Cross Functional Education is the Need of the Hour Says BITS Chancellor

Nearly 65 percent of India’s population is under 35, yet most of these young people still lack access to the high-quality, flexible education that can transform lives. Recently, Kumar Mangalam Birla—Chancellor of BITS Pilani—returned to the engineering campus after more than a decade to preside over the 2025 convocation, and his conversation over cross-functional education is the key hallmark of the convocation. 

This blog post summarizes his remarks to the press, in which he highlighted:

1. Evolution of cross-functional education in the Indian and global context.  

2. He also announced BITS’s plans to expand to other states and to launch a BITS Digital platform through its EdTech program. 

3. Focuses on setting up a campus worth ₹1,000 crore in  Amaravathi, Andhra Pradesh. 

Cross-functional education helps to keep pace with emerging technologies. 

1. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman of the Aditya Birla Group, said during the convocation, “Cross-functional education is the need of the hour to keep up with advancements such as artificial intelligence and robotics.” He explained that a cross-functional curriculum allows learners to take multiple courses—often on different campuses—in parallel. Curricula must therefore be revised and curated to support this kind of trans-disciplinary learning.

2. At BITS Pilani, for instance, a student can pursue an engineering degree while simultaneously earning a master’s in management from the BITS School of Management (BITSoM). Birla added that this interdisciplinary approach is now a key focus area because it mirrors how the real world operates.

A ₹1,000-crore investment – a campus set up in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh, by 2027

1. Birla also announced a ₹1,000 crore investment in an educational project in Amaravati, Andhra Pradesh. 

2. The university in Amaravati specializes in AI and other advanced technologies. The project is the AI+ Campus, expected to be completed by 2027.

3. In the next two years, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani will establish an AI-driven campus in Amaravati to mentor students of academic excellence.

4. The Vice-Chancellor of BITS, Kumar Mangalam Birla, has initiated the establishment of the AI-driven university to converge emerging AI technologies with interdisciplinary learning and industry collaboration. 

5. The motive behind such an establishment is to bridge the gap between academic excellence and real-world applications, thereby nurturing leaders, entrepreneurs, and problem-solvers. Young minds in Amaravati will be exposed to extensive knowledge in the classroom by experiencing every dominant technology available worldwide.

6. Dominant technologies today include AI, data science, machine learning, robotics, computational linguistics, LLMs, and cyber-physical systems with AI. With the introduction of such technologies at the university level, educational experts are confident of shaping the next generation of talent.

7. At the university level, it will be a combination of global partnerships, cutting-edge programs, and a dynamic learning environment. 

8. A student in Amaravati, on joining the undergraduate program, will complete the third and final years of study at their chosen university abroad. In these universities, students will complete the chosen specialisation.

9. Aspirants who are deserving of these courses can pursue PhDs with international universities in areas such as generative AI, smart cities, and AI for healthcare. The two-year postgraduate programs include an M.Tech. in AI, an M.Tech. in machine learning, and an MSc in AI-driven innovation.

Birla Makes Two Critical Announcements: 
Project Vistaar - Building Capacity at Scale (Technological Campuses)

1. The Business Entrepreneur plans to expand the educational institutions by stretching across Hyderabad, Goa, and Amaravati.  

2. The investment on the campus is ₹1,200 crore, and it will be utilised to build new academic blocks, cutting-edge research facilities, student hostels, and faculty residences.

3. This investment will be sufficient to fulfill the required amenities, catering to the holistic future-ready learning environment. 

4. In the next five years, BITs will expand student capacity per campus from 16000 to 21,000. Thus, the student capacity shall grow from 18,700 to 26,000. 

BITS Pilani Digital Launches an EdTech Platform

1. In the next five years, BITS Pilani Digital, an edtech platform, plans to offer 32 programmes. It comprises 11 degrees and 21 certificate courses.

2. The edtech platform is open to high school students, undergraduates, college students, and working professionals, and aims to create a learning space for 100,000 people.

3. However, Kumar Mangalam Birla said, “While expanding campuses is vital, India’s education challenge also demands scale, flexibility, and inclusivity.”

   
   

Conclusion:

Cross-functional education has become a hallmark of discussion and implementation by many educationists, such as Aditya Birla, Chairman of BITS, Pilani. He plans to create an AI+ hub for tomorrow in Amaravati, Hyderabad.

The university will introduce emerging technologies in its curriculum. They are AI, robotics, machine learning, etc. The introduction of such technologies will converge academic excellence and real-world applications. It will bring various peers, leaders, entrepreneurs, and problem solvers under a single platform.   

BITS plans to set up campuses across the country in Goa, Hyderabad, and Amaravati. Alongside BITS Pilani, through its digital education platform, intends to reach at least 100,000 people by offering 11 degrees and 21 certificate courses. 

With the introduction of numerous career-oriented streams and study options for the youth, BITS Pilani has not left any stone unturned.