Sona College to scale up Electronics and Communications engg course intake

Shiksha.com caught up with Sona College of Technology, Salem, Principal SRR Senthilkumar wherein he talks about the community radio station, placement statistics, industrial visits and more. Below are the excerpts from the interview. 

Q. There was a time when students seeking admission in engineering courses preferred seats in government colleges, but now they seem to favour private colleges. What do you think may be the reason for this?

A. Recently, engineering students have expressed a desire to attend certain top-tier private colleges. These colleges have good infrastructure, laboratories and collaborations with foreign universities to help students hone their skills in the latest technologies.  Private engineering colleges also attract the youth by offering top-tier placements with attractive perks and providing them with the emerging and most in-demand niche skills in the form of various industry-oriented courses and exposure to modern learning management systems that are available 24/7.

Q. What is the proportion of male to female enrollment at Sona College of Technology?

A. Our college has a male to female enrolment ratio of 58:42.

Q. Are you planning to introduce any new course or increase additional seats in the existing courses at the college?

A. We have introduced two new courses - BE in CSE (artificial intelligence and machine learning) and BE in computer science and design. This year, we have planned to increase the student intake for BE (electronics and communications engineering).

Q. What do you feel about the Union Budget 2023 and the allocations made to the engineering colleges?

A. With on-job training programs in cutting-edge courses and a unified skill India platform, we will be ready to equip our students with the skills of tomorrow. With the government’s new initiatives for tech-driven growth, skilled manpower is more important than ever. The setting up of centres of excellence for AI has created an urgent need for professionals trained in data sciences and technology, in order to make India's economy stronger. The government and TSPs (technology service providers) can collaborate in the near future to ensure our talent is equipped with future-ready skills.

Q. Sona College of Technology had recently launched its community radio station – Sona FM 89.6. How is it helping the local people?

A. Sona FM community radio broadcasting serves the interests of the geographical communities in Salem as yet another community service platform of the century-old Sona Group of Institutions. Sona FM empowers community members to become active producers and contributors by facilitating individuals, groups, and communities to tell their own different tales and share experiences.  

Acting as the community’s voice and operating in a non-profit mode, Sona FM creates programme content that is relevant to the local audience. We offer a wide range of programmes that are not available on conventional public or commercial television. The following primary goals are being met:  

• Provide a venue for cultural and artistic voices.  
• Both individuals and communities benefit. Youths and students are given the opportunity to engage, and the station remains sensitive to community needs.  
• It fosters grassroots knowledge and engagement in local development, particularly in agriculture, gender inequity, education, culture and social concerns, among other areas.  

Positive outcomes from these aims include increased community quality of life, linking diverse and rural communities, and offering practical knowledge and the perspectives of their neighbours.

Q. How was the placement season at Sona College of Technology?

A. With over 225 companies recruiting students in 2022, and 140 showing up for 2023, college performance on the placement front has been impressive. Last year, 64 new companies sent 331 job offers with an average salary of INR 5 LPA. This year, 52 new companies have given 136 job offers with an average salary of INR 5.5 LPA. As many as 640 students received multiple job offers last year and in the current year, 259 got multiple offers. In 2022, the highest salary of INR 20 LPA CTC was bagged by a BE CSE student from Wells Fargo. Total CTC generated for the season is INR 51.14 crore. In the current year, a total of 464 offers came from recruiters such as Cognizant, Accenture, LTI Mindtree, TCS, Capgemini and HCL Technologies. Out of 860 students opted for placements, 646 (75 per cent) have been placed as on February 9, 2023. The highest salary of INR 18.54 LPA CTC was offered by CISCO. Nine more companies are yet to announce their results. Recruitment drives for 15 more companies are yet to be scheduled.

Q. Industry interaction is being stressed by the AICTE and companies that recruit students. What are the steps being taken by the institute in this direction?

A. Sona College of Technology is keeping up with industry expectations, ensuring its students have access to a curriculum that is ready for the future. We also ensure they receive the latest skills and tools they need to be successful in their fields. Sona College of Technology offers internships for final-year students in their eighth semester, allowing them to explore new possibilities and hone their skills. It also offers the employer the opportunity to build a pipeline for future full-time employees. Industrial visits are arranged regularly to provide students an insight regarding the practical perspective of the works being carried out and the importance of safety and environmental awareness. In-plant training of short duration for students are arranged to develop their knowledge and skills as per the demand set by the industries.

Q. Are there any expansion plans in terms of building more infrastructure, campus, facilities such as labs, innovation centres, etc?

A. Our campus is undergoing the following expansion projects. An area of 8,500 square feet of built space is being constructed in the main building for the electrical and electronics engineering department, while for the mechanical engineering department, an area of 11,500 square feet of new building is being constructed. The final interior works for the innovation centre/incubator is under construction for an area of about 10,000 square feet to accommodate Sona – IITMIC. A 1,000 square feet area of building construction is underway in the fashion technology department for accommodating SIDBI research project, and the infrastructure related to the COE Section has been modified with modern facilities to the tune of 10,000 square feet. 

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