Prof. Sandeep Shukla appointed as new director of IIIT Hyderabad, succeeding Prof. P.J. Narayanan after 12-year tenure

The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIITH), announced a change in leadership. Prof. P.J. Narayanan stepped down as Director after a 12-year tenure. Prof. Narayanan will hand over the charge to Prof. Sandeep Shukla, who will assume office as the institute’s new Director.

Prof. Sandeep Shukla, an expert in cyber-physical systems, formal verification, and cyber security, joins IIITH from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, where he served as Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and co-director of the National Interdisciplinary Centre for Cyber Security and Cyber Defence of Critical Infrastructure. He is a Fellow of IEEE and has received numerous awards for his contributions to research and education.

Speaking on the transition, Prof. Narayanan said, “Leading IIIT Hyderabad for over 12 years has been a great honour. During this period, the institute has experienced extraordinary growth, doubling our student admissions, graduations, and faculty numbers. Even more significant is the expansion of our research output, reflected in a substantial increase in publications, patents, and innovative solutions.

Prof Shukla added, “One of my priorities will be to build a world-class cybersecurity research center extending the existing strengths already developed here. Other areas I would like to develop are cybercrime investigation research methodologies and tools, Development of Web3 and Blockchain-based systems, use of GenAI and agentic AI in cybersecurity, 5G and 6G communication and resilient telecom infrastructure, new age learning and teaching research with emerging technologies, technology policy research, and more.”