Specialisation:

Catalysis, Materials & Process Chemistry

Major Professional Contributions:

·       Prof Lakshmi Kantam started her career at RRL (now CSIR-IICT) Hyderabad and rose through the rank to be the first-ever Woman Director in the CSIR system in 2013.

·       Throughout her career, she worked on fundamental and applied research in catalysis, green chemistry, and sustainability engineering, which have led to commercialization.

·       She had numerous industrial projects and international collaborations which have resulted in innovative technologies; some of them are the first of their type.

·       She was highly successful in garnering resources through grants and renowned industries and built state-of-the-art facilities at IICT.

·       She has established scientific collaborations with academic and industrial partners from India and abroad, including the USA, Japan, France, Australia, and Spain.

·       Her primary and applied research contributions led to the development of cost-effective and eco-friendly technologies to achieve the highest possible atom economy, which can stand stringent environmental standards. The technologies developed for industries for high-value products are triphenylphosphine, tetrabromobisphenol, aspartame, benzaldehyde, ammonium dinitramide, nitro toluenes, nitrotriazolone, hydrazine hydrate, anisole, para-methoxyacetophenone and paramethoxyphenyl acetic acid, ethylanthraquinone, hydroquinone, 1,2-pentane diol, furfuryl alcohol, methylamyl ketone.

·       Her innovative work on tertiary butyltoluene and tertiary butyl benzoic acid are commercialized to a plant of 4000 tons/annum by Vinati Organics Ltd.

·       After her retirement, she joined ICT, Mumbai as Dr. BP Godrej Distinguished Professor of Green Chemistry and Sustainability Engineering in 2015 and established industrial collaborations, especially with the fine and bulk chemical industries. She developed many processes which will be commercialized soon. She is a much sought-after consultant and technology developer from ICT.

·       She is on the board of prestigious public limited companies as an independent director of Vinati Organics, Godavari Biorefineries, Indo Amines, and Prasol Chemicals and associated as a member with Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and other committees DAE, GAIL and SAC, Petroleum Ministry due to her expertise as a scientist and technocrat.

·       She was among the top 75 Indian women scientists honored by the Govt.

Consultancy Areas:

Process Chemistry, Heterogenous Catalysis, Process Development for APIs and Fine Chemicals

Sector Associated With:

Sectors Interested to Offer Service:

Professional Experience

Keywords