# BITS Pilani Goa convocation: 1,109 graduates, gold medal for Shamit Khetan 2026-08-10T12:55:40+00:00 | India | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet BITS Pilani’s K K Birla Goa Campus conferred degrees to 1,109 graduates at its Convocation 2026. The cohort included 674 first-degree, 257 dual-degree, 121 higher-degree and 57 PhD students. Among first-degree graduates, Shamit Khetan received the gold medal, Vrishti Deepak Godhwani the silver and Aditya Ashok Tailor the bronze. Chief guest Rakesh Kumar Verma, co-founder of MapmyIndia and an alumnus, attended the event. Group Vice Chancellor Prof V Ramgopal Rao said the campus is redesigning its curriculum around flexible, cross-disciplinary electives. He noted that BITSians have founded 140 deep-tech startups, more than alumni of any other Indian institution. During the academic year, the campus launched a co-tutelage programme with RMIT University, two new M.E. programmes in quantum science, and a minor in computing and intelligence. Research activity grew to 91 sponsored projects worth over Rs 30.72 crore and 720 publications. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com Tags: BITS Pilani, convocation 2026, deep-tech startups, education, Goa campus, medal winners Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/bits-pilani-goa-convocation-1109-graduates-gold-medal-for-shamit-khetan/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/bits-pilani-goa-convocation-1109-graduates-gold-medal-for-shamit-khetan/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.