Gone are the days where the classes were monotonous and governed by lectures with little or no interaction between the teacher and the taught. The idea of blended learning has changed the way we perceive classroom teaching, with ICT enabled classrooms, today most of the classes are interactive and engaging. The attention span of the students has also relatively increased with the implementation of blended learning method. Among the many colleges adopting the learning method, Knowledge Institute of Technology (KIOT) is known for successfully implementing the method in a very short period of time. Located in Salem, Tamil Nadu, which is a hub for several engineering colleges, this institution has stood out due to their excellent placement record and industry collaborations. "We have collaborations with over 15 companies for several beneficial programs which help our students grow exponentially in their field, most of the collaborations are for product development and training and enhancement of the students," says, Dr. PSS. Srinivasan, Principal, KIOT.

The institution has set up a LEED lab with the help of collaboration with the USGBC (US Green Building Council) which is the first lab established in India and third in the world. LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class building strategies and practices. This lab is immensely beneficial for the engineering students particularly those from civil engineering.

Collaborations with the industries have helped the institution in providing the students with the right facilities they require to grow and achieve the optimum results. The institution maintains MoUs with big names such as CISCO, INTEL, and WIPRO Technologies. Most of the collaborations play a crucial role in the research activities of the students.

In the yearly placement drives, more than 100 companies visit the campus of KIOT by offering packages up to Rs. 5 lakhs to the students

Judiciously utilizing the MoUs, the institution has set up a number of other labs to facilitate smooth sailing of research activities. Significant research works are being conducted by the students; the most prominent ones are based on Medical image processing, artificial intelligence and green building. The institute also carries out funded research funded by AICTE and external companies like ELGI. The students and the faculty both have published over 200 research papers only in 2015. There are currently 60 research scholars in the institution who are conducting research in different fields, under the guidance of the experienced and well qualified faculty of the institution. The institution encourages research among the UG and PG students by organising seminars and conferences on a regular basis.

To encourage research, the institution has also been organizing a unique competition annually, known as 'Make a product', where students get to team up with students from other disciplines. Each team has to conceive an idea and under

the guidance of faculty and industry support they have to materialize their idea or develop an application before entering the seventh semester; some ideas by the students have been appreciated in national and international competitions. Competition such as this is a regular part of the institution's curriculum.

Being affiliated to a university only gave the institution a reason to think out of the box and create their own identity. By making the courses on values and ethics compulsory for each student, the institution is able to create professionals with discipline and values.

To create professionals, only research and the courses on ethics are not enough; a proper training on soft skills, personality development and aptitude is a pre requisite. All these trainings and extra sessions on required technical skills is a regular part of the institution's everyday routine.By the end of the semesters, when the trainings are wrapped up and the students are ready to enter the industry, the institution organizes a placement drive. In the placement drive yearly more than 100 companies visit the campus of KIOT, the major recruiters are Wipro, TCS, Infosys, iNautix, Renault-Nissan and and Tenneco; they offer packages up to Rs. 5 lakhs to the students.

The institute plans on increasing the national and international collaborations and plans of providing unique joint programs that are beneficial for the students today. KIOT is already in talks with number of international industries and institutions for collaborations. With unshakable ground in research and placements the institution continues to move ahead determined on becoming one of the top engineering colleges in Tamil Nadu and India.