Six IIT Madras Faculty Members Awarded Prestigious ANRF J.C. Bose Grant for Research Excellence

Six faculty members from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have been selected for the prestigious Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF) J.C. Bose Grant, one of India's most selective research recognitions for established scientists and engineers. The award recognises sustained excellence in research and provides substantial multi-year funding to help senior researchers pursue high-impact work in frontier areas of science and technology.

The six IIT Madras recipients are Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan, Prof. Thalappil Pradeep, Prof. Deepa Venkitesh, Prof. Jitendra S. Sangwai, Prof. Ramakrishnan Swaminathan and Prof. Sundargopal Ghosh. Their work spans areas including affordable prosthetics, clean water technologies, optical communications, cleaner energy systems, biomedical engineering and advanced chemistry.

IIT Madras ANRF J.C. Bose Grant 2026: Key Highlights

Six IIT Madras Faculty Members Selected

The awardees are:

• Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan

• Prof. Thalappil Pradeep

• Prof. Deepa Venkitesh

• Prof. Jitendra S. Sangwai

• Prof. Ramakrishnan Swaminathan

• Prof. Sundargopal Ghosh

The diversity of their research reflects IIT Madras' strength across engineering, science and interdisciplinary innovation.

Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan – Affordable Prosthetics and Assistive Technology

Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan is known for research and innovation in assistive devices and affordable prosthetics.

Her work focuses on improving mobility and independence for people with disabilities through engineering solutions that are practical, cost-effective and accessible.

Research in this area can contribute to:

• Affordable prosthetic devices

• Mobility aids

• Rehabilitation engineering

• Human-centred product design

• Accessible healthcare technologies

Her recognition highlights the role of engineering research in addressing real-world societal needs.

Prof. Thalappil Pradeep – Clean Drinking Water Technologies

Prof. Thalappil Pradeep has been recognised for his contributions to water purification and clean drinking water technologies.

His research has focused extensively on using advanced materials and nanotechnology to remove contaminants from water and make safe drinking water more accessible.

This work has relevance to:

• Water purification

• Nanomaterials

• Removal of toxic contaminants

• Affordable filtration technologies

• Sustainable drinking-water systems

The research is particularly important in a country where access to clean and safe water remains a major public-health and infrastructure challenge.

Prof. Deepa Venkitesh – Optical Communications

Prof. Deepa Venkitesh has been recognised for work in optical communication technologies.

Research in optical communications is critical to modern digital infrastructure because fibre-optic systems form the backbone of:

• High-speed internet

• Telecom networks

• Data centres

• Cloud infrastructure

• High-capacity communications

• Next-generation networking

Her work contributes to improving the efficiency, speed and reliability of optical transmission systems.

Prof. Jitendra S. Sangwai – Cleaner Energy Solutions

Prof. Jitendra S. Sangwai's research focuses on areas connected with energy and sustainable resource utilisation.

His work contributes to the development of cleaner energy systems and technologies that can support India's transition toward more sustainable energy pathways.

Research areas associated with such work may include:

• Energy engineering

• Carbon management

• Petroleum and subsurface systems

• Sustainable fuels

• Cleaner industrial processes

• Energy-transition technologies

His selection reflects the growing importance of energy research in India's climate and industrial strategy.

Prof. Ramakrishnan Swaminathan – Biomedical Engineering

Prof. Ramakrishnan Swaminathan is associated with research in biomedical engineering and healthcare technologies.

Biomedical engineering combines medicine, biology and engineering to develop improved diagnostic, monitoring and therapeutic systems.

Relevant applications can include:

• Biomedical signal processing

• Healthcare instrumentation

• Medical diagnostics

• Rehabilitation technologies

• Patient monitoring

• Clinical engineering

His recognition reflects the growing importance of engineering-led healthcare innovation.

Prof. Sundargopal Ghosh – Advanced Chemical Research

Prof. Sundargopal Ghosh has been recognised for research in chemistry and advanced molecular science.

His work contributes to fundamental and applied research in areas of modern chemistry, helping expand scientific understanding and potentially supporting new materials, catalysts and chemical technologies.

The recognition demonstrates that the J.C. Bose Grant supports both applied engineering and fundamental scientific research.

What Is the ANRF J.C. Bose Grant?

The ANRF J.C. Bose Grant is designed to recognise active and senior scientists and engineers with a record of outstanding research performance.

According to ANRF, the grant is:

• Individual-specific

• Highly selective

• Intended for established researchers

• Open across broad areas of science and technology

• Designed to support frontier research

The programme also covers interdisciplinary areas including humanities and social sciences at the interface of science and technology.

How Much Funding Does the J.C. Bose Grant Provide?

Each selected researcher receives a research grant of ₹25 lakh per year.

The funding is divided between:

Recurring expenditure, which may include:

• Manpower

• Consumables

• Travel

• Contingencies

• Research operating expenses

and non-recurring expenditure, including equipment, which can account for up to 20% of the total grant.

The host institution also receives ₹1 lakh per year as overhead support.

Who Is Eligible for the J.C. Bose Grant?

ANRF specifies that nominees should generally:

• Be active senior scientists or engineers

• Have a demonstrated record of outstanding research

• Hold a regular academic or research position in India

• Be between 45 and 65 years of age at the time of application

• Be an Indian national or eligible OCI working in India

• Have sufficient remaining service for the grant period

Research achievements considered can include:

• Publications

• Patents

• Technology transfers

• Awards

• Research grants

• Notable scientific outcomes

Who Can Nominate a Researcher?

The J.C. Bose Grant is not simply an open competition based only on self-application.

Nominations can be submitted by:

• Heads of institutions or universities

• Presidents of National Science Academies

The selection process is conducted by a Search-cum-Selection Committee of technical experts constituted for the programme.

Why the Grant Is Highly Selective

ANRF describes the grant as a mechanism to recognise researchers with a proven history of exceptional work.

Unlike many project grants that are primarily awarded for a future research proposal, the J.C. Bose Grant also reflects the researcher's existing record of:

• Scientific contribution

• Innovation

• Publications

• Technology development

• Research leadership

This makes the award both a research-funding mechanism and an important recognition of sustained scientific excellence.

From SERB Fellowship to ANRF J.C. Bose Grant

The J.C. Bose research support mechanism has evolved under India's changing research-funding structure.

Earlier, the J.C. Bose Fellowship operated under the Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB).

Under the newer ANRF framework, the J.C. Bose Grant provides ₹25 lakh annually for research, with additional overhead support for the host institution.

Researchers who already hold an ongoing J.C. Bose Fellowship or Grant can apply again only under specific conditions, including rules concerning when their current support expires and the number of terms already completed.

Why This Recognition Matters for IIT Madras

Having six faculty members selected in the same grant cycle reflects the depth of research activity at IIT Madras.

The recipients work across very different areas:

Healthcare → Water → Communications → Energy → Biomedical Engineering → Chemistry

This breadth demonstrates how leading research institutions increasingly combine fundamental science with engineering solutions aimed at solving social, industrial and technological challenges.

Research With Direct Societal Impact

A notable feature of the six awardees is the strong connection between their research and practical societal needs.

Examples include:

Affordable prosthetics: Improving mobility and quality of life.

Clean drinking water: Addressing public-health and environmental challenges.

Optical communications: Supporting India's expanding digital economy.

Clean energy: Helping reduce environmental impact and improve energy security.

Biomedical innovation: Supporting better diagnosis and healthcare delivery.

Advanced chemistry: Building knowledge and technologies that can support multiple industries.

India's Push for Research Excellence

The awards also fit into India's broader effort to strengthen national research capacity through the Anusandhan National Research Foundation.

ANRF has been established to expand and improve research funding while strengthening links among:

• Universities

• Research institutions

• Industry

• Government

• Innovation ecosystems

Highly selective grants such as the J.C. Bose programme are intended to enable established researchers to pursue ambitious and potentially high-impact scientific work.

Why Senior Researchers Need Dedicated Funding

Senior researchers often lead large research groups and long-term programmes that require:

• Research assistants

• Doctoral scholars

• Laboratory equipment

• Consumables

• Field work

• Travel

• Computing infrastructure

• International collaboration

Flexible research funding can therefore enable experienced scientists to explore new research directions without depending entirely on individual short-term project grants.

What Could the Grant Enable?

For the six IIT Madras researchers, the ANRF funding could support:

• New research personnel

• Laboratory equipment

• Advanced experiments

• National and international collaboration

• Pilot projects

• Research travel

• Consumables

• New interdisciplinary initiatives

The exact utilisation will depend on each researcher's approved project and budget.

IIT Madras and Research Recognition

IIT Madras regularly recognises faculty research through its own institutional award programmes as well.

The institute operates awards for:

• Research and Development

• Teaching excellence

• Young faculty achievements

Its Institute Research & Development Awards were introduced to recognise sustained contributions to research and innovation.

The six ANRF J.C. Bose Grant selections add another national-level recognition to that research ecosystem.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many IIT Madras faculty members received the ANRF J.C. Bose Grant?

A total of six IIT Madras faculty members have been selected for the grant.

Who are the six awardees?

They are:

• Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan

• Prof. Thalappil Pradeep

• Prof. Deepa Venkitesh

• Prof. Jitendra S. Sangwai

• Prof. Ramakrishnan Swaminathan

• Prof. Sundargopal Ghosh

What is the ANRF J.C. Bose Grant?

It is a highly selective research grant awarded to active senior scientists and engineers with an outstanding record of research performance.

How much funding does each researcher receive?

The grant provides ₹25 lakh per year for research, along with ₹1 lakh per year in overhead support for the host institution.

What research areas are covered?

ANRF states that the J.C. Bose Grant covers all areas of science and technology, including interdisciplinary work involving humanities and social sciences at the interface with science and technology.

What age group is eligible?

Applicants are generally required to be 45 to 65 years old at the time of submission and hold a regular academic or research position in India.

How are recipients selected?

Nominations are evaluated by a specialised Search-cum-Selection Committee of technical experts.

Final Update

The selection of six IIT Madras faculty members for the ANRF J.C. Bose Grant represents a significant recognition of the institute's research strength across science, engineering and healthcare-related disciplines. The recipients—Prof. Sujatha Srinivasan, Prof. Thalappil Pradeep, Prof. Deepa Venkitesh, Prof. Jitendra S. Sangwai, Prof. Ramakrishnan Swaminathan and Prof. Sundargopal Ghosh—are working on problems ranging from affordable prosthetics and safe drinking water to advanced communications, cleaner energy, biomedical technologies and chemistry.

With ₹25 lakh in annual research support per grantee plus institutional overhead funding, the J.C. Bose Grant is designed to give established researchers the resources needed to pursue ambitious frontier research. The recognition also underlines the wider role of ANRF in strengthening India's research ecosystem by supporting scientists whose work combines academic excellence with potentially significant technological and societal impact.