Raghunath Anant Mashelkar

Raghunath Anant Mashelkar
Born	(1943-01-01) January 1, 1943 Mashel, Goa
Nationality	Indian
Known for	Intellectual Property Rights; R&D; Innovation
Awards	Padma Bhushan;Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar
Scientific career
Fields	Chemical Engineering
Institutions	CSIR India; Global Research Alliance

Raghunath Anant Mashelkar (Marathi: रघुनाथ अनंत माशेलकर, born January 1, 1943 in Mashel, Goa) is also known as Ramesh Mashelkar. He is the former Director General of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR), a chain of 38 publicly funded industrial research and development institutions in India.

Before becoming a leading architect of India's science and technology policies, Mashelkar did pioneering work in polymer science and engineering, which earned him many international laurels. He is deeply committed to championing the cause of the developing world.

Life and work

Mashelkar had a difficult childhood and his mother could not support his college education. Mashelkar went to school barefoot and almost gave up studies. Still he managed to be a rank holder in the Matriculation examination. During his science experiments, his principal and science teacher Mr. Bhave was doing experiment on concentration of magnifying lens upon a paper until it burns. When it started burning he pointed Mashelkar and told, "Mashelkar, this lens is you if you concentrate on studies then one day you will reach the sky".His personal experience of ascendance from dire circumstances, improvements in India's infrastructure, and changing patterns of scientific emigration and immigration have convinced him that India is fated to become one of the world's greatest intellectual and economic engines.

Mashelkar studied at the University of Bombay's Department of Chemical Technology (now the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai) where he obtained a Bachelor's degree in Chemical engineering in 1966, later on a Ph.D. degree in 1969.

Mashelkar is presently the president of Global Research Alliance, a network of publicly funded research and development institutes from Asia-Pacific, South Africa, Europe and USA with over 60,000 scientists. He is also the President of India's National Innovation Foundation.

Mashelkar is the former President of the Indian National Science Academy and the UK Institution of Chemical Engineers (2007-8). He served for over eleven years as the director general of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research,world's largest chain of publicly funded industrial R&D institutions, with thirty-eight laboratories and about 20,000 employees. He is the third Indian engineer to have been elected as fellow of Royal Society (FRS), London in the twentieth century. He was elected foreign associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences in 2005, only the 8th Indian since 1863 to be selected. On 28 April 2008, he was elected as the foreign associate of Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. He is the first Indian to have received this honour. He was elected foreign fellow of US National Academy of Engineering (2003), Fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering, UK (1996), and Fellow of World Academy of Art & Science, USA (2000). Twenty-six universities have honoured him with honorary doctorates, which include University of London, University of Salford, University of Pretoria, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee and Delhi University.

In August 1997, Business India named Mashelkar as being among the 50 path-breakers in the post- Independent India. In 1998, Mashelkar won the JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award, the first scientist to win it. In June, 1999, Business India did a cover story on Mashelkar as "CEO OF CSIR Inc.", a dream that he himself had articulated, when he took over as DG, CSIR in July 1995. On 16 November 2005, he received the BusinessWeek (USA) award of Stars of Asia’ at the hands of George H.W. Bush, the former President of USA. He was the first Asian Scientist to receive it. He has been a much sought after consultant for restructuring the publicly funded R&D institutions around the world; his contributions in South Africa, Indonesia and Croatia have been particularly notable.

When Mashelkar took over as the Director General of CSIR, he enunciated "CSIR 2001: Vision & Strategy." This was a bold attempt to draw out a corporate like R&D and business plan for a publicly funded R&D institution. This initiative has transformed CSIR into a user focussed, performance driven and accountable organization. This process of transformation has been heralded as one of the ten most significant achievements of Indian Science and Technology in the twentieth century, by eminent astrophysicist Prof. Jayant Narlikar, in his 2003 book, Scientific Edge: The Indian Scientist from Vedic to Modern Times.

National contributions through Mashelkar Committees

In the post-liberalized India, Mashelkar has played a critical role in shaping India's S&T policies. He was a member of the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister and also of the Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet set up by successive governments. He has chaired twelve high powered committees set up to look into diverse issues of higher education, national auto fuel policy, overhauling the Indian drug regulatory system, dealing with the menace of spurious drugs, reforming Indian agriculture research system, etc.

Mashelkar has chaired several important high-powered committees at National level during the last 10 years in diverse fields dealing with higher education, institutional restructuring, energy, research and development, telecom, national auto fuel policy, spurious drugs, recombinant pharma, etc. These Mashelkar Committees have made a major difference in post liberalised India.

The Mashelkar Committee on ‘National Auto Fuel Policy’ has given India a policy that uses an integrated approach by taking a holistic view, which balances diverse aspects of emission, auto technologies and auto fuel quality on the one hand and the social cost and security of fuel supply on the other. This exhaustive scientific evidence-based analysis in a unique landmark in policy setting in India.

The Mashelkar Committee report on ‘Review of Regional Engineering Colleges’ (National Institutes of Technology) was fully accepted and implemented by the government. 17 Regional engineering Colleges have been converted to National Institutes of Technology, while changing the entire pattern of funding as well as governance.

Mashelkar Committee on ‘R&D in Drugs and Pharmaceuticals’ has led to several changes, including giving a new vision to this vital sector including setting up a Drug Development Promotion Foundation with the formation of Rs 150 crore annual fund.

Mashelkar Committee on ‘A Comprehensive Examination of Drug Regulatory Issues, including the Problem of Spurious Drugs’ has led to a new legislation as well as proposed fundamental changes in the Indian drug regulatory system, so that it becomes world class.

Mashelkar Committee on ‘Recombinant Pharma’ has eliminated the multiple regulatory controls and it has been heralded by Indian biotechnology industry.

Mashelkar Committee in ‘ICAR reorganisation’ has suggested sweeping changes in the working of ICAR to make it a vibrant organization.

Original contributions to scientific and industrial research

Overall Contributions

Mashelkar has made some path-breaking contributions in transport phenomena in and thermodynamics of swelling, superswelling and shrinking polymers, modeling of polymerisation reactors, and engineering analysis of Non-Newtonian flows.

Swelling, superswelling and shrinking polymers: transport & thermodynamics

Mashelkar made the first molecular level interpretation of volume phase transitions in stimuli responsive gels through his Lattice Fluid Hydrogels Bonding models. These studies led to an understanding of the role of the subtle hydrophilic-hydrophobic balance in determining these transitions and also in molecular tailoring of these intelligent gels. Mashelkar’s original contributions, the first time ever, include biomimetic switching hydrogels (gelzymes), the discovery of molecular recognition induced macroscopic reversible morphological transitions and the discovery of self-healing phenomena in gels.

Sensitivity, selectivity, mobility, memory, self-organization, self-healing and enzyme like activity are some of the attributes of living materials. Synthetic hydrogels have been considered as potential candidates for mimicking life. Among these, it was Mashelkar, who demonstrated self-organization, self-healing & enzyme like activity for the first time.

Mashelkar's studies on lifetime of a dissolving polymeric particle are pioneering. The phenomenon of particle size independent dissolution in polymeric systems and the crucial role of reptation dynamics was demonstrated for the first time. His contribution to the interpretation of the phenomenon of unusual retardation and enhancement in polymer dissolution is pathbreaking, since he was the first to show the crucial role of disengagement dynamics in dissolution, for which he provided a direct evidence through some probing in-situ NMR experiments. Later, he showed the critical role of disengagement dynamics in other macromolecular transport processes.

Engineering analysis of non-Newtonian flows

Mashelkar has contributed to the understanding of diverse phenomena of interest to engineers in rheologically complex fluids. These cover laminar secondary flows, turbulent flows, free convection and particle motion and deformation.

He investigated the motion and deformation of bubbles, drops and solid spheres in rheologically complex fluids. His original contributions include the discovery of the phenomenon of delayed separation in Non-Newtonian fluids, an original experimental discovery of the presence of dual wakes behind spheres moving in elastic liquids, anomalous wake formation in liquid drops and a new concept of "elastic boundary layer" to explain some anomalous visco-elastic flows.

Role of energetic networks in non-Newtonian flows

Mashelkar developed the Energetically Crosslinked Transient Network (ECTN) Model, where the role of transient network formed by hydrogen bonds and its distinct difference from the physical networks was explicitly taken into account. He provided the direct evidence of the different character of such networks by doing in situ Rheo-NMR experiments. The application of this model has resolved anomalies, which had baffled analysts for over three decades. These included double stress overshort, time dependent terminal velocities, unusually long restoration times in particle motion in viscoelastic media, etc.

The role of such energetic interactions in phase separation in flowing polymeric fluids was analysed to propose the concept of deformation induced hydrophobicity for the first time. Further, the use of such energetic interaction based networks was made to create shear stable clusters of drag reducers. iop;oiu;iou;' His unified transient network models for analysing the wall-slip problem have opened up new vistas. His pioneering work on role of convective constraint release is the first ever direct molecular level interpretation of the wall-slip phenomenon.

Modelling of industrial polymerisation reactors

Mashelkar modelled the entire process of industrial polymerisation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). Many new important insights into the complex behaviour were obtained. The process of melt polycondensation of PET is accompanied by a desorption of a number of volatile side products accompanied by a series of reversible reactions. This diffusion - reaction problem poses conceptual as well as numerical difficulties in modelling. An apparently anomalous observation of the enhancement of polycondensation rate with increased side reactions, which had remained unexplained so far, was resolved. New strategies for enhancing productivity in industrial reactors emerged as a result of this work. This work has wide ranging impact globally on both theory and practice of polycondensation reactors.

Contribution to intellectual property movement

Based on a world wide opinion poll (2003–2005), International Journal ‘Managing Intellectual Property’ has listed Mashelkar as being one of the 50 most influential people in intellectual property from 19 countries around the world. Mashelkar was responsible for creating practically a "national movement" on IPR through his visionary campaign with Indian academics, researchers and corporates.

Under his leadership, CSIR occupied the first position in WIPO's top fifty PCT filers among all the developing nations in 2002. CSIR has maintained unprecedented 30% - 40% share of the US patents granted to Indians in India during the last three years.

He spearheaded the challenge of the success revocation of the US patent on wound- healing properties of turmeric (USP 5,401,5041) and chaired the Technical committee, which successfully challenge the revocation of the US patents on Basmati rice (USP 5,663,484) by Ricetec, Texas (2001). This has opened up new paradigms in the protection of traditional knowledge, not only for India but also for the entire developing world.

As the first Chairman of SCIT of WIPO (Geneva), Mashelkar strongly advocated that traditional knowledge be treated at par with industrial property systems, which led to the creation of Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL). Fought successfully in changing the International Patent Classification System to include the Indian traditional knowledge, which is a breakthrough for the entire developing world. In June 2006, the Cabinet took the decision to entrust the responsibility of providing access to TKDL for international patent offices to CSIR. As a member of the prestigious International IPR Commission set up by UK Government (2001) played a crucial role in making recommendations, which balance the rights of the poor. This has made a major impact on international thinking on IPR and development. As a One Man Review Committee of World Wide Academy(WWW) of WIPO, gave a new developing-world orientation to WWW.

As a vice-president of the prestigious WHO Commission on IPR, Innovation & Public Health (2004–06) played a critical role in giving a road map for affordable drugs for the poor.

Controversy

In the year 2005, the government of India set up a technical expert group under the Chairmanship of Mashelkar on patent laws, which was to opine on whether the amendments made in the Indian Patent Law were TRIPS compliant or not. The committee comprised, besides Mashelkar legal luminaries on the issues of IPR, namely Dr. N.R. Madhava Menon and Prof. Moolchand Sharma. It also had luminaries from the scientific world, Prof. Goverdhan Mehta and Prof. Asis Dutta as members.

All the five members of the committee unanimously opined in their 'Report of the Technical Expert Group on Patent Law Issues' that the amendments were not TRIPS compliant, since Article 27 of TRIPS stated that no technology or field could be excluded from patenting as long as it met the basic criteria of novelty, non-obviousness and utility, whereas the Indian patent amendments meant that only new chemical entities satisfying certain criteria could be patented.

This report led to controversy, which was voiced by the Communist Party of India (CPI-M), certain NGOs and certain sections of the drugs and pharmaceutical industry of India, which were keen on maintaining a system that did not allow for incremental innovations to be patented in this sector. Incidentally it was the CPI-M through its report titled Left Parties on Amendments to the Indian Patent Act, which had urged the government to bring in these changes, which were not part of the ordinance that was passed by the government.

The controversy got highlighted in the media, since some of the text in the report was reported, without attribution to the original source, especially that of Prof. Shamnaad Basheer. There was an accusation of plagiarism. This accusation was highlighted through two editorial pieces published simultaneously in the Times of India and The Hindu.

According to Prof. Shamnaad Basheer, this allegation was unfounded. As cited on his blog he wrote "It is unfortunate that my blog has been selectively quoted to support allegations that the Committee ‘plagiarised’ from my report. This is not correct, as amply borne out by the last sentence in the blog: "To be fair to the Committee, they did include the crux of my submission in an Annex to their Report." In other words, the Committee did include the key points in my submission as an Annexure, as they did with every other submission (about 24 in all) that was made to them. Merriam Webster defines ‘plagiarising’ as "presenting as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source." Those with the patience to read the entire report including the Annexures would have gathered that some of the Committee’s observations were borrowed from my report and not 'plagiarised'.

On February 19, 2007, Mashelkar withdrew his report from the government in a letter addressed to the Ministry of Commerce and Industry due to the alleged plagiarism, admitting to flaws in the report, and further clarifying that "This is the first time such a thing has happened."

CPI-M and patent law experts raised the Mashelkar controversy in the Indian Parliament, demanding that the report be "trashed" and given the industry capture evident in his report, that the issues be referred to a joint standing committee.

However, the Government of India did not accept this position and referred the report back to the technical expert group to re-examine and correct the inaccuracies.

However, subsequently, an article published in the Times of India claimed plagiarisation in the book co-authored by Shahid Ali Khan and Mashelkar, in that certain paras from the text from British IPR expert Graham Dutfield were quoted without attribution. Subsequently, Mashelkar, while admitting this unfortunate error reported that the attribution was correctly given with the first possible opportunity that arose with the publication of the Indian edition of the book in 2006.

Prestigious Lectures and Articles

• Seamless Chemical Engineering Science: The Emerging Paradigm: 9th Danckwerts Memorial Lecture (1994), London
• Science, Technology, Innovation: Their Impact on Economic and Political Power (1999), New Delhi
• Economics of Knowledge: 16th Dr. C.D. Deshmukh Memorial Lecture (1999), New Delhi
• Launching the Indian Innovation Movement: JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award Lecture (1999), New Delhi
• Resurgence of Innovative India: The Challenge and the Strategy - Sir Purshottamdas Thakurdas Memorial Lecture (1999), Mumbai
• A New Panchsheel for the New Millennium: Indian Science Congress 2000 Inaugural Address (2000), Pune
• Building Borderless Minds and Borderless Thinking: Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Oration (2001), Kolkata
• Intellectual Property Rights and The Third World (2001)
• Fun and Joy of Science : Learning from Anomalies and Discontinuties - Prof. Brahm Prakash Memorial Lecture (2002), Bangalore
• The Role of Intellectual Property in Building Capacity for Innovation and for Development (2002), Pretoria
• Nation Building through Science & Technology: A Developing World Perspective - 10th Zuckerman Lecture (2003), London
• The Alfred Deakins Lecture (2005), Melbourne
• On Borderless Chemical Engineering:IChemE Presidential Address (2007), London
• Science, Technology and Society: An Indian Perspective: 22nd ETH Zurich Presidential Lecture(2007), Zurich
• 2nd Etienne Wolf-Ramanujan Lecture in the French Academy of Sciences (2007), Paris
• Building Science, Technology, and Innovation Capacity for Sustainable Growth and Poverty Reduction: World Bank Global Forum On STI (2007)
• Indian Innovation: The Changing Landscape and Emerging Challenges: World Bank (2008)
• The Indian Mind Vs Indian Mind Set: The Grand Indian Challenge:All India Management Association & Lucknow Management Association (2009)
• Innovation At And For The Bottom Of The Pyramid:Tata Management Training Centre (September 2009)
• On Building Innovation Culture and Leaders:Tata Management Training Centre (September 2009)
• Leveraging Innovation Through Consortia & Networks:Tata Management Training Centre (September 2009)
• Role of Intellectual Property Rights in National Innovation Ecosystem:Tata Management Training Centre (September 2009)
• Irreverence and Indian Science:Science Magazine (30 April 2010)
• A Gandhian Approach to R&D:Strategy+Business (August, 2010)

Awards & recognition

Mashelkar has won over fifty awards and medals, which include S.S. Bhatnagar Prize (1982), Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Technology Award (1991), G.D. Birla Scientific Research Award (1993), Material Scientist of Year Award (2000), IMC Juran Quality Medal (2002), HRD Excellence Award (2002), Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award for Excellence in Public Administration and Management Sciences (2002), World Federation of Engineering Organizations (WFEO) Medal of Engineering Excellence by WFEO, Paris (2003), Lifetime Achievement Award by Indian Science Congress (2004), the Science medal by the Academy of Science for the Developing World (2005), Ashutosh Mookherjee Memorial Award by Indian Science Congress (2005), etc.

The President of India honoured Mashelkar with Padmashri (1991) and with Padmabhushan (2000), which are two of the highest civilian honours in recognition of his contribution to nation building.

Honorary doctorates in science and engineering

• Lucknow University, Lucknow (2007)
• Deendayal Upadhyay Gorakhpur University, Gorakhpur (2007)
• Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati (2006)
• D.Lit. (Desikottama), Visva Bharati, Santiniketan (2006)
• Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur (2006)
• Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar (2005)
• Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak (2005)
• Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture & Technology, Pantnagar (2004)
• Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology, Faizabad (2004)
• University of Kalyani, Kalyani (WB) (2004)
• M.S. University of Baroda, Varodara (2003)
• University of Allahabad, Allahabad (2002)
• University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, USA (2002)
• Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi (2002)
• Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Pune (2002)
• University of London, UK (2001)
• Pretoria University, Pretoria, South Africa (2000)
• Anna University, Chennai (2000)
• Guwahati University, Assam (2000)
• Bundelkhand University, Jhansi (2000)
• University of Delhi, Delhi (1998)
• Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad (1997)
• University of Roorkee, Roorkee (1997)
• University of Kanpur, Kanpur (1995)
• University of Salford, UK (1993)

Election to prestigious academies and scientific bodies (India and abroad)

• Foreign Fellow, Australian Technological Science & Engineering Academy (2008)
• Fellow, Royal Society of Chemistry, UK (2006)
• Foreign Associate, US National Academy of Sciences, USA (2005)
• Fellow, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata (2005)
• President, Indian National Science Academy (2005)
• President, Materials Research Society of India (2004)
• Foreign Associate, National Academy of Engineering, USA (2003)
• Fellow, Royal Society (FRS), London (1998)
• Fellow, World Academy of Art & Science, USA (2000)
• Fellow, The Institute of Physics, London (1998)
• Fellow, Institute of Electronics and Tele-communication Engineers (IETE) (1998)
• Foreign Member, Royal Academy of Engineering, UK (1996)
• Fellow, Institution of Chemical Engineers, UK (1996)
• Fellow, Third World Academy of Sciences (1994)
• Fellow, Indian National Science Academy (1984).
• Fellow, Indian Academy of Sciences (1983).
• Fellow, Maharashtra Academy of Sciences (1985).
• Fellow, National Academy of Engineering (1987).
• Fellow, National Academy of Sciences (1989).
• Fellow, Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (1992)
• President, Physical Sciences, National Academy of Sciences (1991).
• President, Maharashtra Academy of Sciences (1991–94).
• President, Society for Polymer Science in India (1986–92).
• President, Indian Society of Rheology (1986–93).
• Vice-President, Materials Research Society of India (1993–95)
• Vice-President, Indian Academy of Sciences (1995–2000)
• General President, Indian Science Congress (1999–2000)

Awards

For scientific research

• Asutosh Mookherjee Memorial Award (2005) by Indian Science Congress Association;
• The TWAS medal (2005) by TWAS, the Academy of Sciences for the Developing World;
• Life Time Achievement Award (2004) by Indian Science Congress Association;
• Life Time Achievement Award (2003) by Bundelkhand University for contributions in advancement for chemical sciences;
• Hari Om Ashram Prerit Senior Scientist Award (2002) by Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad;
• Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Medal (2001) by Indian National Science Academy, New Delhi;
• Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (2001) by Indian Science Congress Association, Calcutta;
• Material Scientist of the Year Award (2000), by Materials Research Society of India;
• Mehendra Lal Sircar Lecture Award in Chemical Sciences (1998) by Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Calcutta;
• Kamal Kumari National Award for Science & Technology (1997) by Kamal Kumari Foundation, Jorhat;
• Goyal Prize (1996) by Goyal Foundation, Kurukshetra;
• Raj Kristo Dutt Memorial Award (1995) Indian Science Congress Association;
• GD Birla Award for Scientific Research (1993);
• Professor Santappa Silver Jubilee Award (1983) by Society of Polymer Science, Chennai;
• Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize (1982) for engineering sciences by CSIR, New Delhi;
• Herdillia Award for 'Excellence in Basic Research' (1982) by Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, Calcutta.

For technology & industrial research

• Suryadatta National Award (2006) by Suryadatta Group of Institutes, Pune
• World Federation of Engineering Organisations (WFEO) Medal of Engineering Excellence (2003) by WEFO, Paris
• A.V. Rama Rao Research Foundation Award (2003) by AVRA Laboratories Pvt. Ltd., Hyderabad;
• RMK Engineering Award for outstanding work in Science & Technology (2003) by Lakshmikanthammal Educational Trust, Tiruvallur, Chennai;
• Bharat Ratna Dr. M. Visvesvaraya Memorial Award (2002) by Engineers Foundation, Kolhapur;
• JEPPIAR Educational Trust Award (2001) by Jeppiar Trust, Chennai;
• H.K. Firodia Award (2000) by H.K. Firodia Foundation, Pune;
• Atur Sangtani Award (1998) by Atur Foundation, Pune;
• Durga Prasad Khaitan Memorial Gold Medal (1996) by Asiatic Society, Calcutta;
• National Research Development Corporation (NRDC) Republic Day Award (1995);
• OP Bhasin award (1991) by Bhasin Foundation, Delhi;
• Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru National Award in Engineering & Technology (1991) by Govt. of Madhya Pradesh;
• Vishwakarma medal (1988) by Indian National Science Academy;
• Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Award (1987) in physical and mathematical sciences;
• KG Naik Gold Medal in research in chemical sciences (1985);

For leadership

• Indore Management Association's Lifetime Outstanding Achievement Award (2007), Indore
• Baroda Sun Award (2005) by Bank of Baroda, Mumbai
• Lakshmipat Singhania – IIML National Leadership Award (2004) by Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow
• Lal Bahadur Shastri National Award (2002) by Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management for Excellence in Public Administration and Management Sciences.
• IMC Juran Quality Medal (2002) by Indian Merchants Chamber for leadership and continuous involvement as a role model for improvement of quality in CSIR;
• HRD Excellence Award (2002) in the CEO (Non-Corporate) Category by National HRD Network, Birla Management Corporation Ltd., Mumbai;
• Golden Jubilee Award (1998) by Bank of India, Mumbai for excellence in R&D management;
• JRD to CSIR.

For all round excellence

• Life time achievement award (2012), Indian National Academy of Engineering
• Punya Bhushan Award (2008), as one of the most eminent Puneites
• Life Time Achievement Award (2006) by BioSpectrum;
• Life Time Achievement Award (2006) by Hi-Tech Pune-Maharashtra;
• Star of Asia Award (2005) of Business Week (USA) for wide ranging contributions in Science, Technology and Innovation
• Maharashtra Bhushan Award (2005) by Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai for contributions to science and technology;
• Qimpro Award for Quality Evangelist (2003) by Qimpro Foundation, Mumbai
• Devi Ahilya National Award (2003) by Shri Ahilyotsava Samiti, Indore for contribution towards development in the scientific and industrial fields;
• ASSOCHAM New Millennium Innovation Award (2003) by Associated Chamber of Commerce for excellence in innovation;
• Maharashtra Bhushan Award (2003) by Maharashtra Times, Mumbai for all round excellence;
• Shraddhanand Award (2003) by Brahman Sabha, Mumbai for excellence in research;
• Shiromani Award (2002) for outstanding achievements in the field of science and commitment to national progress and human welfare
• Dadabhai Naoroji Memorial Award (2002) by the Dadabhai Naoroji Memorial Prize Trust, Mumbai for contributions to advancing S&T in India;
• Priyadarshani Global Award (2002) by Priyadarshani Academy, Mumbai for promoting S&T;
• Lifetime Achievement Award (2001) by Chemtech Foundation for all time lifetime achievement ;
• Abhimanshreemurti (Person of Pride) Award (1999) by Chaturang Foundation, Mumbai for being one of the leading National Role Models;
• Shri Guruji Puraskar (1998) Jankalyan Samiti, Pune for protecting India’s traditional knowledge;
• Lifetime Achievement Award (1998), Indian Analytical Instruments Association for lifetime achievement;
• UDCT Diamond Award (1994) by Department of Chemical Technology, Mumbai;
• UDCT Outstanding Alumni Medal (1985) as one of the twenty outstanding performers from UDCT in fifty years.

Professorships (honorary & others)

• Sir Louis Matheson Visiting Professor at Monash University (2007–08)
• Visiting Professor at Harvard MIT HST Division,USA (2007–08)
• Honorary Professor, Banaras Hindu University (2005)
• Honorary Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advancement of Scientific Research (1990)
• GP Kane Professor, University of Bombay (1990).
• Fellow, University Department of Chemical Technology (1992).
• Fellow, University of Salford, UK (1992–93);
• Visiting Professor, University of Delaware, USA (1975–76);
• Visiting Professor, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby (1982)
• Honorary Visiting Professor, University of Pune (1985–86).
• Visiting Professor, University of Delaware, USA (1988)
• Visiting Fellow, University of Bombay (1985).
• UGC National Lecturer in Engineering and Technology (1985).

Chairmanship/membership of national level high-powered committees/bodies

• Chairman, Committee on Reorganisation of Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) set up by Union Minister of Agriculture, Govt. of India
• Chairman, Task Force on ‘Recombinant Pharma’ Sector constituted by the Government of India, Ministry of Environment & Forests, New Delhi (2004)
• Chairman, Expert Committee on ‘A Comprehensive Examination of Drug Regulatory Issues, including the problem of Spurious Drugs’ by Government of India (2003)
• Chairman, National Quality Council of India (2002)
• Chairman, Scientific Advisory Committee on Hydrocarbons, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas (2002)
• Chairman, National Auto Fuel Policy (2001)
• Chairman, Governing Body, National Institute of Pharmaceuticals Education and Research (2001)
• Chairman, National Innovation Foundation (2000)
• Chairman, Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Research Committee, Government of India (2000)
• Member, Board of Governors of National Council for Applied Economic Research (2001)
• Member, Governing Body, Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (2001)
• Member, Prime Minister’s Knowledge Task Force (2000)
• Chairman, High Powered Review Committee to review Regional Engineering Colleges (RECs) (1998)
• Chairman, Inquiry Committee for MGCC Accident, Government of India (1990)
• Member, Scientific Advisory Committee to the Cabinet (1997)
• Member, Technology Development Board (1995–2002)
• Member, Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (1988–90), (2004)
• Technical Assessor to one Man Inquiry Commission to Inquire into Bhopal Tragedy, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh (1984)

International bodies/committees

• Vice Chairman, Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, Innovation and Public Health, WHO (2004)
• Chairman, CSIR (South Africa) International Review Committee (2003)
• Member of the Committee of Third World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) in Engineering Science and Technologies (2003)
• One Man Committee to review WIPO’s World Wide Academy (2003)
• Member, Research Advisory Committee, Department of Chemistry, Imperial College of Science & Technology, UK (2003)
• Member, Consultative Group on Agricultural Research (CGIAR) Working Group on Science Council, World Bank (2002)
• Member, Review of Chemistry Research in UK Universities (2002)
• Advisor, Development Gateway’s Knowledge Economy, World Bank, USA (2002)
• Member, International Commission on Intellectual Property Rights, UK (2001)
• Member, Review Committee, Chemical Engineering Department, University of Cambridge, UK (2001)
• Member, Board of Trustees, Medicine for Malaria Venture, Geneva (2001)
• Chairman, Innovation in Developing World Committee, Third World Academy of Sciences, Trieste (2000)
• Member, Advisory Board, World Wide Academy (WIPO), Geneva (1999-)
• Member, Review Committee, Commonwealth Science Council, London (1998)
• Chairman, Standing Committee on Information Technology (WIPO), Geneva (1998)
• Member, CSIR (South Africa) International Review Committee (1997)

Private sector engagements

Director on the Board of Companies

• Reliance Industries Limited (2007)
• Tata Motors Limited (2007)
• Indigene Pharmaceuticals Inc,(2008)
• GeneMedix Biological Private Limited (2008)
• Thermax Limited (2008)
• Piramal Life Sciences (2008)
• Hindustan Unilever Limited (2008)
• KPIT Cummins InfoSystems Limited (2008)
• Sakal Papers Ltd. (2009)

Other key positions

• Chairman of the Board of Governors, IIT Gandhinagar
• Chairman, Reliance Innovation Council (2007)
• Member of Scientific Advisory Board of Microsoft India and Microsoft USA (2007)
• Member of Scientific Advisory Board of VTT, Finland

External links

• Gandhian Engineering is not just for the poor
• Wealth and knowledge should co-exist
• What will it take for a resident Indian to win a Nobel Prize?
• The Scientist vs The Man
• India's R&D: Reaching for the Top
• Making Science Pay: New Scientist
• Making India Innovative
• Innovative India is our real brand
• Innovation in Education, Healthcare should reach poor
• India's reverse brain drain heralds R&D glory
• The search for research
• India's Emergence as a Global R&D Hub: INSEAD
• Patent to protect ancient knowledge: BBC, UK
• The Indian Innovation System: Development Outreach, WorldBank
• India's 10 Year Patent Drive
• Trend of brain drain on reverse to India
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