The Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science (MEMS) Department held a heartfelt thanksgiving ceremony to honor Prof. Viswanathan for his dedicated service as Head of the Department over the past three years. The event was attended by staffs, marking the transition of leadership to Prof. Ajay S. Panwar.

In his farewell address, Prof. Viswanathan expressed gratitude for the support he received during his tenure, stating, "With great pleasure, I have handed over the headship of MEMS to Prof. Ajay S. Panwar. I wish him all the best and request everyone to extend the same cooperation that I received."

Highlighting the department’s achievements under his leadership, Prof. Viswanathan noted the continued academic excellence of MEMS, which remains the top-ranked department in India and is among the top 100 globally in the QS World Rankings. He also mentioned the successful academic review of the department last year, where the committee rated its performance as excellent and provided valuable suggestions for future growth.

On the infrastructure front, he shared that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with JSW Steel to expand research space, addressing long-standing space constraints. Additionally, research facilities received a boost with the sanctioning of ₹6 crore in DST-FIST funding for advanced materials and thin-film research. New equipment, including a high-resolution Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), a high-temperature confocal microscope, and a Glow Discharge Optical Emission Spectroscopy facility, has been installed.

Prof. Viswanathan also highlighted academic reforms during his tenure, including the revision of the undergraduate curriculum to provide greater flexibility for students. He announced the introduction of two new M.Tech specializations—Semiconductor Materials & Processing and Computational Materials Engineering—while retaining the existing specializations in Materials Science, Steel Technology, and Corrosion Science & Engineering.

He extended his appreciation to students, faculty, institute leadership, and staff for their unwavering support. Acknowledging his limitations, he expressed sincere apologies for any shortcomings and thanked everyone for their cooperation.

The MEMS department expressed its gratitude to Prof. Viswanathan for his contributions and extended best wishes to Prof. Ajay S. Panwar as he takes on the role of Head of the Department.