INAE Vision 2020-2025

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Engineering and Technology Updates

Engineering Innovation in India

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I. ANRF (erstwhile SERB), DST-INAE Digital Gaming Research Initiative

The ANRF (erstwhile SERB), DST-INAE Online and Digital Gaming Research Initiative was launched at the behest of DST as a unique program to leverage Digital Gaming Research and Industry in India and to achieve self-reliance in advanced Augmented Reality (AR)/ Virtual Reality (VR) technologies to create indigenous gaming platforms for a number of applications ranging from education to leisure with the backdrop of Indian Ethos, for desktop and hand-held devices. This initiative is in line with national priorities. The initiative launched to leverage Digital Gaming Research and promote such Industry in India is progressing well.  The research work by the selected Principal Investigators and Project Teams are progressing satisfactorily. It was recently suggested by the Project Managing and Coordinating Committee (PMAC) to conduct a review meeting of the projects twice a year to monitor progress effectively. In this context, the review meeting is being held in-person in November 2024, wherein project PIs would be invited to present their work progress before the PMAC.

II. INAE -SERB Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship

The ANRF (erstwhile SERB), DST – INAE Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellowship launched in 2017 is a flagship initiative of INAE, funded by SERB (DST), to recognize, encourage and support translational research by individuals working in various capacities of engineering profession in public funded institutions in the country. Ten new Kalam Fellows were selected last year on 29-30^th August 2023. Altogether, 57 professionals have been conferred this fellowship so far. At present, 43 fellows are on the roll. Several of the translational research projects pursued by these Kalam Fellows have reached the stage of technology transfer and creation of start-ups including filing up of over 91 patents and setting up of a few technology ventures. The work by incumbent Fellows is progressing well in terms of meeting the objectives contained in the selected project proposals. The Fellows selected in the year 2023-24 are presently working on the following research proposals viz  “Minimally Invasive Real-Time BCI System for Motor Neurorehabilitation Using Machine Learning Co-Processor Chip”; “Neonatal Hearing Screening System Development and Validation”; “Transcutaneous Energy Transfer System for Implantable Medical Devices”; “AI powered Virtual Reality device for fast and accurate diagnosis of visual field defects and impairment in 3D Motion perception”; “Electric Vehicle (EV) agnostic, solar photovoltaic (PV) supportive, cyber secured, bidirectional, single gun charger”; “Development of composite structures for the application in hydrogen storage and distribution integrated with sensor”;  “To develop a high-throughput platform for accelerating the discovery for materials”;  “Chemically Engineered Thermostable Human Insulin for Diabetic Patients”; “Point-of-Care Blood Cell Counter” and “In silico tools for modelling hemodynamics constituents and the responses of vascular walls”.

INAE Events

 I. National Technology Day Celebrations by INAE – Panel Discussion on “AI/ML: Imperatives, Opportunities and Threats” held on 11^th May 2024 (Saturday) in virtual mode.

To commemorate the National Technology Day a Panel Discussion on “AI/ML: Imperatives, Opportunities and Threats” was held on 11^th May 2024 (Saturday) in virtual mode. The following Panelists participated viz Dr Manish Gupta, Director, Google Research India, Bengaluru; Dr Anand Deshpande, Founder Chairman and Managing Director, Persistent Systems, Pune; Dr Rohini Srivathsa, Chief Technical Officer, Microsoft India and South Asia; Mr R. Chandrashekhar, Former Secretary, Department of  IT and Dept of Telecom; Former President, NASSCOM, Chairperson, Centre for Digital Future; Dr Shubhashis Gangopadhyay, Vice Chairperson, Centre for The Digital Future (CDF) & Founding Dean of Indian School of Public Policy, Economics, Law & Economics, Policy Praxis Lab and  Prof Vineeth N Balasubramanian, Department of Computer Science and Engineering, IIT Hyderabad. Prof. Indranil Manna, President, INAE and Vice-Chancellor, BIT, Mesra delivered the Welcome Address.  The event was moderated by Prof. UB Desai, Vice-President, INAE, Professor Emeritus and Former Director, IIT Hyderabad.

II. National Engineers Day 2024 Celebrations by INAE

Celebrations by INAE Headquarters –  Online Distinguished Lectures focused on the theme “Engineering Innovations in Medicine: Pioneering Advances at the Intersection of Technology and Healthcare”.

National Engineers Day is celebrated all over the nation on 15^th September every year to honour the birth anniversary of Bharat Ratna Dr M Visvesvaraya and to highlight the pivotal role of engineering and technology in national development. To commemorate this occasion, Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) celebrated National Engineers Day on 15^th September 2024 (Sunday) morning in virtual mode. The online event comprising distinguished lectures focused on the theme “Engineering Innovations in Medicine: Pioneering Advances at the Intersection of Technology and Healthcare”. The celebration commenced with a Welcome Address by Prof Indranil Manna, President, INAE, who emphasized the importance of engineering innovations in transforming healthcare. Following this, Dr SK Sarin, Director, Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences (ILBS), President, National Academy of Medical Sciences and the Chief Guest of the event delivered the Opening Remarks. His insightful talk, particularly on Personalized Medicine, addressed key topics such as “Polygenic Risk Assessment DT4H, HGP2” and “Organ Regeneration Banking,” inspiring attendees with the potential of these advanced medical technologies.

Thereafter, Prof Suman Chakraborty, FNAE, Institute Chair Professor, Sir JC Bose National Fellow, Former Dean R&D and Head, School of Medical Science & Technology, IIT Kharagpur made a presentation on “Community Transformation via Democratized Diagnostic Technologies for the Underserved.” He showcased his innovative development of ultra-low-cost diagnostic technologies aimed at enhancing disease detection in resource-limited settings. His work includes nucleic acid-based rapid tests and smartphone-based screenings, which empower community health workers and marginalized women, fostering socio-economic transformation and promoting gender parity.

Prof Rohit Srivastava, FNAE, Himanshu Patel Chair Professor in Applied Biosciences and Former Head of Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, IIT Bombay then spoke on “Affordable Healthcare Technologies for India”. He shared insights from his research on biosensors and point-of-care diagnostic technologies designed for rural and maternal healthcare. Prof Srivastava highlighted four commercialized devices: the SYNC Bluetooth integrated glucometer for diabetes management, UChek for routine urine analysis, ToucHb for non-invasive haemoglobin detection, and CareMother, a smartphone platform connecting doctors and pregnant women to monitor high-risk pregnancies in rural areas.

The session was concluded with closing remarks and expression of gratitude to all speakers and participants, reiterating the significance of engineering in advancing healthcare solutions. The event successfully brought together leading experts to discuss the transformative impact of engineering innovations in the healthcare sector. The insights shared during the session underscored the importance of collaboration between engineering and medical fields to address healthcare challenges in India, particularly for underserved populations. National Engineers Day 2024 was a celebration of creativity, innovation, and the commitment of engineers to enhance the quality of life through technology. The event was well attended online and appreciated by all participants and delegates.

III. Engineers Conclave 2024

Engineers Conclave 2024 (EC-2024), an annual mega event organized by the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) jointly with major engineering institutions of the country, was organized together with Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO) on September 26-27, 2024 at the prestigious Defence Research and Development Laboratory in Hyderabad. Prof Indranil Manna, President, INAE and Vice-Chancellor, Birla Institute of Technology (BIT), Mesra, Ranchi and Dr. Samir V Kamat, Secretary DDR&D and Chairman DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India were the Co-Chairs of Engineers Conclave 2024. Dr. Jaiteerth R Joshi, Program Director, DRDL, Hyderabad is the Convener of EC-2024. This year’s Engineers Conclave was a grand celebration of engineering excellence, knowledge sharing, and collaboration showcasing the R&D success stories of DRDO and Industry for Defence Applications. With the two themes focusing on “Additive Manufacturing for Defence Applications” coordinated by Dr G Madhusudhan Reddy, Former Outstanding Scientist and Director, DMRL, Hyderabad and “Defence Manufacturing Technologies,” coordinated by Shri Jitendra J Jadhav, Director General, Aeronautical Development Agency, Bengaluru, which were chosen keeping in view the current national priorities and interests; the event brought together engineers, scientists, researchers, and industry leaders to explore and discuss cutting-edge technologies and advance the state-of art in terms of indigenization in chosen areas.

The Engineers Conclave 2024 was the eleventh such conclave and commenced with an Inaugural Session on September 26, 2024 at DRDL.  The event witnessed a galaxy of eminent luminaries who graced the occasion with their wisdom and insights. The Inaugural Session begun with a warm Welcome Address by Shri U Raja Babu, Director General – Missiles and Strategic Systems (DGMSS) followed by a Presidential Address by Prof. Indranil Manna, President, INAE who presented a brief background of INAE and the Engineers Conclave. The Guest of Honour – Dr. Samir V Kamat, Secretary DDR&D and Chairman DRDO, Ministry of Defence, Govt. of India highlighted pertinent issues in his address followed by the release of the Conclave Souvenir. The Inaugural Session was graced by the Chief Guest – Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Former President, INAE; Chancellor, Homi Bhabha National Institute; Member, AEC; Chairman, Rajiv Gandhi Science & Technology Commission, Govt. of Maharashtra; Former Chairman, AEC.  The Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh Ji sent a Message conveying good wishes for the Conclave which was projected on the screen during the Inaugural Session.

Inaugural Session in Progress

Inaugural Session of Engineers Conclave 2024

Message by Hon’ble Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh

Valedictory Session in progress

The event featured plenary speakers, technical sessions, and networking opportunities, providing a platform for visionaries and innovators to shape the future of engineering in chosen themes of interest. The event highlights included Parallel Technical Sessions on both the themes which provided an opportunity for the delegates to gain knowledge of the latest technological developments, gap areas and promises for future growth on both themes. The Chairman of the Valedictory Session: Dr. G. Satheesh Reddy, Former Scientific Advisor to Raksha Mantri & Former Secretary DD R&D and Chairman DRDO highlighted the salient outcomes of the Conclave. The Co-Chair, Valedictory Session was Shri G. A. Srinivasa Murthy, DS and Director, Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDL) who touched upon the tangible deliverables emanated from the deliberations. The Summing up of Technical Sessions of two Themes by respective Coordinators highlighted all the vital issues discussed and deliberated with a view to bring out actionable recommendations to serve as inputs for policy formulation and to advance the concerned areas. As envisaged, the Engineers Conclave 2024 met the envisaged objectives of providing a common platform for the best engineering minds from R&D organizations, Academic Institutions and industry to share knowledge and innovative ideas with a view to arrive at actionable recommendations to be forwarded to the concerned stakeholders from the Government Departments/agencies and other organizations for the progress of the two themes and advancement of state-of-the-art indigenous technologies in allied areas, thereby paving the way for further technological advancement of the Nation.

Local Chapter Activities and Webinar Series held during May 2024 to September 2024

The following Webinars/activities/meetings/Technical Lectures were conducted during May to September 2024 by INAE and Local Chapters.

INAE Bhubaneswar Chapter

(i) 35th Distinguished Lecture Lecture- 35 of INAE Distinguished Lecture Series jointly organised by INAE Bhubaneswar Chapter, SOA University, CSIR-IMMT Bhubaneswar, IIT Bhubaneswar, NISER Bhubaneswar and IEEE Bhubaneswar Sub-section and delivered by Prof. Dipti Ranjan Sahoo, Associate Dean (Infrastructure), Professor of Structural Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi on 9th May, 2024 on “Anti-seismic devices for earthquake resilient infrastructure” held online.

(ii) 36th Lecture of the INAE Distinguished Lecture Series jointly organised by INAE Bhubaneswar Chapter, SOA University, CSIR-IMMT Bhubaneswar, IIT Bhubaneswar, NISER Bhubaneswar and IEEE Bhubaneswar Sub-section and delivered by Prof. Partha P. Chakrabarti, Dept of Computer Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur on the topic “Artificial Intelligence – Emerging Face of Scientific, Industrial and Social Revolution: Challenges and Opportunities for India” on 17th May 2024 in virtual mode.

Key Points: This talk provided a glimpse of modern Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) and showcased its power and scope in solving scientific, industrial and social problems in a new way. It also highlighted the dangers of using AI/ML in an inappropriate manner and the precautions to be taken. Finally, the talk presented the challenges and opportunities that it offers for a country like India and its aspirations.

You tube Video Recording Link : https://youtu.be/MKkxe05Giqs
People Participated: 65

(iii) 37th Distinguished Lecture of INAE Distinguished Lecture Series was jointly organised by INAE Bhubaneswar Chapter, SOA University, CSIR-IMMT Bhubaneswar, IIT Bhubaneswar, NISER Bhubaneswar and IEEE Bhubaneswar Sub-section and delivered by Prof. Venkatesh Kodur, University Distinguished Professor and Director, Michigan State University, USA on 18th July, 2024 on “World Trade Center Building Disaster: Stimulus for Fire Safety Innovation” in virtual mode.

Key Points: Fire represents one of the most severe environmental hazards to which buildings and built infrastructure is subjected to, and thus provision of appropriate fire safety measures is a major requirement in building design. Fires can threaten life safety and also can lead to significant economic and public losses. The magnitude of fire problem is getting worse in recent years, especially in countries like India, due to increasing urbanization, higher fuel loads in buildings, innovative structural and architectural concepts, and the use of high performing construction materials with poor fire resistance properties. However, much of the fire safety design provisions in current building codes and standards are based on outdated prescriptive based methodologies that may not be fully applicable to current design scenarios.

The September 11th World Trade Center (WTC) disaster, in which fires played a major devastating role in the loss of life and the destruction of numerous buildings around Ground Zero, offers an ideal case study to highlight the drawbacks in the current fire safety provisions, and to explore innovative strategies for enhanced fire safety in buildings. This 9-11 terrorist incident was the worst building disaster in history resulting in the largest loss of life from building collapses in North America. Following the disaster, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the City of New York, and several other federal agencies and organizations established a high-profile “Experts Team” to investigate the collapse and damage to the buildings around Ground Zero. This ‘Building Performance Assessment Team’ (BPAT) investigation comprised of site visits to Ground Zero, forensic survey of the WTC site, land-fill, and steel recycling centres, review of videotape records and eyewitness accounts, interviews with building design teams, and analysis using computer models. Based on this information, the team produced a detailed report with a number of recommendations for achieving enhanced fire safety in buildings, and this investigation report was submitted to US Congress. The lessons learned from this investigation offer a unique opportunity to develop innovative strategies and technologies for minimizing the adverse impact of fire hazard in built infrastructure.

In the first part of the presentation, an overview of the results from the building performance investigation of the WTC disaster was presented. The overall damage to the buildings and infrastructure in “Ground Zero” area was reviewed and discussed. The devastating role of fires and the combined failure of all three levels of fire defense mechanisms that led to collapse of the Twin Towers and other buildings were explained. The conclusions and recommendations, documented in the FEMA and National Institute of Standards Technology (NIST) reports, were summarized. In the second part of the presentation, fire performance problems in modern buildings and infrastructure were discussed and the drawbacks in current fire safety design provisions were highlighted. The various innovations and technologies that are needed to address fire safety issues in modern buildings and infrastructure were highlighted. In addition, some of the recent changes being implemented in the US codes and standards for enhanced fire safety in buildings were outlined.
People Participated: 48

(iv) 38th Lecture of the INAE Distinguished Lecture Series was jointly organised by INAE Bhubaneswar Chapter, SOA University, CSIR-IMMT Bhubaneswar, IIT Bhubaneswar, NISER Bhubaneswar and IEEE Bhubaneswar Sub-section and delivered by Prof. Radhakant Padhi, Professor, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore on the “Autopilot Inspired Artificial Pancreas for Type-1 Diabetic Patients of India” on 19th July, 2024 in virtual mode.

Key Points: Type-1 diabetic patients have pancreatic failure and are incapable of secreting any insulin to the blood plasma. Hence, if untreated, they cannot live for long time. The current practice, which is largely followed in the world, is through daily multiple insulin injections. Unfortunately, however, besides being a painful practice, it normally leads to gross inaccuracies, thereby not being able to harvest the full potential of insulin. Fortunately, commercially available insulin pumps are now available which can be programmed to deliver the desired amount of insulin in a very slow rate. However, because they operate continuously for a long time, inaccuracies in manual programming also leads to inaccuracies leading to glucose excursions beyond the desired limits. To address this issue, the current approach in the world is to develop a robust closed-loop feedback system, called artificial pancreas, wherein a small amount of insulin is continuously infused into the patient’s body through the subcutaneous route by an insulin pump, depending on the situation of the patient as sensed by a subcutaneous CGM sensor.

This talk gave an overview of the Artificial Pancreas (AP) concept, followed by the specific activities being carried out by the speaker at the Indian Institute of Science, in collaboration with MS Ramaiah Medical College, in Bangalore, towards the development of an effective artificial pancreas system for Type-1 diabetic patients of India. A large part of this research has been inspired by the speaker’s experience in designing AP (auto-pilot) systems for aerospace systems. From a modest beginning in 2017, substantial progress has been made in both back-end and front-end developments, leading to successful lab testing followed by clinical trials under controlled environment. The current status of this research as well as the future plan of action towards realizing this dream were outlined in this talk.
People Participated: 96

(v) 39th Lecture of the INAE Distinguished Lecture Series was jointly organised by INAE Bhubaneswar Chapter, SOA University, CSIR-IMMT Bhubaneswar, IIT Bhubaneswar, NISER Bhubaneswar and IEEE Bhubaneswar Sub-section and delivered by 39th Distinguished Lecture by INAE Bhubaneswar Chapter on “Human-Centric Manufacturing – a new era” by Prof. Surjya K. Pal, Professor, IIT Kharagpur on 30th September 2024 in virtual mode.

INAE Bangalore Chapter

(i) One-day Workshop on “EcoDrive: Accelerating Sustainable Electric Mobility” on May 11, 2024 as part of Technology Day Celebrations of INAE Bangalore Chapter
One-day Workshop on “EcoDrive: Accelerating Sustainable Electric Mobility” was organized by INAE Bangalore Chapter and Dayananda Sagar University (DSU) on May 11, 2024 at Devarakaggalahalli, Karnataka. A student competition participated by teams from several colleges was also held. The following talks were held at the event:
(i) Prof. S Sampath, Professor, Inorganic and Physical Chemistry, IISc, Bangalore delivered a talk on batteries.
(ii) Dr L Venkatakrishnan, Chief Scientist, National Aerospace Laboratories, Bangalore delivered a talk on the topic: “Towards Perpetual Flight: A Solar Electric High-Altitude Aircraft”.
(iii) Dr Ganesh Murthy CNS, Principal Engineer Daimler Truck Innovation Centre, India, Bangalore delivered a talk on the topic: “Electric Vehicles: Systems, Architecture, Implementation, Testing and Data Analysis”.

(ii) The third Professor Roddam Narasimha Memorial Lecture was jointly organised by CSIR-NAL and INAE Bangalore Chapter on “Complex system approach to investigate and mitigate combustion instability in turbulent combustors” on 22nd July 2024 and delivered by Prof RI Sujith, IIT Madras.

INAE Delhi Chapter
(i) Information Session on INAE Individual Membership organized by INAE Delhi Chapter on 19th September 2024 at IIT Delhi.
(ii) Seminar organized by INAE Delhi Chapter on “Concepts for Frequency Sweep and Efficient Repeated Analysis in the context of Vibroacoustic Optimization and Uncertainty Quantification” by Professor Subodh V. Modak, Director of the International Institute of Acoustics and Vibrations, Technical University of Munich on 30th September 2024 in virtual mode.

INAE Kolkata Chapter
Celebration of National Engineers Day by INAE Kolkata Chapter
INAE Kolkata Chapter in association with the Academy of Technology (AoT), Adisaptagram, Hooghly, West Bengal, celebrated Engineers’ Day 2024 on September 15, 2024 by organizing a thematic lecture and a talk on experiential learning at AoT. Prof. Sankar K Pal, the Founder Member of the INAE Kolkata Chapter, delivered this year’s Engineers’ Day Lecture. The talk, titled “Machine Intelligence and Data Science: Why and How?” was aimed at enlightening the budding engineers with an overarching perspective of the rapidly emerging role of AI in today’s engineering landscape. This talk was followed by a lecture on “Spark Your Creativity: Blend Hardware with Innovative Programming” by Dr. Souvick Chatterjee of Mathworks. The event was attended by INAE Fellows, faculty and engineering students from Kolkata.

INAE Kanpur Chapter
(i) Materials Camp at IIT Kanpur (May 3-6, 2024)

The Materials Camp at IIT Kanpur was held from May 3-6, 2024, in collaboration with the ASM International Kanpur Chapter, INAE Kanpur Chapter, and IIM Kanpur Chapter. This camp brought together students for an immersive experience featuring hands-on workshops, interactive lectures, and collaborative projects. Attendees explored the latest advancements in materials research and their practical applications through real-world problem-solving activities. The collaboration with INAE emphasized the importance of bridging academic research with industry needs, promoting knowledge exchange, and preparing participants for future technological challenges. This event not only enhanced technical skills but also fostered networking and collaboration among the next generation of engineers and scientists. A total of 37 students and 8 faculty members participated in the workshop.

(ii) Virtual Lab Workshop at IIT Kanpur

The Virtual Lab Workshop at IIT Kanpur was held on May 5, 2024, in collaboration with the ASM International Kanpur Chapter, INAE Kanpur Chapter, and IIM Kanpur Chapter and Materials Science and Engineering, IIT Kanpur. This workshop aimed to demonstrate the cutting-edge applications of virtual reality in enhancing the educational experience for science and engineering students. Participants engaged in hands-on sessions where they navigated through VR simulations. A total of 37 students and 8 faculty members participated in the workshop. Expert speakers from IIT Kanpur shared insights on the latest VR technologies, best practices for integration into academic curricula, and the potential of VR to revolutionize traditional laboratory education. This collaborative event underscored the commitment to leveraging advanced technologies to improve learning outcomes and prepare students for future challenges in the technological landscape.

Virtual Lab Workshop at IIT Kanpur

INAE Forums

 I. Meeting of INAE Forum on Engineering Interventions for Disaster Mitigation held on June 22, 2024 in virtual mode chaired by Prof DN Singh, IIT Bombay, Mumbai. During the said meeting the following points were deliberated viz. “Climate Resilient Infrastructure Landscape: Are We Ready with Engineering Solutions?”, by Prof. SS Chakraborty; Alternate Perspective for Strategic Framework: A Shift Towards Societal Resilience – A Strategic Framework for Engineering Interventions in Disaster Mitigation, proposed by Prof. Nagesh R. Iyer; white paper on the man-made and unforced disasters in the built habitat, by Ms Alpa Sheth; Need for a Sharp Focus and SOPs for Specific Engineering Interventions for Disaster Mitigation, by Prof. N. Raghavan; Climate change and the enhancement in frequencies/intensities of natural disasters, by Prof. U. C. Mohanty; Increasing flood frequencies under climate change and Digital Twin for Floods in Bangalore city, by Prof. P. P. Mujumdar and Disaster management and economic development, by Dr. B.C. Roy. The progress on above reports/white papers were reviewed in the meeting.

 II. Meetings of INAE Forum on Civil Infrastructure

The Forum had undertaken a study on “Sustainability of the Built Environment”, so as to prepare a report with recommendations on policies and actions required for sustainability in respect of civil infrastructure. The issues being addressed include sustainability at all stages, like functional design, detailed engineering, selection of materials, construction methodology, construction management; Recyclability and use of waste materials in the building and construction sector. During the meeting on July 12, 2024, the draft structure of contents of the report and the work in progress was reviewed. It was highlighted that three groups of materials were discussed, viz. (i) those materials which are already established by research and practice and codal provision etc exists, (ii) materials that are researched and found very promising, but codal provisions are yet not available, (iii) the future materials that are in plan for research and testing. Various aspects of recommendations were discussed such as policy incentives to promote sustainable materials, durability of structures, construction practices and skill development which are being actively pursued by the Members of the Forum. During the meeting on August 22, 2024 the draft Chapters prepared by the Members were discussed for comments and suggestions before finalization. The issue of demand and supply status of materials shall also be incorporated in the report suitably. During the online meeting on September 12, 2024 the draft Chapters prepared by the Members were reviewed.

Joint Initiatives with DST

 I. India-Taiwan Programme of Cooperation in Science & Technology

International Cooperation Division (ICD), DST entrusted INAE to implement India-Taiwan joint program from 2023 onwards. This cooperation is being coordinated by National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) from Taiwan’s side. It is a joint program of cooperation between India and Taiwan and a joint call for proposal is launched every year. In this regard, a MoU was signed between INAE and ICD, DST on May 15, 2023 in presence of the Secretary, DST, and the President, INAE wherein it was discussed to launch a call for proposal (CFP) for the projects to be implemented from 2024 onwards and to implement the eleven approved projects for year 2023. For this year, a call for proposals was launched on June 1, 2024 with last date as July 31, 2024. The priority areas for R&D projects are Artificial Intelligence, IoT (Internet of Things), Big Data, Cyber Security; Biotechnology, Healthcare including Functional Genomics, Drug Development and Biomedical Devices; Agriculture and Food Sciences; Green Energy Technology/ Renewable Energy (solar energy and bioenergy)/ Clean Energy; Semiconductor & Communication; Aerospace Technology and Manufacturing Technologies. A total of 165 eligible proposals have been received. Expert evaluation of the above proposals is ongoing in September 2024 by domain experts from Project Evaluation Committee for selection of projects.

II. Vaishvik Bharatiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Fellowship

A Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was signed between DST and INAE for implementation of Vaishvik Bharatiya Vaigyanik (VAIBHAV) Fellowship on July 15, 2024. The background is as follows. International Cooperation Division (ICD) of the Department of Science & Technology deals with International Scientific and Technological Affairs including the negotiations and implementation of Scientific, Technological and Innovation (STI) Cooperation Agreements and is responsible for the implementation of scientific and technological activities with various international counterpart organizations. The co-operations are sought under bilateral, multilateral or regional framework modes for facilitating and strengthening interactions among governments, academia, institutions and industries in areas of mutual interest. This initiative is pursuant to Government of India VAIBHAV Summit organized in October 2020 to connect Indian STEMM diaspora with Indian Institutions. In this connection, the Government has taken a step further to shape and implement the VAIBHAV programme and announced VAIBHAV Fellowship Call-2023 in June 2023 as a first step and the results were announced on 23 Jan 2024. On the same day, the 2nd cycle of 1st year Call of VAIBAHV Fellowships was announced which get closed on 31 March 2024. DST has assigned INAE to administer and implement VAIBHAV Fellowship. The Roles and Responsibilities of INAE on behalf of the Department of Science & Technology will be to extend financial support to VAIBHAV fellows, depending on rules and regulations as laid out by DST.

Joint Consultative Committees

 A Meeting of the DRDO-INAE Consultative Committee was held on September 26, 2024 at DRDL, Hyderabad in physical mode wherein the Agenda points included Membership of INAE; Nomination of DRDO Scientists for INAE Fellowship and Young Engineers for Young Associates and DRDO- INAE joint programs

International Affairs

I. CAETS 2024 Annual Meeting

CAETS Annual Meeting was held in Helsinki, Finland from July 1-3, 2024 in which INAE Delegation led by Prof Indranil Manna President, INAE participated. Prof Indranil Manna made presentations to the CAETS Board of Directors and CAETS Council to inform them about the progress and recommendations made by the CAETS Engineering Education Working Group (EEWG) Co-Chaired by President, INAE and the efforts were much appreciated. The EEWG meeting was also held on July 1, 2024 in hybrid mode. Some of the recommendations and suggestions are as follows: Engineering education (EE) must have inbuilt components of flexibility and inter-disciplinarity to converge on a system engineering approach; Need for adult education through refresher courses; Emphasis on design and problem-solving ability in the curriculum; Accreditation should not make teaching very rigid and strait-jacketed and EEWG should collaborate with the Working Group on AI. The CAETS Communication Committee meeting was also held on July 1, 2024 in hybrid mode which has representation from INAE Fellowship. The theme of CAETS 2024 conference was Carbon Neutral Technologies and Society, that is, carbon neutral society, its prerequisites, and technical solutions and the presentations made by the international experts were informative and rich in technical content. The meeting was a success in meeting the objectives and the contributions of INAE in CAETS Working Groups and important meetings were well appreciated.

II. 7th INAE-NAEK Workshop on “Current Status and Cooperation Plan of the Satellites for Observing the Earth” held on August 19-20, 2024

The 7th INAE-NAEK Workshop on “Current Status and Cooperation Plan of the Satellites for Observing the Earth,” held online from August 19-20, 2024, successfully gathered leading experts from India and South Korea to discuss the latest advancements in satellite technology and explore avenues for international collaboration. The workshop opened with welcome addresses by Prof. Indranil Manna, President INAE, and Dr. Kinam Kim, President of NAEK, setting the tone for two days of engaging discussions on the importance of satellite technology in addressing global challenges. Prof Indranil Manna highlighted the wide-ranging scope of applications of remote sensing satellites. He recalled that the two academies have been collaborating steadily for several years and proposed developing further collaborations among the two countries such as joint student supervision or exchange programs. Dr Kinam Kim highlighted the technological feasibility of cooperation among the countries in the Aerospace sector and expressed his confidence that fruitful collaborations would materialize between the two countries.

The keynote speeches provided deep insights into the benefits of observing Earth from space and the status of satellite development worldwide, with a particular focus on climate monitoring. The Keynote speech by Dr Shailesh Nayak, Director, National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), Bengaluru & Chancellor, TERI School of Advanced Studies, Delhi highlighted the importance of standardisation of sensor specifications, use of satellite image analytics and the necessity of developing models combining satellite information and physical models for coastal zone management, hazard assessment and climate study and the Indian efforts in this regard. The keynote speaker from Korea, Dr. Joojin Lee, Chair, Advisory Committee on Science and Technology Diplomacy, Previous President of Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) gave an overview of the global trends in satellite development as well as the status of Earth observation and climate monitoring and summarised the efforts of KASA and KARI in developing satellites for climate monitoring mission and upcoming missions such as Luna Lander and Mars Lander.

The technical sessions that followed were chaired by esteemed professionals from both countries and covered a wide range of topics, including the development of core technologies for satellite image utilization, AI technology applications, and policy frameworks for accessing and utilizing satellite data in the private sector. Dr BN Suresh, FNAE, Former President, INAE & Chancellor, Indian Institute of Space Science & Technology (IIST) and Honorary Distinguished Professor, ISRO Headquarters, Bengaluru and Prof Jai-ick Yoh, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Seoul National University acted as the session chairs on the first day while Prof. RI Sujith, FNAE, Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Dr. Changjin Lee, Research Fellow, Korea Association for Space Technology Promotion were the session chairs on the second day of the workshop.

The first day of the technical sessions commenced with Dr. Taegyun Jeon, CEO & Founder, SI Analytics who briefed about the space partnership between India and Korea exploring the joint satellite applications. The potential and realized benefits of a strategic partnership in space exploration and satellite technology were dwelt upon and key areas such as historical and current collaborations, technological synergies, joint satellite applications, and the economic and social impacts were discussed. The second speaker, Dr Nilesh Desai, Distinguished Scientist and Director, Space Applications Centre, ISRO, Ahmedabad discussed India’s Spaceborne payloads and associated technologies for product generation. The future trends in various space technologies, which are fed into the design and realisation of space-borne advanced remote sensing payloads and instrumentations for various Electro-optical and Microwave remote sensing satellite missions were touched upon. The various indigenous space and ground segment technologies and their applications for satellite product generation for earth observation and societal benefits were also elucidated.

The third speaker, Dr. Young-Je Park, CRO, TelePIX demonstrated the importance of leveraging high-resolution optical imagery to address coastal water issues. His presentation explored the importance of satellites in addressing critical coastal ocean issues in Korea such as harmful algal blooms (HABs), floating algae, and floating marine debris. The uncertainties in the satellite products, lack of timely satellite data or insufficient spatial and temporal resolutions were discussed and an integrated approach utilizing both high-resolution satellite imagery and high-frequency images from geostationary ocean colour sensor was proposed to effectively monitor and manage these coastal ocean issues.

Mr Suyash Singh, CEO & Co-founder, GalaxEye Space, Bengaluru spoke about bringing consistency in satellite imaging world through Drishti satellite (Multi-Sensor Satellite). His talk included the inconsistencies observed in satellite imagery and the adoption of Multi-sensor satellites in overcoming them for widespread commercial adoption. He stated that Generative AI is the way forward towards consistent, highly available and easily interpretable imagery.

The technical sessions on the second day commenced with Dr. Il-Seok Oh, Vice President, Korean Academy of Space Security who summarised the law and policy that are being utilized for satellite data and images in Korea. He highlighted the increased utilization of satellites by Korean government ministries and agencies and the promotion of legislation and policies to meet specialized and diverse demands for satellite information and to prevent inefficiencies in satellite operations operated by diverse governmental and public stakeholders. He dwelt upon the concepts of openness and security of satellite information and emphasised that sustainable growth emerged due to the paradigm shift from the concept of “growth of people” to “growth with people” to solve the global problems.

The second speaker, Mr Ganesh Mohan, Assistant Director, Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), Department of Space, Government of India, Ahmedabad addressed the audience on behalf of Shri Vinod Kumar, Director, IN-SPACe. He briefed about the role of IN-SPACe under Department of Space (DOS), to promote, enable, authorize and supervise Non-Government Entities (NGEs) and academia to undertake space related activities. He also stated that IN-SPACe acts as a bridge, connecting user needs with private companies and ISRO’s technical expertise. This talk delved into how IN-SPACe, is translating Government of India’s vision into reality. The third speaker, Dr Tae-Byeong Chae, Executive Director, National Satellite Operation & Application Center, Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), shared information on satellite data distribution policy & utilization in Korea. He mentioned the initiatives undertaken by Korean Government to organize a national satellite information utilization council to provide satellite data for public purposes. The fourth speaker, Mr Prateep Basu, Chief Executive Officer, Satsure, Bengaluru, gave a talk on the Earth Observation: The Commercialisation Paradigm from Imagery to Intelligence. He briefed regarding the software and analytical applications built using Earth Observation data that bridges advanced space technology with practical, real-world needs, supporting industries such as agriculture, disaster management, environmental monitoring, and defense. The shift from imagery to insights, transforming the Earth observation industry, making satellite data more valuable and integral to solving real-world challenges was also highlighted.

The fifth speaker, Dr Hyo Jin Yang, Senior Researcher, National Land Satellite Center of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport spoke about the first satellite mission for public application and service in South Korea, CAS500-1/2. In her presentation, she shared the status of satellite operation, research and development for the utilization of products, and also about the achievements on data utilization and distribution since October, 2021. The last speaker for the session, Dr Saptarshi Mondal, Manager, Vassar Labs, Hyderabad spoke in the session on behalf of Mr Nikhilesh Kumar, Co-founder & CEO, Vassar Labs, Hyderabad. He touched upon cloud-based processing and analytical platform for agriculture, water, urban, and forest Monitoring using EO data. The adoption of cloud based automated satellite data processing and analytical platforms was proposed to be a possible solution for the challenges in operational monitoring using satellite data. He demonstrated the fieldWISE, aquaWISE and cityWISE platform developed for the monitoring agriculture, water and urban landscape changes. He stated that the WISE platform significantly enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of monitoring and management processes across various domains.

Throughout the workshop, experts presented on various aspects of satellite technology, such as the commercialization of earth observation data, the role of public satellite missions, and the development of cloud-based platforms for processing environmental data. The sessions underscored the critical role that satellite technology plays in fields like climate monitoring, agriculture, and urban planning. The event concluded with a series of productive Q&A sessions and closing remarks from the session chairs, reinforcing the importance of continued cooperation between India and South Korea. The workshop not only facilitated the exchange of innovative ideas but also laid the groundwork for future collaboration, highlighting the shared commitment of both countries to advancing satellite technology for the benefit of humanity.

III. CAETS Engineering Education Working Group

The CAETS Engineering Education Working Group (EEWG) has been created to help CAETS in contributing to continuous improvement and modernization of engineering education and practice internationally and promoting ethics in engineering education, research and practice. Prof Indranil Manna, President, INAE, has been entrusted with the responsibility to Chair the Working Group along with Vice-Chair Dr Katherine Frase of USA-NAE at the behest of CAETS. Representatives from twenty-two-member countries are the members of this Working Group. Several meetings of the CAETS EEWG, comprising of representatives from 22 Member Academies, have been organized so far. The Seventh CAETS Engineering Education Working Group Meeting co-Chaired by Prof Indranil Manna, President, INAE and Dr Katherine Frase, US, NAE was held on August 20, 2024 over WebEx to discuss country-specific details pertaining to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) related issues (e.g., protection, sharing, cost, rate of translation, efficacy, etc.) and Accreditation of teaching course-curriculum and processes – the need for global cooperation and uniform standards.  The representatives from the Member Academies of CAETS presented an abstract on each country specific inputs. The information and status of each of the member countries enabled the Members to appreciate the status, lacunae, good practices, and advantages better to be included in the report under preparation by the Working Group.

IV. CAETS Communication Committee

The CAETS Communication Committee was constituted with an objective of the Committee is to develop and maintain a CAETS Style Guide that sets content and style guidelines and defines templates for all CAETS Communications (statements, reports, videos, website, etc.). The committee also supports review of draft documents. Prof Amit Agrawal, IIT Bombay, FNAE is INAE representative at the CAETS Communication Committee and participated in the meeting held on June 11, 2024 in virtual mode. The Agenda of the meeting was to review the submissions for the Communications Prize by the judges and for the Members to provide Academy style guides for reports prepared by CAETS. The contributions by INAE Representatives in CAETS Committee meetings are always well appreciated.

       Election of Fellows, Foreign Fellows and Young Associates

Nominations for Fellowship, Foreign Fellowship and Young Associates were invited in January 2024 with last date of April 15, 2024. A total of 369 valid nominations for Fellowship (134 New and 235 carried forward from 2022 and 2023) and 25 valid nominations for Foreign Fellowship (10 New and 15 carried forward) were considered by the Sectional Committees during their meetings from May 15, 2024 to May 31, 2024 to shortlist nominees for “Peer Review” and identify suitable domain experts to carry out the review. Based on the recommendations of the Sectional Committees during their meetings held in the months of July/Aug 2024 over WebEx, the Conveners of all Sectional Committees made presentations to the Council on the nominations recommended for Election of Fellows.  The details of nominees elected as Fellows/Foreign Fellows have been uploaded on INAE website and can be viewed at the link https://www.inae.in/nomination-information/

INAE Young Associate

The INAE Governing Council, during its 146^th Meeting on March 27, 2023 instituted an “INAE Young Associate” recognition in lieu of the erstwhile INAE Young Engineer Award with no prize money and similar guidelines due to directives from DST to suspend awards. Accordingly, nominations were invited from INAE Fellows; Directors of IITs, NITs and VC of Central Universities; and Heads of R&D organizations and Industry. Out of a total of 110 nominations considered, 46 were shortlisted by the Sectional Committees during their meetings held between 15^th to 31^st May 2024 for making presentation before the Selection Committee for Young Associate. Twenty nine candidates for INAE Young Associate 2024 were recommended by Selection Committee for Young Associate during meetings held on 8^th and 9^th August 2024 as per details given at the link https://www.inae.in/young-criteria/

INAE Publications

Transactions of Indian National Academy of Engineering – An International Journal of Engineering and   Technology”

INAE is currently publishing a Journal named “Transactions of Indian National Academy of Engineering – International Journal of Engineering and Technology” published by M/s Springer which was earlier named INAE Letters. Transactions of INAE Volume 9, Issue 2, June 2024 and Issue 3, September 2024 were  published through Springer Publishers during the period May to September 2024.

Donations to INAE Corpus Fund

Prof Indranil Manna, President, INAE has written several letters addressed to the Fellowship wherein he recalled that the Department of Science and Technology (DST), as directed by the Department of Expenditure, Government of India (GoI) is in the process of disengaging itself from the activities of INAE including providing the annual financial support w.e.f. 01^st April 2025. To address the issue of sustainability of INAE, several meetings were held with high level Government officials, former Presidents and senior Fellows of INAE, and industry leaders in the two years since the formal letter from DST (dated 6.5.22) was served to INAE about disengagement. While efforts had been made to impress upon the Government that INAE is essential to realize the country’s agenda on engineering and technology, it had become amply clear that INAE must undertake a serious effort to generate an adequate Corpus Fund and attain financial self-sufficiency.

INAE has worked out a strategy to generate a Corpus Fund of Rs 100 crores to ensure its sustainability with financial and functional autonomy seeking contributions from (i) Corporate Donations/Membership; (ii) Institutional Membership (Academic and R&D institutions); (iii) Individual Donations/Membership; (iv) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); (v) Government/ Projects; and (vi) Publications. Many of our esteemed Fellows have already contributed to this cause, voluntarily and with alacrity. INAE gratefully acknowledges their contributions to bolster our collective efforts and resolution.  The details for forwarding of donations and tax benefits to donors are given below:

Bank Details for receipt of donation to INAE:

Name of beneficiary: INAE Corpus Fund

Account Number: 41790835603

Bank Address: Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Mehrauli Road, New Delhi

Type of Account: Savings

IFSC: SBIN0001624

Tax benefits for donors

The contribution to the INAE Corpus Fund qualifies to be considered under the category of donation and is eligible for 50% tax deduction under section 80G. The donors will get a receipt and the 80G certificate within a fortnight.

INAE is extremely grateful to all Fellows who have generously contributed to the INAE Corpus Fund and welcomes further contributions/donations from Fellows, Young Associates, Awardees; Industry Leaders and Industry Houses etc with a view to achieving self-sufficiency in functioning in the near future. A donor wall containing names of Fellows who have generously donated is posted on INAE website at the link https://www.inae.in/donor-wall/

Categories of Memberships Introduced in INAE

INAE Membership was introduced to embrace a wider reach and participation of engineering community, which shall be accorded to working professionals in engineering in the industry, R&D or academic institutions, engineering services, entrepreneurship firms, and government/private agencies. After a duly approved process, Individual Membership will be awarded to aspiring mid-career to senior engineering professionals, to give them a fillip for their future professional journeys who still have milestones to achieve in their career path, before they attain the gold standards to be elected as Fellows of INAE. Individual Membership entails a yearly fee and is as per timelines. The Fellowship retains the premier Gold Standard and the Membership category is independent and by no means affects the prestige of the Fellowship category. An appeal has been made to all Fellows to support these initiatives and help facilitate a greater number of Memberships in all three categories – Institutional, Corporate and Individual Memberships. INAE Fellows have been requested to help facilitate forwarding of nominations for Memberships in all three categories – Institutional, Corporate and Individual Memberships.

May 2024
i. Meeting of Program Management and Advisory Committee (PMAC) on SERB-INAE Online and Digital Gaming Research Initiative held on May 2, 2024 over WebEx.
ii. 5th Meeting of the CAETS Engineering Education Working Group (EEWG) held on May 9, 2024 over WebEx
iii. Meetings of Conveners of 10 Sectional Committees with President and Vice-President, (Fellowship, Awards and Corporate Communication) on May 14, 2024 over WebEx.
iv. First Meetings of 10 INAE Sectional Committees from May 15, 2024 to May 31, 2024 to shortlist nominees for Peer Review for Fellowship and Foreign Fellowship 2024 and INAE Young Associates 2024.
v. Meeting of Action Group of Forum on Civil Infrastructure held on May 15, 2024 over WebEx.
vi. Meeting to plan conduct of Engineers Conclave 2024 on May 21, 2024 over WebEx.
vii. ISRO-INAE Consultative Committee Meeting at ISRO Headquarters, Bengaluru on May 22, 2024 in hybrid mode.
viii. Annual Meeting of Kharagpur Local Chapter on May 24, 2024 at IIT Kharagpur in hybrid mode.

June 2024
i. 48th Apex Committee Meeting on June 6, 2024 over WebEx
ii. Meeting to plan conduct of Engineers Conclave 2024 on June 10, 2024 over WebEx
iii. Progress on Financial autonomy of INAE- Meeting of INAE Chapters with President INAE on June 18, 2024 over WebEx
iv. 41st Finance Committee Meeting on June 19, 2024 in hybrid mode
v. Meeting of the Advisory Committee for update on generation of INAE Corpus Fund and Way Forward held on June 20, 2024 over WebEx
vi. Meeting to Plan the conduct of Engineers Conclave -2024 held on June 25, 2024 over WebEx
vii. 151st INAE Governing Council Meeting on June 28, 2024 in hybrid mode
viii. 36th Annual General Meeting of Fellows held on June 28, 2024 over WebEx

July 2024
i. Online Meeting of Conveners of Sectional Committees with President, INAE on July 12, 2024
ii. Preliminary Meeting to discuss Nomination for Fellowship 2024 on July 17, 2024 over WebEx
iii. Online Meeting to discuss Individual Membership on July 22, 2024
iv. Meetings of 10 Sectional Committees from July 18-31, 2024 to discuss and recommend nominations for Fellowship and Foreign Fellowship 2024 for consideration of the Governing Council for final selection of Fellows during its next meeting on August 23, 2024.

August 2024
i. Second Online Meeting of Sectional Committee X (Interdisciplinary and Special Engineering Fields and leadership in Academia, R&D and Industry) on August 5, 2024.
ii. Fifth online meeting to plan conduct of Engineers Conclave 2024 on August 6, 2024.
iii. Online Meetings of Selection Committee for INAE Young Associate 2024 held on August 8-9, 2024
iv. Second online Meeting of Individual Membership Committee on August 13, 2024.
v. Selection Committee Meeting for nominees to be elected for fellowship under Rule 37 (g) on August 14, 2024 over WebEx
vi. Selection Committee Meeting for nominees to be elected as Foreign Fellows on August 14, 2024 over WebEx
vii. Online Meeting of INAE Publication Committee on August 21, 2024
viii. 152nd Meeting of INAE Governing Council held on August 23, 2024 at New Delhi in hybrid mode.
ix. Special General Meeting of Fellows held on August 23, 2024 at New Delhi in virtual/hybrid mode.
x. Online meeting to plan conduct of Engineers Conclave 2024 held on August 27, 2024.

September 2024
i. Online meeting to plan conduct of Engineers Conclave 2024 held on September 9, 2024.
ii. Information Session on Individual Membership of INAE held on September 19, 2024 at Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi in hybrid mode

To view a list of International/ National Conferences/Seminars being held in the month of October/ November 2024, click here….

INAE has created a Facebook and Twitter Account to post the news of recent INAE activities in the Social Media. The same can be viewed at the link below.

(a) Facebook -link https://www.facebook.com/pages/Indian-National-Academy-of-Engineering/714509531987607?ref=hl

(b) Twitter handle link https://twitter.com/inaehq1

Dr. CR Prasad

(January 14, 1941 – July 13, 2024)

          Dr. CR Prasad, FNAE, Chairman, Patikari Power Private, Gurgaon and Former Chairman & Managing Director, GAIL (India) Limited, born on January 14, 1941 passed away on 13th July 2024. Dr Prasad was affiliated to Engineering Section – IV (Chemical Engineering) and elected to INAE Fellowship in the year 1999.

          Dr. CR Prasad joined (Gas Authority of India Limited) GAIL as Director (Planning) in 1994 and rose to the position of CMD in 1996. He was instrumental in transforming GAIL into a company strategically positioned for forward and backward integration, thereby unlocking the full potential of the gas value chain. His visionary leadership established a robust foundation, characterized by the core values and competencies. He was instrumental in steering GAIL towards becoming a pivotal layer in the Indian public sector. He consistently delivered projects on time and within budget, solidifying his reputation in the LPG, Liquid Hydrocarbons, and Petrochemicals sectors. His tenure saw the implementation of the Pata petrochemical complex, JLPL, HBJ Upgradation and many other important projects.

May God bless her soul to Rest in Peace

Dr. MS Valiathan

(May 24, 1934 – 17th July 2024)

        Dr. MS Valiathan, FNAE, National Research Professor, Manipal University, Manipal; Founder Director, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology (SCTIMST), Trivandrum and formerly VC, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, born on May 24, 1934 passed away on 17th July 2024. Dr Valiathan was affiliated to Engineering Section – X (Interdisciplinary and Special Engineering Fields and Leadership in Academic Institutions, R&D and Industry) and elected to INAE Fellowship in the year 1987.

      Dr Valiathan had made outstanding contributions as a renowned cardiac surgeon and in the field of Prosthetic Materials. His significant contributions to laying the foundation for the nation’s Indigenous medical technology development are well recognized. He was responsible for the Indigenous development of the first-ever mechanical heart valve prosthesis of the nation, the TTK-Chitra valve – a product that took 12 years to develop and he and his team implanted the first valve at SCTIMST in 1990. The Chitra Heart Valve Prosthesis stands as a true testament to an Indigenous, resource-intensive and cost-effective biomedical device in the nation. The low-cost, fully-indigenous mechanical valve has since been a life-saver for millions of poor in India who suffered heart valve damage at a young age due to rheumatic heart disease. Dr Valiathan received the Padma Bhushan in 1990 and Padma Vibhushan in 2005 from President of India.

May God bless his soul to Rest in Peace

Dr. Ram Narain Agarwal

(July 24, 1941– August 15, 2024)

        Dr RN Agarwal, FNAE, Formerly Director, Advanced Systems Laboratory and Programme Director (AGNI), Defence Research & Development Laboratory (DRDO), Hyderabad born on July 24, 1941 passed away on August 15, 2024. Dr Agarwal was affiliated to Engineering Section – VII (Aerospace Engineering) and elected to INAE Fellowship in the year 2000.

      Dr Agarwal had made outstanding contributions to the fields of Aero-Missiles, Re-entry and made significant contributions to the Agni missile program, launched in 1983, and served as its first program director. He was instrumental in India’s Agni missile development programme right from its inception in 1983 till 2005. He inspired the team to successfully test the Technology demonstrator missile in May 1989. Thereafter, various versions of the missile were developed and inducted into the defence forces. Today, Agni V, the nuclear-capable, intermediate-range ballistic missile has the capability to strike targets beyond 5000 kms. Dr Agarwal retired as the founder and director of the Advanced Systems Laboratory (ASL), Hyderabad in 2005. Dr Agarwal played a key role in establishing the re-entry technology, all composite heat shield, onboard propulsion system, guidance and control etc for missiles during a distinguished tenure of 22 years. He was conferred the Padma Shri in 1990 and Padma Bhushan in 2000 by the President of India.

May God bless his soul to Rest in Peace