Media Release
Udupi, Aug 6: The Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Shri Madhwa Vadiraja Institute of Technology and Management (SMVITM), Bantakal, in association with the IEEE Council on Electronic Design Automation (CEDA), Bangalore Chapter, and the IEEE Student Branch (STB 10147), inaugurated a three-day Faculty Development Program (FDP) on ‘AI-driven electronic design automation and VLSI system design: Theory to practice’ on Thursday.
The inaugural function, held in hybrid mode, began with a welcome address by Dr Arun Upadhyaya, head of the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering. He highlighted the objectives of the FDP and emphasised the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in Electronic Design Automation (EDA) and VLSI system design. He also informed that the programme has attracted 33 participants, including 18 internal and 15 external faculty members.

A major highlight of the event was the inauguration of the IEEE CEDA student branch chapter by the chief guest, Sajal Mittal, associate director, Samsung Semiconductor India Research, and chair, IEEE CEDA Bangalore Chapter. The FDP was formally inaugurated by Dr Radhakrishna S Aithal, CEO, Sode Group of Educational Institutions.
In his address, Sajal Mittal appreciated the initiative and emphasized continuous learning, innovation, and stronger academia-industry collaboration to meet the evolving needs of the semiconductor sector. Dr Nagaraj Bhat, principal, SMVITM, encouraged participants to make the best use of the expert sessions and hands-on training.
Presiding over the function, Dr Radhakrishna S Aithal highlighted the importance of faculty development initiatives in enhancing technical competence, research, innovation, and industry readiness.
The three-day FDP will continue until August 8, featuring expert lectures, hands-on sessions on open-source EDA tools, AI-assisted RTL-to-GDSII design methodologies, and interactions with leading academicians and industry experts.