Located in the heart of Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, Pilani is well known in India today for various top ranking educational institutions, CSIR Laboratory CEERI as well as the upcoming BrahMos Missile Assembly Project unit.

Prof Panduranga Rao is presently Director of name to reckon with Lead the Future Institute of Management Technology – IMT Hyderabad campus which is the fourth campus in addition to already existing Ghaziabad, Nagpur and Dubai campuses. The IMT Hyderabad campus was inaugurated by Mr Kapil Sibal Honourable Minister of HRD & IT in the first week of July along with Mr Kamal Nath Minister of Urban Development and Mr Kiran Reddy Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh.  For more details about IMT Hyderabad see http://www.imthyderabad.edu.in/

Prof Rao holds a PhD from Birla Institute of Technology and Science – BITS Pilani where he had spent two decades as Professor and Dean of Practice School resulting in setting of new benchmarks in industry university collaborations in India. Prof Rao also was the founding Director ICFAI Business School Hyderabad spearheading it to make it one among the top ranking among B Schools. For ICFAI University Dehradun in Uttarakhand he was the first Vice Chancellor. For ICFAI Hyderabad he had been Chief Academic Advisor and for Winzest Edutech Pvt Ltd he has played the role of CAO – Chief Academic Officer.

Prof Rao was on a visit to Pilani during October 7-9, 2011 as a special invitee by the alumni of 1982 – 1986 who were celebrating their Silver Jubilee Reunion (SJR). True to the Great saying from Taittiriya Upanishad 1.11: Matri Devo Bhava Pitri Devo Bhava Ãchãrya Devo Bhava – Let your Mother Father & Teacher be God, the alumni of BITS have a rich tradition of honouring at the SJR their favorite professors who had taught them during their student years.

On 09 October 2011, Prof Rao took time off his busy itinerary and visited Shridhar University, Pilani. Prof BR Natarajan Pro Vice Chancellor who himself had been a student of Prof Rao at BITS gave an overview of the genesis of the institution, the salient educational features as well as curriculum focus on broad based interdisciplinary approach coupled with industry partnerships to enrich the present, enhance the future, challenge the improbable and achieve the impossible. Prof Rao expressed his happiness over the way the new university was shaping up and was kind enough to offer his advice and whole hearted cooperation as and when required.