Last week, it was a pleasure and privilege to meet the Vice Chancellor of my Alma Mater, BITS Pilani.

Here I am with Prof. V Ramgopal Rao, handing over to him a copy of my latest book, “Doing the right thing - learnings from Ratan Tata”.

I have for a long time now admired Prof. Rao’s incisive writings on higher education. It was now truly insightful listening to his vision for BITS Pilani, in particular on the subject of making excellent university education accessible to every deserving student.

I was also struck by his high levels of engagement with alumni. He participated in the BITS Pilani literary meet, and also hosted a wonderful dinner for five of us alumni authors, all in the midst of his busy schedule.

Thank you, Prof. Rao! I came away from my campus visit impressed with the progress achieved, the pursuit of excellence and the dreams ahead. Am so proud to be a BITSian.

(Fun fact - I thought I was perhaps a little under-dressed for a meeting in the VC’s office. However four years at BITS Pilani have taught me that there is no dress code on this loveliest of campuses. Your views are welcome.) - Linkdin Post by Harish Bhat, Feb 2026