Professor V. Ramgopal Rao is Group Vice-Chancellor of the Birla Institute of Technology & Science (BITS) Pilani, overseeing its campuses in Pilani, Goa, Hyderabad, Dubai and Mumbai. He earlier served as director of IIT Delhi (2016–2021) and as a chair professor at both IIT Bombay and IIT Delhi. An internationally acclaimed researcher in nanoelectronics, Rao has over 500 publications, 50 patents, and co-founded two successful deep-tech startups. His patents are used in millions of chips worldwide. A fellow of IEEE, TWAS and India’s national academies, he has guided 52 PhDs and received the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize, Infosys Prize and other honors.