Drawing from his own experience as a researcher, Prof. Ch Satish Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, SRM University–AP, underscored the effort behind every scientific publication and the need to prioritise research quality and long-term impact over numerical metrics alone. He encouraged the awardees to build on their achievements, pursue focused research agendas and contribute to the University’s long-term ambition of significantly increasing the number of globally recognised scientists.
During the felicitation ceremony held on campus, Prof. Soumitra Datta, Advisor, SRM Group, highlighted the centrality of knowledge creation to a university’s identity. He said, “A university is about knowledge creation.” He noted that recognising researchers celebrates their dedication while inspiring colleagues to pursue higher levels of academic and research excellence. He added that a strong intellectual core is fundamental to building an excellent university.
Dr Karthik Rajendran, Associate Dean of Quality Assurance and Rankings (QAR), highlighted the significance of the achievement in strengthening the University’s global standing. He noted that research impact contributes to institutional rankings and stressed the importance of international collaborations, globally relevant research and translating academic work into meaningful outcomes while upholding academic integrity.
Prof. Ranjit Thapa, Dean-Research, representing the research leadership, highlighted the growth from seven recognised researchers last year to 20 this year. He acknowledged the University leadership’s support in strengthening research and attracting academic talent, and expressed confidence that recognition would continue to grow in the coming years.
The 20 recognised faculty members include Prof. Rangabhashiyam Selvasembian, Dr Akash Balakrishnan, Dr Deblina Dutta, and Prof. Meththika Suharshini Vithanage in the research domain of Earth & Environmental Sciences; Dr Aditya Kumar Sahu, Dr Randhir Kumar, Dr Kshira Sagar Sahoo, Dr Prabhujit Mohapatra, and Prof. Saraju Mohanty in Information & Communication Technologies; Prof. Karthik Rajendran, Dr Vinodkumar Etacheri, Gunda Mohanakrishna, Prof. Lakshminarayana Polavarapu, and Prof. Upadrasta Ramamurty in Enabling & Strategic Technologies; Dr Sumit Kumar Mehta, Dr Basabendu Barman, and Prof. Yoshiyuki Kawazoe in Physics & Astronomy; Prof. Corrado Di Natale and Dr Sudip Pan in Chemistry; and Dr Pintu Bhunia in Mathematics & Statistics.
Dr Vinayak Kalluri, Registrar, noted that the recognition spans diverse research areas and encouraged the academic community to appreciate the distinct contributions researchers make within their respective disciplines. Deans, Directors and University leadership congratulated the honourees and emphasised that institutional recognition can motivate researchers to keep contributing meaningfully to their fields.
The recognition reflects the University’s broader efforts to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, strengthen research infrastructure, and create an environment in which faculty members can pursue ambitious research questions. Through its emerging focus areas, including artificial intelligence and quantum technologies, SRM University–AP continues to expand opportunities for innovation
