaningful internship experiences that complement their academic learning and prepare them for the future.

Q. Can you please share details if there is any collaboration with universities abroad?

A: NITTE has functional collaboration with reputed international universities like:

1. Ritsumeikan University, Japan

2. Penn State University, USA

3. University of Miyazaki, Japan

4. National University of Singapore

5. Ghent University, Belgium

6. University of Wollongong, Australia

A dedicated International Relations Office assists interested students in identifying opportunities for internships & short-term immersion programmes at international institutions and organisations.

Q. Please share NMAM Institute of Technology placement statistics with information on the average package, highest and lowest package, number of students placed and details of companies that have recruited.

A: NMAM Institute of Technology, NITTE boasts impressive placement statistics for the graduating batch of 2023. With a total of 230 companies participating in the campus recruitment drive, including 25 new companies, NMAMIT has provided abundant placement opportunities for its students. A remarkable 1206 offers were successfully received, reflecting the institute's commitment to fostering career growth and industry connections.

The domestic placement process yielded a diverse range of job offers, with the NMAM Institute of Technology average package standing at Rs. 5.66 lakhs per annum. Notably, the NMAM Institute of Technology highest package offered reached an impressive Rs.46.54 lakhs per annum, underlining the institute's reputation for producing top-tier talent desired by leading companies like Nutanix, RedBus, Mercedes Benz, Capillary Technologies, Amagi, SamSung Semiconductor, Juniper Networks, Cadence, Oracle India, Lam Research, Daimler Truck, L&T Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprises, Bosch Limited, Synopsys, JSW Group, Faurecia, Prism Johnson Limited, Toyota Kirloskar, Mamiya IT Solutions Japan, Miraic Inc, Belc Co Ltd, Temairazu Inc, Nidec Read, Kaijo Corporation, Shibuya Corporation Japan across various sectors.

The international placement process of NMAM Institute of Technology generated a distinct range of job offers, with the average package standing at USD 19582.91 per annum. The highest package offer was USD 33625.58 per annum.

With such outstanding placement figures, NMAM Institute of Technology continues to solidify its position as a premier educational institution dedicated to shaping future industry leaders.

Nutanix, RedBus, Mercedes Benz, Capillary Technologies, Amagi, Samsung Semiconductor, Juniper Networks, Cadence, Oracle India, Lam Research, Daimler Truck, L&T Technologies, Hewlett Packard Enterprises, Bosch Limited, Synopsys, JSW Group, Faurecia, Prism Johnson Limited, Toyota Kirloskar are some of the top recruiters of NMAM Institute of Technology.

About the Interviewee

Dr Gopal Mugeraya pulled-off his BTech & MTech studies in Chemical Engineering from NITK Surathkal followed by a PhD from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore and eventually convinced himself to pursue a post-doctoral degree from the University of California Riverside, USA.

A luminous career graph starting as a Professor and Dean continued for twenty five years at NITK Surathkal between which he guided 11 PhD Thesis, 187 MTech Thesis and published 112 papers in internationally recognised journals and conferences in his area of expertise that is Chemical Engineering.

He has had the honor of serving as Visiting Professor at Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok, Monash University, Australia & CPSC, Manila.

The President of India’s official tour to China in May 2016 included Dr Gopal Mugeraya accompany as a prestigious Technical Expert. He was also a privileged attendee at the BRICS Energy Conference 2018 at Moscow. He is also an elected council member of Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers. Presently, he serves as the Vice-President (Technical Education) at NITTE (DU), NITTE Education Trust.

Disclaimer: This content was distributed by NMAM Institute of Technology, Karkala Taluk and has been published as part of Careers360’s marketing initiative.