INAE awards IIT Madras faculty first Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation Fellowship

NEW DELHI, APRIL 11: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT-M) faculty Prof. Krishnan Balasubramanian has been awarded the first Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship by Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE).

Prof. Balasubramanian is currently associated with IIT-M as Chair Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and has also served as the Head of the Centre for Nondestructive Evaluation which he founded in 2001.

The Fellowship has been recently instituted to recognize, encourage and support translational research by individuals who have achieved excellence in engineering, innovation and technology development. Fellowship will support Prof. Balasubramanian in conducting advanced research in the area of Ultrasonic Waveguide Sensor Systems. This Technology Innovation Fellowship is for three years and extendable further by a period of two years.

Speaking about the Fellowship, Prof. Krishnan Balasubramaniam said, “I am glad that INAE and Department of Science and Technology (DST) have instituted this award to recognize the technology innovators in India. I am humbled by this recognition.”

The award citation includes “This honour is indeed a befitting recognition of your outstanding contributions in the field of Non-destructive Evaluation and Sensors as well as your leadership role in the growth of the engineering profession in the country.”

It further states “Therefore your research has to lead to deliverables in terms of the development of a product, its validation and commercialization of the product based on novel technology.”

Prof Balasubramaniam received his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Madras (Regional Engineering College, Tiruchirapalli, India) in 1984. He then graduated from Drexel University with an M.S. degree in 1986 and a Ph.D. in 1989.

He has over 410 technical publications (including 210 refereed journal papers), 17 patents filings and has directed 23 Ph.D. student dissertations and 46 MS student theses.