In a major recognition of its academic and research excellence, Sona College of Technology, Salem, has secured two prestigious countrywide distinctions: achieving the top faculty performance ranking in the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) among over 7,000 colleges during the January–May 2025 cycle., and its renewed certification as a Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (SIRO) by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India.

These accolades reinforce the NAAC A++ accredited (with a CGPA of 3.65) Sona College’s consistent commitment to quality education.

NPTEL, India’s largest technical e-learning platform, is jointly managed by the IITs and IISc to enhance faculty development through online courses and certifications delivered via the SWAYAM platform.

Sona College has been awarded the First Position in Faculty Performance Rating for the sixth time, having consistently ranked among the Top 3 colleges in NPTEL faculty performance since the inception of this award category.

The college earned the NPTEL Local Chapter Star (LC STAR) status for the second time, in recognition of its consistent performance in examinations and for ranking within the national Top 100 since 2017.

Chocko Valliappa, vice-chairman of Sona College of Technology, recognised faculty members for their outstanding NPTEL performance. “We are proud to reward our faculty who have propelled Sona to the top national rank in NPTEL. Their dedication ensures our students receive world-class education,” he said.

“Sona College’s commitment to academic excellence is deeply rooted in faculty development through NPTEL and innovation-led research across our 36 R&D centres, aligning with national priorities for self-reliance,” said Prof. Dr. SRR Senthilkumar, principal.

The SIRO certification enables institutions to undertake scientific and industrial research that promotes indigenous technology development, fosters self-reliance, and minimises reliance on foreign inputs. This is the fourth SIRO recertification for Sona College since 2016, highlighting its sustained focus on innovation through its 36 active R&D centres, including SonaSPEED, which contributed to ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 and Gaganyaan missions.

In the three years starting 2020, Sona College was granted 44 patents out of 423 patent filings and 324 published patents.

Sona College continues to be ranked among India’s premier private engineering institutions. For the academic year 2023–24, it has been placed among the Top 7 private engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu and the Top 50 nationally, according to independent research studies. For more details, please visit www.sonatech.ac.in.

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