CHENNAI: Six professors from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras have been selected for the prestigious Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) J.C. Bose Grant, a national recognition awarded to senior scientists and engineers for outstanding research contributions.
The recipients are Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan (Mechanical Engineering), Prof. Thalappil Pradeep (Chemistry), Prof. Deepa Venkitesh (Electrical Engineering), Prof. Jitendra S. Sangwai (Chemical Engineering), Prof. Ramakrishnan Swaminathan (Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering), and Prof. Sundargopal Ghosh (Chemistry).
Congratulating the awardees, IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti said the recognition reflects the institute’s strength in research and development across critical and emerging technologies.
“The achievement demonstrates the high quality of research and development in critical and emerging technologies happening at IIT Madras,” he said.
The ANRF J.C. Bose Grant recognises active senior scientists and engineers for sustained research excellence and supports them in pursuing advanced scientific and engineering research. Under the programme, each awardee receives a grant of ₹25 lakh annually for five years, along with institutional overhead support. The funding can be used for research personnel, consumables, equipment, travel, contingency and other research-related expenses.
Among the awardees, Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan has led the development of affordable prosthetic and rehabilitation technologies, including the NeoFly-NeoBolt system, Kadam prosthetic knee, standing wheelchair and the lightweight YD One wheelchair.
Prof. Thalappil Pradeep, an internationally recognised researcher in nanomaterials and clean water technologies, was selected for the grant for a third consecutive five-year term. His affordable water purification technologies have expanded access to safe drinking water across India.
Prof. Deepa Venkitesh has made significant contributions to high-capacity optical communications and leads the Department of Telecommunications-funded Advanced Optical Communication Testbed at IIT Madras, which houses the country’s first multicore fibre field testbed.
Prof. Jitendra S. Sangwai’s research focuses on carbon capture, utilisation and sequestration (CCUS), gas hydrates and upstream oil and gas engineering. He has published more than 200 research papers and holds 43 patents.
Prof. Ramakrishnan Swaminathan has worked extensively in biomedical instrumentation and medical device design, particularly in technologies for analysing brain and muscle functions. He has authored over 550 research papers and has been an advocate for global harmonisation of medical device regulations.
Prof. Sundargopal Ghosh’s research has advanced the field of transition metal boron chemistry, with applications in catalysis and small-molecule activation. He has published more than 325 papers in international journals.
The ANRF J.C. Bose Grant is open to scientists and engineers aged 45 to 65 years working at recognised academic and research institutions across India. Selections are based on sustained research achievements, including publications, patents, technology transfer and overall research impact.
