ITS Engineering College, Vice-Chairman: Sohil Chadha Interview

Sohil Chadha, an accomplished leader, currently serves as the Vice Chairman of the prestigious ITS Education Group since 2008. With a rich educational background, he has earned numerous accolades and recognition for his exceptional contributions. Furthermore, his expertise and insights have been widely acknowledged through articles published in renowned education magazines. Sohil Chadha exemplifies excellence and a commitment to making a meaningful impact in the field of education. As the Chairman of The Group Mr. Sohil Chadha has contributed immensely towards the growth of the Engineering college with his strong leadership traits, Belief in Excellence and Innovation in Education with progressive ideas, strong infrastructure all around development of students and upscaling and upgrading of faculty members by industry interaction, short term courses, and workshops, and lifelong skill learning within our Pedagogy.

He has done Electrical Engineering course from Purdue University of the United States of America and is a young, second generation entrepreneur who was born and brought up in Delhi NCR. He has won numerous renowned awards for his contribution to the education sector, including the Best Leadership Entrepreneur Kotler Award 2020. Apart from this, he is accountable for leading the affairs for 4 leading colleges of the ITS Education Group including ITS Engineering College and ITS Dental College.

Over the years, Sohil has worked diligently to build ITS Education Group as one of the prominent names in the education industry and with a vision of imparting world-class education in India, he has worked closely on three key areas including employee skill enhancement, skill development for students and digitization of operations. 

Being the Vice Chairman of ITS Engineering College, what is your philosophy of leadership? 

Our ITS Engineering College is a part of 28-year old exceptional ITS Education Group. Therefore, as a Vice-Chairman of such an established education hub, my philosophy of leadership revolves around fostering a collaborative and all inclusive environment. 

And I firmly believe in empowering my faculty, staff, and students in order to help them realize their full potential and contribute meaningfully to the institution's growth. In other terms, transparent communication, open-door policies, and approachable leadership are essential pillars of my philosophy and I strive to lead by example, promoting integrity, innovation, and continuous improvement. Apart from this, I have adopted the student-centric approach for the purpose of nurturing a culture that values creativity, critical thinking, and adaptability in our young minds. Overall, together we aspire to create a dynamic and progressive learning ecosystem to nurture future leaders who can make a positive impact in the global Engineering landscape.

How do you maintain a healthy environment for students in college?

In my opinion, creating a healthy environment for college students involves several key aspects. So the very first practice which we have adopted in this direction is that for the overall physical well-being of students, we encourage them to do yoga and meditation on a regular basis. In addition to this, we conduct one-on-one consultation sessions for those who face any kind of mental health issues and then to reduce their academic stress, we provide them all kinds of required support and resources. 

We also foster a culture of inclusivity and respect, valuing diversity and offering resources for personal growth. Lastly, we regularly interact with the students to address and resolve their academic and non-academic needs and also take feedback from them to improve various things. 

Any suggestions which you would like to give to those youths who want to pursue their careers in Engineering and Technology?

It's a well-known fact that grit, resilience, conscientiousness and persistence are the key qualities a student must possess for a successful journey while pursuing higher education courses. Because those 3-4 years will decide the upcoming future and transform their thought process as well as personality. 

Hence I would advise them to participate in as many technical and cultural activities as they could to enhance the required interpersonal skills and confidence. Also, look for hands-on training and mini-major projects where you can utilize your classroom learning, take part in competitions and keep doing something to live a well-balanced life.

Also, develop a strong foundation of engineering concepts, attend events, join clubs, maintain a healthy work-life balance and take care of your mental and physical health. Last but not the least, network with peers and professionals, and regularly connect with alumni to build strong relationships and learn.

What do you think should be your college's top priority over the next 10 years?

I firmly believe that enhancing and upgrading the education quality of our college and overall student experience on campus should be our goal for the coming years. And this can be achieved through academic excellence which we can ensure by recruiting and retaining highly qualified faculty members, updating curriculum in accordance with industry demands, and developing state-of-the-art infrastructure and virtual labs. At present, we already have a pool of illustrious faculty members, most of whom are doctorates from IITs & NITs. 

Apart from this, we should promote a culture of research and innovation among faculty and students through our DST recognized New Generation Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre (New Gen IEDC). And to make all this into reality, we regularly collaborate with leading industries and research institutions for research projects and also to secure funding for it. 

We should also focus on prioritizing our students’ well-being by providing them comprehensive support services, mental health counseling, career guidance, and financial aid programs. Strengthening ties with industries to facilitate internships, co-op programs, and placements and timely integration of emerging and advanced technologies through our nine state of the art Skills Enhancement Centres including Apple iOS, AWS Academy, CISCO, Networking, Rockwell Automation, National Instruments, SALT, e-Yantra (ioT & Robotics), SMC Pneumatics and Automation, and IoT should be our priority areas for upcoming 10 years. 

Last but not the least, we should emphasize on offering opportunities to students for collaboration on global level in order to broaden their horizons and fortifying the strong and resourceful network of over 2000 alumni through our annual alumni meet – Sankalan and encourage them to mentor our current students through their struggle and success stories, regularly assessing the effectiveness of our teaching methodologies, infrastructure, and support systems. 

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How do you attract and retain highly educated and trained faculty members?

Our college offers competitive compensation including a lucrative salary package and other benefits like medical insurance, LTC and gratuity to recruit and retain highly educated and trained faculty members and professionals.

Along with this, we have adopted a fair and transparent research aid policy for our teachers besides provisioning them academic leaves and conference attendance. 

How do you establish strong partnerships with local industries and other academic institutions to provide collaborative opportunities to students?

Our ITS Engineering College has 3 different government supported Incubation Centers including Business Incubation Center which is approved by the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India followed by New Gen IEDC which is recognised by the Department of Science and Technology and Institution’s Innovation Council of MHRD, and UPIT approved Startup in UP Incubation Center with approved grant of 2.5 Crores. 

And all this gives us an edge over other colleges in the Greater Noida region to establish robust partnerships with local industries and academic institutions. Hence we proactively engage with leading local corporate giants through internships and placements, by organizing joint research projects and industry-academia events, supporting entrepreneurship initiatives and participating in their community outreach programs. By fostering these collaborations and formalizing agreements, the College can enrich student opportunities, bridge the gap between academia and industry, and drive impactful research and innovation that aligns with real-world needs.

What makes your college unique and different from other educational institutions?

The very first fact that makes our ITS Engineering College different from other educational institutions is that we have achieved a respectable position in NIRF Innovation Ranking across India in 2023.

And for our wonderful work in the education sector, we have been praised with several accolades and awards. Also, we provide holistic education to our students’ through offline as well as online academic content and also promotes a vibrant and inclusive learning environment for them by organizing events like annual art, literary and cultural fest Udghosh and annual alumni meet Sankalan, in addition to other extracurricular activities. 

Another factor which sets us apart from others is our modern infrastructure, labs, and access to cutting-edge technologies to nurture the culture of innovation and research on campus. Apart from this, our New Gen IEDC has already garnered 2.87 crores total grant and supports 2.5 lakhs per prototype and this in turn has immensely driven our students towards developing their research acumen. Student placement in renowned companies is also a priority for us, therefore 200+ companies were invited to our campus in academic session 2022-23 to hire students for various job profiles.

We thoroughly consider the importance of sustainability, and industry integration by preparing our graduates to be socially responsible leaders. Lastly, ITS Engineering College is committed to create a positive impact on society and nation by focusing on continuous improvement and transforming students into well-groomed individuals who are ready to tackle global challenges.