IIT Madras Professors Honoured with ‘Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar’ by President Droupadi Murmu

Two professors from the IIT Madras have been honoured with the ‘Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar: Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar’ in recognition of their exceptional contributions to science and technology. Know details here

IIT Madras Professors Honoured with ‘Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar’

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras professors has been honoured with the ‘Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar: Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar’ by the Hon’ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, in Delhi today, August 22, 2024. Prof. Prabhu Rajagopal from the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Prof. Radhakrishna Ganti from the Department of Electrical Engineering were selected for this prestigious award, formerly known as the ‘Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar’ Prize, in recognition of their exceptional contributions to science and technology.

Congratulating the Professors on this recognition, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “Faculty of IIT Madras are involved in transformational research for at least the last two decades. The outputs of these efforts have led to products of great national importance. I am very proud that two of my colleagues have been awarded the Bhatnagar prize this year for their stellar contributions in their respective fields that have led to technology of great national and societal relevance.”

Speaking about this recognition, Prof. Prabhu Rajagopal, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “I am grateful and honoured to receive the country’s highest recognition for young scientists. Being passionate about fundamental ‘blue sky’ research as well as technology translation to solve practical real-world problems in industry and society, I am happy to note that this award underlines my work in technology and innovation. This award is an affirmation to young scientists and technologists across India, that stepping forward to solve pressing challenges such as access to scalable technologies for healthcare, sanitation and industrial process efficiency is appreciated.”

Prof. Radhakrishna Ganti, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “I am honoured to receive the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar Award for my work in wireless and cellular systems. I am grateful that my work in developing and building wireless systems is recognized and I hope that it would encourage more researchers and faculty to do systems work. I had the privilege of working with excellent researchers who have helped me at various stages to significantly contribute to the vision of India-led wireless standards and lay the foundation for an indigenous wireless ecosystem in India. I deeply appreciate the support of MeiTY and DOT for their financial grants as well as their steadfast support in the development of indigenous technologies and standards.”

About Prof. Prabhu Rajagopal

Prof. Prabhu Rajagopal, also serving as the Advisor for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at IIT Madras, has pioneered automated ultrasonic inspection techniques for marine and fluid-handling assets, including pipes, terminals, and tanks, using tethered and automated submersible vehicles. He has made groundbreaking contributions to remote non-destructive evaluation of structures and processes through advancements in ultrasonics and robotics and has guided several start-ups in bringing these innovations to practical applications.

About Prof. Radhakrishna Ganti

Prof. Radhakrishna Ganti specializes in the development of indigenous hardware and wireless communication systems. At IIT Madras, he led the creation of India’s first 5G radio systems facility, and his team is now pioneering the design of 6G technologies. Prof. Ganti has made significant contributions to global standards bodies and played a key role in developing rural use cases within the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), aimed at extending modern telecom access and connectivity to remote and rural regions. His research on stochastic geometry for wireless and cellular network analysis is internationally acclaimed.

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