National recognition to two IIT-Madras professors

IIT Madras professors awarded Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar for pioneering work in science, technology, and wireless communications development.

Two professors of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras were honoured with Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar: Vigyan Yuva Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award on Thursday, for their outstanding work in science and technology. 

President Droupadi Murmu presented the awards to Prabhu Rajagopal of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Radhakrishna Ganti of the Department of Electrical Engineering at a function in New Delhi.  

Professor Prabhu is the advisor (innovation and entrepreneurship) at the Institute and he pioneered the automated ultrasonic inspection of marine and fluid-handling assets, such as pipes, terminals and tanks, using tethered and automated submersible vehicles. He has contributed to remote non-destructive evaluation of structures and processes through advances in ultrasonics and robotics, besides guiding start-ups to take the innovations to the field. 

Professor Ganti focuses on indigenous hardware and wireless communications stack development. He led the development of 5G radio systems at the Institute and his team is currently designing 6G technologies. He spearheaded the development of rural use cases in the international telecom union to provide modern telecom access and connectivity to remote and rural areas.  

Institute director V. Kamakoti said, he was proud of the awardees, whose stellar contributions in their respective fields, have led to technology of great national and societal relevance.