Vignan's Foundation for Science, Technology & Research

Vignan’s Foundation for Science, Technology & Research (VFSTR), established in 1997 and conferred with Deemed University status in 2008, is located in Vadlamudi, Guntur district, Andhra Pradesh. Founded by Dr. Lavu Rathaiah, the institution began as Vignan’s Engineering College and has since expanded into a multidisciplinary university.

VFSTR offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across engineering, science, management, and law disciplines. The university is accredited by the National Board of Accreditation (NBA) and the National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC), which awarded it an 'A+' grade with a CGPA of 3.49 in 2021. It is also recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and certified under ISO 9001:2000 standards.

The campus spans 42.86 acres and is equipped with modern infrastructure, including research centres, departmental laboratories, and a well-stocked library. Student amenities comprise hostels, sports facilities, a canteen, and medical services. The university maintains a strong placement record, with recruiters such as HCL, Tech Mahindra, Kotak, and Hyundai.

VFSTR is committed to providing quality education to students from rural and agricultural backgrounds, aligning with the objectives of the National Education Policy 2020. It offers scholarships to meritorious and economically disadvantaged students, amounting to approximately ?17 crore annually. The university also provides coaching for competitive exams like GATE, TOEFL, and civil services.

Vignan's Foundation for Science, Technology & Research (commonly known as Vignan University) is a deemed university located in the Guntur district of Andhra Pradesh, India. It is situated in the rural area of Vadlamudi, positioned southeast of Guntur City and northeast of Tenali City.

The foundation of the institution traces back to 1983, when Dr. Lavu Rathaiah observed a pattern of school and college dropouts among his peers, which he attributed to a lack of proper guidance and direction. Motivated by this observation, he took the initiative to establish an educational institution to provide structured support and opportunities for learning.

In 1983, the first school under this initiative was started to address educational gaps and provide foundational learning. Subsequently, in 1991, the first high school was established with the aim of furthering education for students in the region. Continuing this progression, in 2003, the first junior college was started to facilitate higher secondary education, providing students with opportunities for advanced studies.

The expansion into higher education took place in 2004 when the first engineering college was established. This college was designed to provide technical education and promote research in engineering and technology disciplines. Over time, the institution grew to offer a wide range of academic programmes, expanding its scope and infrastructure.

Today, Vignan University offers undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and doctoral programmes across various fields, including engineering, pharmacy, agriculture, computer applications, law, business administration, and science. It holds accreditations from ABET (Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, United States) and NBA (National Board of Accreditation, India), which provide the university's programmes with global recognition.

The campus is strategically located approximately 15 kilometres from Guntur City and 11 kilometres from Tenali City, with entrances on the Guntur-Tenali Highway and the Tenali-Guntur Highway. The main administrative block and the Vignan NTR Library are notable landmarks on campus.

Throughout its history, Vignan University has developed extensive infrastructure and facilities to support academic and extracurricular activities. These include a comprehensive library system, high-speed internet access, transportation services, banking facilities, sports amenities, and various student clubs and councils.

The university places emphasis on holistic education by integrating value-added programmes, co-curricular activities, and extracurricular events. It maintains a Student Activities Council, which oversees campus events and student engagement. The institution also provides counselling services and committees such as the grievance redressal committee, parents-teachers association, and international students council to support student welfare and institutional governance.

Vignan's Foundation for Science, Technology & Research offers a wide range of academic programmes across undergraduate, postgraduate, diploma, and doctoral levels. These courses are designed to provide education and training in various fields of science, technology, engineering, management, law, and pharmacy.

At the undergraduate level, the university offers Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) programmes spanning four years. These include specialisations in Chemical Engineering, Food Technology, Agricultural Engineering, Automobile Engineering, Bioinformatics, Biomedical Engineering, Biotechnology, Civil Engineering, Computer Science and Engineering, Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Electronics and Communications Engineering, Information Technology, Mechanical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, and Textile Technology. Alongside engineering disciplines, the university provides Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm) and Bachelor of Computer Applications (BCA/BCA Hons), the latter available in three to four-year formats.

Other undergraduate courses include Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) and Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Agriculture, both lasting four years. The university also offers law degrees such as BA LLB (Hons) and BBA LLB (Hons), with durations ranging from three to five years, designed to integrate legal education with arts or business administration. Business-oriented degrees such as Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA and BBA Hons) are available in three to four-year formats. The lateral entry (LE) option allows eligible students to join certain programmes with a reduced duration of three years.

For postgraduate education, Vignan offers Master of Computer Applications (MCA), Master of Science (M.Sc), Master of Arts (M.A. English), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Technology (M.Tech), and Master of Pharmacy in Pharmaceutics. These programmes typically last two to three years, depending on the field of study. The Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) programme is a three-year course intended for advanced pharmaceutical education.

The university also conducts diploma courses in polytechnic education, lasting three years. These diplomas provide foundational and technical training for students aiming to enter various industrial sectors.

At the doctoral level, Vignan offers Ph.D. programmes across disciplines. The minimum duration for a doctoral degree is three years. Research scholars can pursue advanced study in engineering, science, management, pharmacy, and related fields, supported by the university's research infrastructure.

The university supports its academic programmes with extensive infrastructure, including departmental libraries, laboratories, digital learning platforms, and a central library stocked with over 112,000 volumes and numerous national journals. These resources aid students in academic and research activities.

Vignan's Foundation for Science, Technology & Research is recognised as one of the notable universities in Andhra Pradesh, India. In the 2025 Asian University Rankings for Southern Asia, it holds a position tied at 278. In the broader Asian University Rankings, Vignan University is placed within the 851 to 900 band. These rankings consider various factors including academic reputation, research output, teaching quality, and international collaboration.

According to data available on the official website, Vignan University saw a total of 75 companies visiting the campus during the 2022 placement season. A total of 1,154 students secured employment through the university’s BTech placement programme in the same year. The overall placement rate recorded during Vignan University placements 2022 was reported to be 100%.

The university’s top recruiters in recent years have included prominent companies such as Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Capgemini, and Wipro. The National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Report of 2023 provides further detail on placements at Vignan University. It states that during 2022, 1,052 BTech students, 80 MTech students, and 78 MBA students were successfully placed. The median salary package offered to MBA students stood at INR 5.2 lakhs per annum (LPA). For BTech students, the median package was INR 7.05 LPA, while MTech students received a median package of INR 5.07 LPA.

Comparing these figures with the previous year, there was a 13% increase in the median salary package for MBA students in 2022 compared to 2021. The median package for MTech students also saw a rise of nearly 7% in the same period.

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