Science Technology Automation Robotics

CEO

Mr. Thyagu Valliappa

A fourth generation educationalist, entrepreneur, innovator and process re-engineer by passion, Mr. Thyagu Valliappa is well-connected across industry and education. Having led many industry associations, and being the youngest in many of them like the BCIC, EFSI and others, he brings to the table a different perspective which is filled with dynamism, new thinking, and most importantly, futurism. 

His deft management of the Group’s infra, logistics, supply chain, textile, plantations, sports & entertainment and the newest ventures of process engineering, robotics, innovation, ease of doing business, and research, he helps in our principal value and motive of giving opportunities to 1000s of youngsters at the Sona Group of Institutions.

His conception of STAR (Scientific, Technology, Automation through Research), which is based on the principle of STEM, aims at improving speeds, time, efficiency and cost with safety in industrial operations. Our aim is to create special purpose vehicle machines with a strong artificial intelligence linked to IOT and create futuristic equipments and technology for various sectors like services, agriculture, manufacturing, and data management. Sona Star would eventually create more jobs and entrepreneurship across various sectors.

As an industrialist primarily and preeminently, his mind dwells on ‘learning as a process’ which yields innovations. Thus, Sona College has become an incubator for startups for new products where our students are absorbed into the Sona Group. Sona Star employs its own students from the engineering and MBA streams as interns, and later employs them in permanent roles.

Honourary Positions

Some of his landmark achievements

His Commitment to the Education Sector

Education has been very close to his heart, as there is a strong belief that “education can give a future for a lifetime“. He plays an active role in running the Sona Group of Institutions which is focused on improving employability, as many of its institutions, being autonomous bodies, have the freedom to set their own syllabus. With the CBCS system, the team at Sona is deft in establishing a very dynamic curriculum guided and supported by the Industries. Mr. Thyagu has played a very important role in linking industry experts to the Sona Group of Institutions. New systems like the PGPA, Sona Speaker Forum and Education 4.0 are some of his brainchildren. The key focus has been to bring in technology rapidly and building a seamless transformation of a ‘Sona student’ into an ‘industry leader’.

SONA GROUP OF INSTITUTION

Initiatives and Steps Taken by Him

Mr Karmegam, IAS, District Collector, Salem, explains Sona’s vital role in the education field and its social contribution to  Salem to Mr Ponmudy, Minister of Higher Education of Tamil Nadu, in the presence of Mr C. Valliappa, Chairman, Sona Group of Institution.

J. Innocent Divya, IAS, MD, TNSDC thanks Mr C. Valliappa for boosting employability to meet industry needs.

Mr Thyagu Valliappa, CEO of Sonastar Innovations Pvt. Ltd., accompanying Mr T Udayachandran (IAS), Principal Secretary to the CM of Tamilnadu, and Mr S Karmegam, District Collector of Salem.

Mr Thyagu Valliappa explaining the importance of the geolocation of Salem as a major hub connecting 14 districts to Mr Udayachandran, IAS, Principal Secretary to the CM of Tamil Nadu.

Ms Grace Lalrindiki Pachuau, IAS, Executive Director, FaMe TN, and Mr Thyagu Valliappa discussing the importance of women in design engineering.

Mr Sathiyaseelan, VP, Design Styling, Ashok Leyland, and Mr Thyagu Valliappa discussing Sona’s contribution to design engineering at Ashok Leyland.

Mr John Hoffmair, Research Associate, University of Oxford, delivers a special address at MMA’s Salem chapter about the newly elected chairman, Mr Thyagu Valliappa.

Captain R. Vijayakumar, ED, and Mr Siva Kumar, MD, RV Industries, honouring the new chairman of MMA, Mr Thyagu Valliappa.

Mr Thyagu Valliappa accompanying Mr Chandramouli, MD, Starrag Heckett Machine Tools Pvt Ltd.

Mr C. Valliappa, Chairman, Sona Group, honouring Mr Chandu Nair of The Chennai Angels.

Mr Thyagu Valliappa honouring Mr Ravichandran, President, BCIC and MD, Wealth Max group of Companies.

Mr Nagesh, President, Distributor network of Salem, honouring Mr Thyagu Valliappa.

Mr Thyagu Valliappa honouring Mr PLK Palaniappan, MD, Rathana Groups, in the presence of Mr Palaniswamy, MD, Selvi Mess.

Mr Thyagu and Mr Vikram Narayen Vinayagam, MD, Chennai Silks, discussing the ‘Track My Sona (TMS)’ application.

Mr Thyagu Valliappa welcoming Mr Kamal Bali, President & MD, Volvo Group.

Mr Kamal Bali, MD, Volvo Group, discussing Sona Star’s contribution to industry growth.

Mr Damodaran Subramanian, Vice President, AVTECH, discussing the importance of design engineering work done by Sona Star in the presence of Mr Thyagu Valliappa.

Mr Ravichandran, CEO, JSW Steels, discussing the contribution of Sona to JSW.

Dr Carolin Prabha Reddy, MD, Vcare, discussing the ‘health is wealth’ idea of Mr Thyagu Valliappa.

K. Ponmudy
Minister for Higher Education of Tamil Nadu

J. Innocent Divya, IAS.
IAS Managing Director, Tamil Nadu Skill Development Corporation

Mr Thyagu Valliappa, CEO of Sonastar Innovations Pvt. Ltd., accompanying Mr T Udayachandran (IAS), Principal Secretary to the CM of Tamilnadu, and Mr S Karmegam, District Collector of Salem

Mr Thyagu Valliappa, CEO of Sonastar Innovations Pvt. Ltd., explaining the importance of Geo-location of Salem as equidistance(250km) from Chennai, Coimbatore, Bangalore, Trichy and Kerala to Mr T Udayachandran (IAS), Principal Secretary to the CM of Tamilnadu, and Mr S Karmegam, District Collector of Salem.

Mr Thyagu Valliappa, CEO of Sonastar Innovations Pvt. Ltd., explaining the importance of women in Design Engineering to the Executive Director of FaMe TN(Facilitating Msme of Tamil Nadu) Ms. Grace Lalrindiki Pachuau, IAS

Mr Thyagu Valliappa, CEO of Sonastar Innovations Pvt. Ltd., honouring Mr. Vinayagam - A & D Sector(Aerospace and Defence Sector), TIDCO(Tamilnadu Industrial Development Corporation Limited)

Mr. Sathiyaseelan(Vice President - Design Styling Ashok Leyland) and Mr Thyagu Valliappa, CEO of Sonastar Innovations Pvt. Ltd., discussing on the importance of design engineering in Ashok Leyland

Mr John Hoffmire
Research Associate
Kellogg College - University of Oxford

Gp Capt R Vijayakumar, VSM (Retd) Executive Director, MMA
Mr C Siva Kumar Managing Partner, RV Industries Member, MMA Managing Committee,
Mr S Mohan, Immediate Past Chairman, MMA Salem Chapter.
Mr John Hoffmire, Research Associate, Kellogg College - University of Oxford

Sona College of Arts & Science staff members congratulating newly elected chairman for MMA Salem Chapter Mr Thyagu Valliappa, CEO of Sonastar Innovations Pvt. Ltd.,

Thiagarajar Polytechnic College staff members congratulating newly elected chairman for MMA Salem Chapter Mr Thyagu Valliappa, CEO of Sonastar Innovations Pvt. Ltd.,

Sona College of Technology staff members congratulating newly elected chairman for MMA Salem Chapter Mr Thyagu Valliappa, CEO of Sonastar Innovations Pvt. Ltd.,

Mr. Sathiyaseelan
Vice President - Design Styling Ashok Leyland

Mr. Sathiyaseelan
Vice President - Design Styling Ashok Leyland

SONA GROUP OF INSTITUTION

CORE COMPETENCY AREA

Data Mining
Big Data Analytics
IOT
Machine Learning
Compiler Design and Optimization
Data Structure
Algorithm Analysis
Bioinformatics
Computational Intelligence

Achievements

  • Secretary for CSI Salem Chapter 
  • Nomination Committee member for CSI Salem Chapter 
  • The Best Women Engineer Award by the Institution of Engineers.
  • Selected for 2010 Who’s who in the world, conducted by Marquis, USA.
  • Selected as a potential candidate to represent professional community in the 2010 edition of Cambridge Who’s who.
  • Data Analytics and Solutions Lab (Catalyzed & Supported by SEED Division, DST, New Delhi) – Set up and analyzing experimental case studies related to Breast Cancer Datasets in real-time.
  • Apple Lab for undergraduate students to develop ios app development projects, Collaborated internationally and developing app for English Learning Children through Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.