Alumnus Awards

Mr. Ashok Khanna is the Managing Director and Director (Technical) of the Controls & Switchgear group of companies, which he co-founded while still a student at IIT Madras. His great vision, pure determination and dedication, helped fulfill his dream of promoting in India international quality in the field of power distribution, generation, automation and control. His group is a world class electrical engineering project management and component manufacturing group in the country. It has India’s only mail order service, featuring a 2000-page catalogue for industrial components. Today, the group has 2000 employees including 350 qualified and trained engineers, and 10 manufacturing plants in and around Delhi equipped with the latest technology. Some of the world’s most renowned electrical engineering companies have sought to collaborate with his company and have joint ventures.

He served as a member of the Indian Standards Institution’s Committee for formation of standard specifications on traffic signs. He is a founder member of the Small Industries Electrical Industry Association and has served on the Boards of national chambers of commerce, industry associations and clubs.

In recognition of the outstanding entrepreneurship, leadership and professional accomplishments of Mr. Ashok Khanna, IIT Madras and its Alumni are proud to present him this award.

Dr. B. N. Suresh is the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Center, Trivandrum. He was among the key staff in the SLV-3, ASLV, PSLV and GSLV projects in India.

He has made significant R & D contributions in engineering sciences, particularly in the area of Aerospace engineering, focusing on complex technologies (both hardware and software) used in Launch Vehicles like the Space Navigation Guidance and Control System, Aerospace Control Actuation Systems, and Integrated Simulation for Aerospace System.

He has to his credit over 75 research papers and 500 technical reports in rocket control and guidance systems, and space navigation. He has been associated with national and international professional bodies and organized many Symposia, Conferences and Workshops.

He has earned many awards including the Dr. Biren Rai Space Science Design Award in 1993, the ‘AGNI’ award from the Ministry of Defence in 1999 for excellence in Self Reliance, and the ‘ASI Award 1996′ from the Astronautical Society of India in 2000. In 2001, he received the ‘Padmasree’ from the President of India, in recognition of meritorious services in the area of Science and Technology.

In recognition of the research efforts, achievements and contributions to national technological excellence of Dr. B. N. Suresh, IIT Madras and its Alumni are proud to present him this award.

Dr. B. Ramachandra Pai was the Director of the National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore. He started his career as a research engineer at the English Electric Company, U. K., and later moved to the International Flame Research Foundation, Holland, as a Senior Research Investigator before joining NAL in 1975.

He has been an outstanding researcher in combustion, heat transfer, air breathing propulsion systems and components, and computational fluid dynamics. He has to his credit 6 Patents, over 75 publications in reputed journals, and over 35 technical reports. His major achievements include R & D support to the Kaveri engine project for the LCA programme, and development of a power pack based on aero engines. He has also worked on developing low cost industrial gas turbines.

He has developed innovative devices of general utility such as fluidized bed grain disinfestor and drier, fluorescent tube based water purification equipment for domestic use, and solar collector using ferrocement blocks.

He is a member of many professional and technical Societies. He is also a keen flying enthusiast with a liking for powered hang gliders.

In recognition of his efforts, achievements and contributions to R & D, IIT Madras and its Alumni are proud to present him this award.

Dr. Marti Subrahmanyam is the Charles E. Merrill Professor of Finance and Economics in the Stern School of Business at New York University. He has held visiting Professorships at leading academic institutions in England, France, Germany and India, including INSEAD, France and Cambridge University.

He has published numerous papers in reputed journals and books in Corporate Finance, Capital Markets and International Finance. He has served as Editor / Associate Editor of many international journals in the areas of Finance, Accounting and Management.

He has won several awards for excellence in teaching. In 2003, he received the Distinguished Teaching Medal from New York University.

Dr. Subrahmanyam has served as a consultant to several corporations, industrial groups and financial institutions in the USA, Europe, Asia and Latin America. He is also on the boards of leading companies in India and abroad including the Murugappa Corporate Group, ICICI Bank Ltd., and Infosys Technologies Ltd. He has served as Advisor to international and government organizations.

In recognition of the efforts, achievements, and outstanding academic and professional contributions of Dr. Marti G. Subrahmanyam, IIT Madras and its Alumni are proud to present him this award.

Dr. Thomas Thundat is presently a Distinguished Scientist in Oak Ridge National Laboratory, USA. He simultaneously holds Professorships in the University of Tennessee, USA, and the University of Bourgundy, France.

Dr. Thundat has invented, developed and patented many new technologies including the new molecular comb technology, a MEMS-based micro cantilever, pioneered the development of a novel class of physical, chemical and biological sensors, and contributed significantly to areas such as biological imaging and nanolithography. He has seventeen operative patents to his credit, and seven more pending.

He has authored over 150 publications, and 20 book chapters. He has received over 25 prestigious awards during his career. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), and a Member of several professional Societies. He has also served as a consultant to many world-class organizations.

In January this year, TIME Magazine described Dr. Thundat as a leading innovator. He has also been featured with special citations in BBC Television and written about in reputed international magazines such as Discover, New Scientist, and Washington Times.

In recognition of the inventions, research efforts, innovations and achievements of Dr. Thomas G. Thundat, IIT Madras and its Alumni are proud to present him this award.

Mr. B Santhanam is the Managing Director of Saint Gobain Glass India. With his exceptional technical, human and conceptual skills he is an admired leader in the Indian Business environment.

He started his career in Grindwell Norton in 1980, and soon became the youngest member of the Management Board. When in 1996, Saint-Gobain decided to acquire the ownership of Grindwell Norton, Santhanam was chosen to develop a strategic blue print for the venture. He became the Founder Managing Director of Saint-Gobain Glass India. In a short span of six years, he led the transformation of a green field site into a world class integrated glass manufacturing complex, surpassing many records in quality, cost, efficiency and profitability. His company has been rated by Hewitt Associates amongst the “Best in India” in terms of HR practices, Leadership, and Value to Society.

He is now the Vice Chairman of CII, Tamil Nadu State Council, a Member of the Management Council, Madras Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MCCI), and a Member of the CII Governing Council for Industry-Institute Interface.

In recognition of the efforts, achievements, and managerial excellence of Mr. B. Santhanam in the Indian industry, IIT Madras and its Alumni are proud to present him this award.

http://bit.ly/CMwIkP

He has made seminal contributions in database recovery leading to the success of commercial database systems. He has played a key role in establishing the foundations of database systems, which are at the core of modern information infrastructure, that support modern society. His work is among the lessons taught to students of database systems across the world. He has won numerous awards and holds key patents. It is rare for the work of one person to have had such a significant research, commercial and societal impact.

In recognition of the efforts, achievements and academic excellence of C. Mohan in the world of information technology, IIT Madras and its alumni are proud to present him this award.

Dr. Dipankar Banerjee is presently an Outstanding Scientist and Chief Controller Research & Development (Aero & Material Science), Defence Research and Development Organization of India. His research work on phase equilibria and phase transformations has attracted a great deal of international attention. His contributions to Physical Metallurgy, more particularly in the study of material properties at the atomic, nano, and submicron scales, and development of new generation intermetallic alloys, are of immense significance to research and industrial practice. During his career he also developed innovative methods of laboratory analysis. As the Director of his laboratory, he has successfully led very large S&T mission projects that have resulted in a broad range of advanced materials and processes for application in our country’s defence. His research work has appeared in reputed national and international journals, and he has won prestigious awards and honours including the National Metallurgist Award, the Scientist of the Year Award, and the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award. He is a Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences, the Indian National Science Academy and the Indian National Academy of Engineering. His research work and also that of every team he leads are leading to new paradigms of R&D in the discipline of Metallurgical and Materials engineering.

In recognition of the efforts, achievements and excellence of Dipankar Banerjee in R&D in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, IIT Madras and its alumni are proud to present him this award.

Dr. R Mahadevan is presently a Director in India Pistons Limited, Chennai. He is widely recognized for his professional contributions to Technology Management, Quality Management, Project Management, and Marketing and Export of engineering products. He has won many prizes, awards and medals throughout his academic and professional career. He holds three patents in automotive technology. He is an active member of national and international professional bodies in the areas of Automotive Technology, Quality, and Energy. He also holds executive positions in some of them. He works closely with leading academic institutions in the design and teaching of engineering courses. A versatile and creative citizen, he plays an active role in socially relevant projects meant for physically challenged children, and the natural environment. He also has an abiding interest in Indian spiritual literature, which has led him to translate important works from Sanskrit.

In recognition of the efforts, achievements, and managerial and organizational excellence of R. Mahadevan in Indian engineering industry, IIT Madras and its alumni are proud to present him this award.