Puducherry: The Ministry of Education has appointed Padma Shri Dr. Kota Harinarayana as the Chairperson of the Board of Governors of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Puducherry.

The appointment was made official through an order dated July 15, 2025.

Dr. Harinarayana, who currently holds the position of Chairperson at IIT(BHU) Varanasi, will take on additional responsibilities at NIT Puducherry. A renowned technocrat, he is best known for his role as Program Director and Chief Engineer of India's Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas under the Aeronautical Development Agency.

With a distinguished career spanning academic, research, and strategic defence institutions, he has served as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hyderabad and held key roles in CSIR, DRDO, and IITs.

NIT Puducherry has expressed confidence that under his leadership, the institute will achieve greater academic and research excellence.