The Center for Transformational Leadership hosted a Design Thinking Workshop – Series 1 on 14th September 2024, specifically for second-year CTL members. Students from various departments participated enthusiastically in the session. The workshop was led by Mr. Sakthivel Shanmugam, Senior Engineer at Markers Lab, who highlighted the key differences between “Business,” “Start-ups,” and “Entrepreneurship.”
Mr. Sakthivel introduced the concept of design thinking, explaining how it revolves around a human-centered approach to innovation that integrates customer empathy, creative problem-solving, and strategic execution. He guided participants through the stages of empathizing with customers, defining problems based on their needs, ideating solutions, creating prototypes, and testing those prototypes to find the most effective solution. He also shared valuable insights into marketing strategies, emphasizing how understanding and meeting consumer demands is essential for success.
One memorable quote from Mr. Sakthivel was, “Don’t love your idea, love your problem,” encouraging participants to focus on solving the problem rather than abandoning it if an idea fails. Real-life examples and videos were used to help students grasp the core principles of design thinking. The session also provided an overview of market opportunities and steps for growth. The workshop concluded with an interactive Q&A, where students explored topics related to start-ups, design thinking, and entrepreneurship.
On September 20, 2024, Centre for Transformational Leadership hosted an insightful Seminar for students from the, focusing on Profile Building and Life Skills for Employable Students. The session was led by Mr. Sasikumar T, the Chief People Officer at Grooton Technologies, who brought his wealth of experience and knowledge to the event.
Mr. Sasikumar provided students with practical advice on how to build an impactful resume, emphasizing the key elements that recruiters look for in candidates. He also gave students a detailed
understanding of what to expect from corporate life after graduation, sharing real-world examples that highlighted the challenges and opportunities they might encounter.
In addition to technical skills, the workshop focused on the importance of personal development, encouraging students to adopt a growth mindset and engage in continuous learning. Mr. Sasikumar
underscored the value of resilience, adaptability, and maintaining a positive attitude, which are crucial for thriving in the professional world. His expert guidance left students with a clearer vision of how to prepare themselves, both mentally and physically, for successful careers after college.
Department of Information Technology had conducted a workshop on CSI Sponsored Workshop on “Python Web Development Simplified with FastAPI” on 28thSeptember 2023. Dr Babymol Kurian, Associate Professor/IT, KCG College of Technology gave the welcome Address. Around 35students attended the session. Speaker Sudharshaun M (IT Alumni: 2015-19) Sr. Software Engineer, PayPal started with an introduction to Fast API then moved to hands-on session where students used with Python, Node JS and Visual studio. During the practical session, speaker helped the students to download the required software for the session. Finally speaker concluded with career guidance and industry experience to the students and a few tips for the students to get knowledge about the role of a Python Web Developer and asked them to do certification courses in different domain. The session came to an end with vote of Thanks proposed by Ms Anju A, AP/IT, KCG College of Technology. The session was more informative and useful.
Resource Person Details:
Sudharshaun M (IT Alumni: 2015-19)
Sr. Software Engineer, PayPal, Chennai.
On 9th November 2024, the Centre for Transformational Leadership (CTL) organized a seminar on Leadership: Lead from the Front for the first-year students, marking their first session. The current first-year students are also the 5th batch of CTL. The session was conducted by an Independent HR Professional and Life Skills Coach, Sqn Ldr Unni Nair.
The speaker addressed a common challenge—fear—and highlighted its significance in leadership. He encouraged the audience to overcome fear, urging them to adopt the mindset of “Face Everything and Rise Up” rather than “Avoid Everything and Escape.”
Additionally, the speaker shared an inspiring video featuring Nick Vujicic, a man born without arms and legs, demonstrating how he embraces life despite his challenges. This motivational example encouraged attendees to express gratitude for all aspects of life.The session also included interactive activities, such as building a pyramid, which focused on fostering trust in oneself and in those around us.
On November 23, 2024, the Centre for Transformational Leadership (CTL) hosted a seminar for first year CTL members titled Bridging the Gap: Turning Engineers into Communicators, led by Ms. Priya Ganesh, a Certified Soft Skills Trainer. The session emphasized the importance of effective communication in expressing ideas, particularly for engineers. Key elements such as eye contact, body language, and speaking clarity were highlighted as essential components of impactful communication. Interactive activities demonstrated how clear and confident communication simplifies problem-solving and teamwork. Ms. Priya addressed overcoming the fear of speaking, stressing the value of consistent practice and feedback. The session was both educational and engaging, equipping participants with practical strategies to enhance their communication skills for personal and professional growth.
Date:04.04.2025 & 05.04.2025
Venue:APJ Abdul Kalam Auditorium
Organised by: Departments of ECE& IT
Conveners: Dr. Kavitha Balamurugan (HoD-ECE), Dr. S. Muthuselvan (HoD-IT)
Coordinators:Dr. T. Thomas Leonid (ECE), Dr. B. Thyla (ECE), Dr. Aaron Kevin Cameron (ECE), Mr. Narendran M (IT), Dr. Babymol Kurian (IT)
KCG College of Technology proudly hosted Nexathon ’25, a prestigious 24-hour national-level hackathon organised by the Departments of Electronics & Communication Engineering and Information Technology on Apr 4th and 5th, 2025. The event brought together brilliant young minds from across the country to ideate, innovate, and engineer real-world solutions to contemporary challenges.
1000 individual registrations and 300 team applications were received from all over the country, representing diverse places such as Bangalore, Kerala, Pune, Andhra, Delhi and many more. 50 teams were shortlisted for the onsite hackathon.Teams of 2–4 members were allowed. Only same-college teams were permitted; inter-department participation was allowed but inter-college teams were not.
Themes:
- IoT
- AI & Machine Learning
- Cybersecurity
- Emerging Technologies(e.g. Robotics, Drone Tech, MedTech)
- Open Innovation for ideas outside the above categories
Schedule & Logistics:
- Round 1: Online screening submissions (PPT) by March 23, 2025.
- Final onsite event: April 4that ~8 AM to April 5th at ~12 PM, with prize distribution immediately after judging.
- School students’ event: April 5th.
- Meals were provided: Lunch, Dinner, Snacks on Day 1.
Breakfast, Lunch, Snacks on Day 2.
Judging & Support:
- Online PPT submission evaluated for initial selection.
- Final live judging based on prototype, innovation, feasibility, and presentation.
- Mentors and jury members offered guidance during the onsite hackathon rounds.
Jury Members:
| S.No | Jury | Theme |
| 1. | Mr. Sabesh Kumar (Founder, Sabythenoob) | Open innovation |
| 2. | Dr. T. Thomas Leonid (KCG College of Technology) | Open Innovation |
| 3. | Mr.Rafiq Ahamed (Founder & CEO, Ethical IntelligentTechnologies) | IoT |
| 4. | Mr.GowthamVaranasi (Engineer-Power Electronics, Mathworks) | IoT |
| 5. | Mr.Kumar S (Product Design & Developer, Genesystech) | Emerging Tech |
| 6. | Dr. A. Robert Sam (Chief Scientist & Scientist-in-charge, CSIR-CSIO) | Emerging Tech |
| 7. | Mr. Sriram Kesavan (Founder & Director, Secufra) | Cybersecurity |
| 8. | Mr. Viswanth Prabhakar (Third Party Risk Manager, Celestica) | Cybersecurity |
| 9. | Ms. Ramyaa S (Software Engineer, Cognizant) | AI & ML |
| 10. | Mr. Benny Joseph (AI Technical Consultant, Enlight Wisdom) | AI & ML |
| 11. | Dr. Kaliappan (KCG College of Technology) | School Project |
| 12. | Mr. Joel Andrews D, Alumnus – KCG (Innovation fellow, AICTE, Ministry of Education Innovation Cell, Govt. of India) | Special Mention- Best Business model |
| 13. | Mr. Joseph A, Alumnus – KCG (Executive Director – Jesso Edutech, Founder – Anbu Power Junction) | Special Mention-Best
Business model |
Winners:
| S. No | Theme | Team Name | Position | Prize (Rs.) |
| 1 | Emerging Technologies | Team sentinel | Winner | 10,000 |
| 2 | IOT | GUNS AND ROSES | Winner | 10,000 |
| 3 | Open innovation | Envision | Winner | 10,000 |
| 4 | AI/Ml | Idiotic innovators | Winnerand Best business pitch | 13,000 |
| 5 | Cybersecurity | Team Ogrilix | Winners | 10,000 |
| 6 | Open Innovation | Envision | Overall Winner | 15,000 |
| 7 | Cybersecurity | Team Oresians | Best business pitch | 3,000 |
| 8 | Open innovation | Billiance | Best business pitch | 3,000 |
| 9 | IOT | TECHNOPHILES | Best business pitch | 3,000 |
| 10 | IOT | TECH DOMINATORS | Best business pitch | 3,000 |
| 11 | Emerging Technologies | Team Adrift | Best business pitch | 3,000 |
| 12 | Emerging Technologies | Team sentinel | Emerging Technologies – Voucher prize – First | 3,500 |
| 13 | Emerging Technologies | Team Uvira drones | Emerging Technologies – Voucher prize – Second | 2,500 |
| 14 | Emerging Technologies | Team Adrift | Emerging Technologies – Voucher prize – Third | 2,000 |
| 15 | School Students | 3 Teams | 3 Teams | 6,000 |
| TOTAL | 97,000 | |||
Impact & Conclusion:
- Nexathon ’25 showcased exceptional talent and innovation from teams across India, focusing on trending domains like AI/ML, IoT, cybersecurity, and emerging technologies.
- The hackathon served as a launchpad for engineering students to gain practical experience, mentorship, industry exposure, and career opportunities.
- The collaborative environment and high level of competitive spirit made it a memorable and enriching event.
- The event’s success was significantly enhanced by the strong support and guidance provided by the Management, Dr. Anand Jacob Verghese Sir, Chairman Hindustan Group of Colleges,Dr. Annie Jacob Madam, Director, KCG College of Technology, Hindustan Group of Institutions, Enid Verghese Jacob Sir, Dy. Director, KCG College of Technology, Dr. Muthiah Muthukannan Sir, Principal, Dr. Prabhakaran Gopalakrishnan Sir, Dean-Academics.
- The Chief guests of the event were, Paventhan Arumugam Sir, Scientist G, ERNET India, and Dinesh K Sundaravelu Sir, Vice President, Startup TN.
- The feedback from the participants were collected after the event.
Student Coordinators:
- Mohamed Shuhail G – ECE III year (Lead Coordinator)
- Ahamed Anas – IT III year (Lead Coordinator)
- Mudhassir Habeeb K M – ECE III year
- Kaviya K– ECE III year
- Poornasivan S – ECE III year
- Aarthi T– ECE II year
- Eswar Roshan M – ECE III year
- Ishrath AyeshaA –IT III year
- Chris Aaron–IT III year
- Chris Livingstone –IT III year
- KarthikeyanR –IT III year
