Prof Amit Holkar is currently serving as HOD- EC Department at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Technology, Indore. He has more than 13 years of teaching experience in engineering institutions across India. With research interests including Wireless Sensor Networks, Internet of Things, Embedded Systems, Networking, and Artificial Intelligence, he has completed his Masters of Engineering with a specialization in Digital Communication. He has mentored various undergraduate and postgraduate projects, and has been the convenor of the Ministry of Education’s Institution’s Innovation Council of the Institute.

Sri Aurobindo Institute of Technology

What keeps you connected with the education sector?

“Encouraging students for a professional journey”

Teaching is the only profession in which continuous learning and sharing of knowledge happens. I think a teacher is the best person to identify the hidden talents of a student, and encourage them to focus on their strengths and don’t worry about their weaknesses. I like to interact with students, to guide them for a bright future and to encourage them to be good human beings. This gives me immense pleasure as a teacher.

What are your roles and responsibilities towards the students?

“Assisting students identify their potential talents with best aids”

Being the head of the department, my primary role is to provide the best possible teaching as per the prescribed curriculum of the university. Other than this, identifying the potential of students and motivating them to acquire advanced knowledge in their field of interest with the help of workshops, seminars, conferences etc. is a part of my role. I am committed to provide a competitive environment to my students that will encourage them to gain more knowledge of the domain.

How do you enhance the skills and prepare students for the future?

“Practical training through centre of excellences”

Providing a practical approach towards the subject is the key to engineering education. We provide these by conducting workshops by industry experts at our Intel and CISCO center of excellences present on-campus. Other than this, industry visits also play a vital role in understanding the work culture of the industry. Although, we follow the curriculum prescribed by the State Technical University of Madhya Pradesh, besides this our institute has designed its own finishing school curriculum which helps students to get ready for the industrial world. The certified courses by different centers of excellence at the institute also help students to become more eligible for good jobs after graduation. 

What would you like people to know about your institute they may not know?

“Higher accreditations for quality and purpose”

Sri Aurobindo Institute of Technology is a premier Engineering Institute in Central India. Located at its sprawling 54-acre campus in Indore, SAIT has been consistently ranked amongst the best engineering institutes of the state. Amongst the many firsts to its credit, SAIT was the first Private Engineering College in Central India to offer an in-house finishing school. It was ranked #2 among Emerging Engineering Colleges of India in Times Engineering Survey 2014 conducted by The Times of India and Best Private Engineering College of MP in 2014 by OnePlanet Research-An Indo-Italian research foundation. SAIT was also awarded Best Engineering College in MP for innovative practices in ICT at the State Education Summit 2012 organized by AICTE, RGPV and Elets Technomedia. 

Check Sri Aurobindo Institute of Technology Courses & Fees

What do you see as the greatest strengths of SAIT, Indore?

“Dedicated faculty and learning practices at institute level”

At Sri Aurobindo Institute of Technology Indore, the dedication of faculty members to work as a team towards the overall progress of students is the greatest strength of the institute. Moreover, the commitment of the management to provide all possible resources and infrastructure stands out this institute uniquely among the peer institutes. We focus more on experimental-based learning and conduct practicals in different ways to make students conceptually more bright. 

What are some of the biggest challenges you see for higher education in general?

“Industry appropriate syllabus and affordable education for all”

Designing an industry-ready syllabus for higher education is the need of time. Industry-institute interaction must be more frequent and should be a part of the curriculum to produce better professionals in any field. Focusing more on creating startups rather than searching for jobs, and Interdisciplinary projects should be more encouraged at institutional levels. Also, one of the major general challenges for all is the reach of higher education to every eligible student of society, and very best at affordable prices. 

Any suggestions you would like to give to the aspiring students?

“Education needs to be shared to all”

The purpose of education should not be to earn money only; the primary purpose of education is to serve the nation through research and inventions. It’s the duty of every student to pass on his/her knowledge to the next generation. Students must prepare themselves ever-ready to face harsh circumstances and raise out of them with their best efforts and knowledge. 

Click Sri Aurobindo Institute of Technology Placements

Tell us about the latest programs you offer that help students stand apart from the crowd?

“Intel Intelligent Systems lab and Cisco Networking academy at our campus”

INTEL Intelligent Systems Lab has been set up at Sri Aurobindo Institute of Technology to enhance students’ employability skills by signing MoU with Intel- FICE (Foundation for Innovation and Collaborative Education) in order to bridge the gap between industry and academia. FICE is also committed to supporting in assisting students with academic projects by providing training and certification thereby generating employment. The program associates a curriculum for the training of the trainers, Student training with INTEL Certification, Project to Students with mentoring by Intel and Trained Faculty, and Internship for selected students. By setting up this Intel Lab students are trained by Intel trainers on “Intel Galileo Processor” and develop applications using either Open Source or Certified Softwares including Microsoft. The students select a project and work on it with online support from Intel and mentoring by the Intel-trained Faculty in each department. After 4-6 weeks, the Intel Technical team evaluates the projects done by the students and students get certified by INTEL. 

SCNA (SAIT-Cisco Networking Academy) educates and trains a pool of students on highly employable IT skills and Internet networking skills. SCNA helps students prepare for industry-recognized certifications and entry-level information and communication technology (ICT) careers in virtually every type of industry. Students develop foundational skills in ICT while acquiring vital 21st-century career skills in problem-solving, collaboration, and critical thinking. Students, especially from Electronics and Communication Engineering and Computer Science Engineering are benefitted from SCNA. SCNA also offers Cisco Certifications to outside students who are willing to get practical knowledge on networking. Batches for outside students are scheduled at regular intervals. SCNA is equipped with highly advanced Cisco Routers, Switches, Ethernet ports, Wireless Routers, Interface card and high-end PCs to implement different topologies used in the Cisco certification. SCNA also has high-speed internet connectivity to access the online course materials and technical support.

What factors make these programs best for students to opt?

“Large scale opportunities at global level”

Under Intel Intelligent Systems lab and Cisco Networking Academy, students are trained by highly experienced and professional networking experts to match the global requirements of networking skills. These certifications help students to become more employable when they pass out from the institute. Registered students who complete their projects under these and are evaluated as best by the group of companies, also have the Internship opportunities to develop the projects and may land in placements in those companies. An interactive session by the Intel resource persons for students and faculty is also arranged in the institute. Students or Faculty registered for Intel Training have other facilities of interacting through forums, blogs, etc. with other Intel Galileo Community Groups. The registered students can participate in any Intel Innovation and Ideation camp conducted by Intel across the country and project their idea/product talent, the winners participate in international events as well.