Vishnu Engineering College transforms into Andhra Pradesh’s first private women’s university

Twenty-five years ago, Shri Vishnu Engineering College for Women (SVECW) in Bhimavaram, a semi-urban town in the fertile Godavari delta, began with three undergraduate programmes, 180 students and a larger purpose of making quality technical education accessible to women, particularly those from rural and smaller towns.

A quarter of a century later, that modest beginning has evolved into Vishnu Women’s University, which commenced operations in the current academic year, 2026-27, and has the distinction of being Andhra Pradesh’s first private women’s university.

Over the years, SVECW has steadily expanded its focus from conventional engineering education to research, innovation, entrepreneurship, industry exposure and experiential learning. The numbers reflect this growth. From its initial three programmes, the institution has expanded to nine B.Tech programmes, four M.Tech programmes and an MBA programme, with an approved intake of 1,074 and a student strength of more than 5,000.