Dear Friend,

Greetings from IIT Bombay!

I hope you had a great start to 2021!

January was marked by the beginning of the online Spring semester on the 6th, with a new glimmer of hope, of nearing normalcy, as the vaccine hit the market. 

I am delighted to inform you that the recipients of the Distinguished Alumnus Award (DAA) 2021 and the Young Alumni Achiever Award (YAAA) 2021 were announced on January 26. We would like to thank you for the nominations sent by you for the awards. The committee has selected the following Alumni for the awards: 

Distinguished Alumnus Award 2021:

1. Mr. Sunil Shenoy- B. Tech., 1980, Electrical Engineering
2. Mr. Subramanian Sarma - M. Tech., 1981, Chemical Engineering
3. Dr. Pandurang Nayak – B. Tech., 1985, Computer Science & Engineering
4. Dr. Harrick Vin- B.Tech., 1987, Computer Science & Engineering
5. Mr. Ramesh Mangaleswaran - B. Tech., 1989, Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science
6. Mr. Sharad Sanghi- B. Tech., 1989, Electrical Engineering
7. Prof. Kavita Bala- B. Tech., 1992, Computer Science & Engineering
8. Prof. Vikram Deshpande- B.Tech., 1994, Mechanical Engineering
9. Prof. Govindasamy Mugesh – Ph. D., 1999, Chemistry
10. Prof. Devavrat Shah – B. Tech., 1999, Computer Science & Engineering

Young Alumni Achiever Award 2021:

1. Prof. Zubin Jacob- B. Tech., 2004, Electrical Engineering
2. Mr. Akhil Gupta – Dual Degree (B. Tech. + M. Tech.), 2005, Chemical Engineering
3. Mr. Gaurav Porwal- Dual Degree (B. Tech. + M. Tech.), 2005, Chemical Engineering
4. Mr. Mohit Soni- Dual Degree (B. Tech. + M. Tech.), 2005, Electrical Engineering
5. Prof. Yashodhan Kanoria- B. Tech .,2007, Electrical Engineering

Yet again, our alumni have made us proud. Prof. Rohini Godbole, a distinguished physicist and a professor at IISc, and a recipient of the Padmashri award, was bestowed with the honor 'National Order of Merit' by the French Government for her contributions to scientific collaboration between India and France and her commitment to promoting science among women.

In tune with the Hon'ble PM's call for 'Atmanirbhar Bharat’, IIT Bombay incubated companies IDEA FORGE, has deservedly made the headline for having signed a deal to build and supply drones worth INR 130 Cr to the Indian Army. The company was founded in the campus in 2007 at our incubator SINE by 3 of our alumni- Ankit Mehta (Mech. Engg., 2007), Rahul Singh (Mech. Engg., 2006) and Ashish Bhat (Elect. Engg., 2007), and it is also worth mentioning that the founders were bestowed with the Young Alumni Achievers award last year.

We are delighted to inform you that Prof. Neela Nataraj, Mathematics Department, and Prof. Amit Agarwal, Mechanical Engineering Department, have been elected as Fellows of Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, effective Jan 1, 2021, for their research contributions.

In addition to this, Prof. Rinti Banerjee and Prof. Samir Maji, both from the School of Bioscience and Bioengineering, have also been selected as the National Academy of Sciences (Allahabad) fellows for their pioneering research contributions.

We inform you with great enthusiasm that the 6th batch of the Executive MBA program, the only EMBA program in India that offers a degree -- jointly by IIT Bombay and the Olin School of Business (Washington University, St. Louis, USA), started in mid-January. Furthermore, IIT Bombay also conducted the CEED/UCEED exams on  January 17, for admission to IDC’s PG/UG programs (our Design School). 

Prof. B.G. Fernandes who served as the Head of Department of Electrical Engineering for the last six years and took the department to new heights handed over the baton to Prof. Kishore Chatterjee. We take this opportunity to welcome Prof. Chatterjee and give our sincere thanks to Prof. B.G. Fernandes for his exceptional contribution to the department.

Recommencing with old traditions, the Director had a cup of tea with the retiring staff members Ms. Jayashree Purandare (38 years of service), Ms. Sharlet Joseph (34 years of service), and Ms. Indrani De (28 years of service) in an offline setting, reconnecting with the decade-old custom.

The Entrepreneurship Cell at IIT Bombay is set to organize E-Summit 2021 from February 6-7 in a grand online fashion, with a vibrant conclave of competitions, workshops, panel discussions, and speeches from the biggest names in the world of business. 

The year 2020 had not been easy for any of us. Notwithstanding the difficulties and uncertainties, the administration tried to ensure that students do not lose out on academics and successfully concluded with the first online semester. As of now, except for the first year UG students, all students have started with their spring semester. In the campus reboot update, we have moved into Phase 3 and are slowly inviting all research students back on the campus.

The generous contribution received from our alumni, corporate entities, and other friends of the Institute helps make an important difference in our endeavor to pursue global excellence. The contribution towards Institute Development, Infrastructure Development, Young Faculty Awards, Chair Professorships, Hostel Development, Student Development, etc. are examples of the utilization of these funds for the betterment of the Institute. We invite you to contribute to the Institute’s betterment to the best of your ability.

May the New Year bring you happiness, peace, and prosperity. Wishing you a joyous 2021!

Suhas Joshi,

Dean, Alumni, and Corporate Relations

Tel:+91-22-2576-7023,

E-Mail: dean.acr.office@iitb.ac.in