CHENNAI, India —The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) celebrated its 66th Institute Day with great enthusiasm, bringing together a vibrant community of students, faculty, alumni, and staff to honor outstanding contributions across academia, industry, and social impact. A highlight of the ceremony was the recognition of two distinguished Bostonians—Ms. Jaishree Deshpande and Prof. Ramesh K. Sitaraman—for their remarkable achievements and service.
Prof. Ramesh K. Sitaraman, a 1985 B.Tech graduate in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras, is currently a Distinguished University Professor and Associate Dean at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, USA. He also serves as Chief Consulting Scientist at Akamai Technologies, a global leader in content delivery and cloud services.
Another luminory honored was Dr. S. Somanath (2024/PhD/ME), Former Chairman of Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India.
Ms. Jaishree Deshpande, who earned her M.Sc. in Physics from IIT Madras in 1975, is the Founder of the Deshpande Foundation, an organization dedicated to fostering entrepreneurship and innovation with a strong social focus. Both honorees have made lasting contributions in their respective fields and continue to inspire the IIT Madras community through their work in technology, education, and philanthropy.
The Chief Guest for the event was Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, CEO of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), an alumnus of the 1993 B.Tech Computer Science batch of IIT Madras. In his keynote address, Dr. Kalyanaraman spoke about the pivotal role of ANRF, which was envisioned in the National Education Policy 2020 and institutionalized through an Act in 2023.
“ANRF is poised to become one of the pillars of Viksit Bharat 2047, with a mission to be at the apex of research, innovation, and collaboration in India,” he stated. “With the Hon’ble Prime Minister as its Chairperson, the foundation’s work will shape the next generation of India’s human capital.”
Dr. Kalyanaraman, an accomplished technology executive, has led high-impact initiatives across the globe, including in the USA, APAC, Middle East, and Europe. His leadership at IBM Research Australia and GE Power Conversion in India reflects a career dedicated to pioneering clean energy, mobility, and innovation-driven solutions.
Delivering the Presidential Address, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, reflected on a year of notable milestones.
“The past academic year has been both challenging and rewarding. We proudly celebrated the Padma Shri conferred upon Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, BoG, IIT Madras, and the achievements of our alumnus Shri Sethuraman Panchanathan, Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation. Our BS in Data Science and Applications program continues to shine, with three students achieving top-10 AIR ranks in the GATE Data Science paper, including AIR 1.”
Awards and Recognitions
The Institute honored excellence across research, teaching, student achievements, and alumni accomplishments:
Teaching Excellence Awards:
Srimathi Marti Annapurna Gurunath Award for Excellence in Teaching – 2025
Dr. Sivakumar M. Srinivasan – Dept. of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering
Dr. P.S. Lakshmi Priya – Dept. of Civil Engineering
Early Career Faculty Awards – 2025:
Dr. Surender Singh – Dept. of Civil Engineering
Dr. Aravind Kumar Chandiran – Dept. of Chemical Engineering
Mid-Career Faculty Awards – 2025:
Prof. Sushanta Kumar Panigrahi – Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Prof. Prabhu Rajagopal – Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
Student Honors – Institute Blues 2025:
Rajagopal Subramaniam C – Silver
Sukheth KM – Bronze
Abhinav R – Bronze
Malaviya Avani Tarun – Certificate
Mihira Leela Nadapana – Certificate
Distinguished Alumnus Awards – 2025
IIT Madras conferred its highest alumni honor on the following ten individuals for their outstanding achievements in academia, industry, and public service:
Prof. Ramesh K. Sitaraman (1985/BT/EE) – Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst; Akamai Technologies, USA
Prof. Srinivasan Natarajan (1990/PhD/CY) – Indian Institute of Science, India
Prof. Sandhya Dwarkadas (1986/BT/EE) – University of Virginia, USA
Dr. Vijay Narayanan (1995/BT/MT) – IBM Fellow, IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, USA
Shri Sreenivas Subramoney (1995/BT/CS) – Intel Fellow, Intel Technology India Ltd.
Dr. S. Somanath (2024/PhD/ME) – Former Chairman, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), India
Shri Vellayan Subbiah (1990/BT/CE) – Executive Chairman, Chola; Chairman, CG Power; Vice Chairman, Tube Investments
Shri B. K. Kameswara Rao (1979/BT/CE & 1981/MT/CE) – Director, GMR Airports Developers Ltd., India
Shri Ramesh Srinivasan (1992/BT/CS) – Senior Partner, McKinsey & Company, USA
Smt. Jaishree Deshpande (1975/MSc/PH) – Founder, Deshpande Foundation
Young Alumni Achiever Awards – 2025
Recognizing the accomplishments of recent graduates making significant strides early in their careers:
Prof. Swarun Kumar (2010/BT/CS) – Sathaye Family Foundation Professor, Carnegie Mellon University, USA
Prof. Venkatasubramanian Viswanathan (2008/DD/ME) – Associate Professor, University of Michigan, USA
The 66th Institute Day of IIT Madras was a testament to the institution’s enduring legacy, global impact, and commitment to excellence across disciplines. As IIT Madras looks toward the future, the accomplishments of its alumni and community serve as a powerful reminder of the institute’s role in shaping leaders and changemakers worldwide.
