Mr. Thyagu Valliappa
A fourth generation educationalist, entrepreneur, innovator and process re-engineer by passion, Mr. Thyagu Valliappa is well-connected across industry and education. Having led many industry associations, and being the youngest in many of them like the BCIC, EFSI and others, he brings to the table a different perspective which is filled with dynamism, new thinking, and most importantly, futurism.
His deft management of the Group’s infra, logistics, supply chain, textile, plantations, sports & entertainment and the newest ventures of process engineering, robotics, innovation, ease of doing business, and research, he helps in our principal value and motive of giving opportunities to 1000s of youngsters at the Sona Group of Institutions.
His conception of STAR (Scientific, Technology, Automation through Research), which is based on the principle of STEM, aims at improving speeds, time, efficiency and cost with safety in industrial operations. Our aim is to create special purpose vehicle machines with a strong artificial intelligence linked to IOT and create futuristic equipments and technology for various sectors like services, agriculture, manufacturing, and data management. Sona Star would eventually create more jobs and entrepreneurship across various sectors.
As an industrialist primarily and preeminently, his mind dwells on ‘learning as a process’ which yields innovations. Thus, Sona College has become an incubator for startups for new products where our students are absorbed into the Sona Group. Sona Star employs its own students from the engineering and MBA streams as interns, and later employs them in permanent roles.
Honourary Positions
Some of his landmark achievements
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President of BCIC (2016-17)
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President of EFSI (2012-13)
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The Senior Committee Member of SIMA & CITI
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Textile Council Chairman of ASSOCHAM (National Level)
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Panel Chair - CII Bangalore Government Interaction (2017-18)
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Senior Committee Member CII
His Commitment to the Education Sector
Education has always been in his heart and soul as it is strongly believed that "Education is the mother of all innovations". Being a prime mentor for Sona Group of Institutions, his commitment towards educational excellence is evident in his various actions such as the introduction of the Sona Star system, which is aimed at providing high-end technology education to students and making them industry-ready. He has also focused on skill-based education for students which turns them towards entrepreneurship and makes them industry-ready across all dimensions. The major thrust area is focused on bringing technology trends into dating system thus making transformational leaps. Some several awards bear his vision.
Sona Group of Institutions
Initiatives and Steps Taken by Him
In the education sector, Mr. Thyagu, as the Vice-chairman of the Sona College of Technology and the Thiagarajar Polytechnic College, has brought in the ‘lecture capture system’ and the Blackboard automation as early as 2010. In fact, Sona Group has tied up with IIT Mumbai and Amrita University through its AV facility, thereby promoting students’ self-learning via EDUSAT, NPTEL, MOOC multimedia, and so on. Under his flagship leadership, the institution has bagged various national accreditations like NBA, NAAC with ‘A++’ grade, ISO 9001, at al.
Under his leadership, the startups, incubators and entrepreneurship have got a new thrust by bringing in various ‘Centres of Excellence’ in both digital and manufacturing sectors with focus on robotics, automation, artificial intelligence, etc., and by introducing industry-related courses like mechatronics, biomedical engineering, data science and telecommunication courses at the PG level.