Pranay Samanta - VLSI Design Verification Engineer in Intel Corp for 10 years

I am a VLSI Engineer and technical trainer with around 10 years of industry experience in the Functional Verification domain. I teach B.Tech and VLSI-related subjects and use my professional experience to provide students with practical, industry-oriented knowledge. My objective is not only to help students understand technical concepts but also to develop the problem-solving, coding, debugging, and verification skills that are important when working on real-world VLSI projects.

I have completed my M.E./M.Tech. in my relevant technical field. Along with my academic qualification, my 10 years of industry experience has given me extensive exposure to IP, subsystem, and SoC-level verification. Throughout my professional career, I have worked extensively on debugging and verification methodologies, and I bring this practical experience into my training sessions.

My technical expertise includes SystemVerilog, UVM, OVM, IP and SoC verification, firmware verification, RAL and register verification, test planning, functional and code coverage closure, ECC verification, and scripting. I have also worked with protocols and technologies such as APB, AXI, JESD, JTAG, and PHY/SERDES. My experience additionally includes GLS, SDF, and basic UPF simulation. These areas allow me to help students understand how theoretical concepts are applied in actual VLSI development and verification environments.

Debugging is one of my key strengths and something I particularly enjoy. In my professional work, I analyse design issues, identify their root causes, and work towards efficient solutions. I use the same problem-solving mindset while training students. Instead of simply providing an answer, I guide students through the process of understanding the issue, identifying the problem, analysing the cause, and arriving at an effective solution.

My teaching methodology is practical, structured, and industry-oriented. I first understand the student's existing knowledge and then structure the lessons according to their level and requirements. I focus on strengthening fundamentals before progressing to advanced concepts. My sessions can include real-world examples, coding exercises, debugging scenarios, practical problems, and interactive discussions so that students get opportunities to apply what they learn.

I strongly encourage students to participate actively in the learning process. They are welcome to ask questions, discuss problems, and work through challenging concepts rather than simply listening to explanations. I also believe that mistakes are an important part of learning. I encourage students to understand their mistakes, identify what went wrong, and use those experiences to improve their technical understanding and problem-solving abilities.

I conduct my classes online and aim to make each session useful from an industry perspective. Having spent years working on real VLSI projects, I want to bridge the gap between academic concepts and practical engineering requirements. My goal is to help students develop strong technical fundamentals along with the debugging and problem-solving skills they need to approach VLSI challenges with greater confidence.