ESTIC-2025

Plenary speakers

Prof. Andre Geim

University of Manchester

Andre Geim is Regius Professor at the University of Manchester and won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering graphene. He is known for pioneering work in diamagnetic levitation, gecko tape, and graphene, with highly cited research. Geim uniquely holds both a Nobel and an Ig Nobel Prize. He is a member of several national science academies and has been knighted by both the UK and the Netherlands.

Prof. Masaru Tomita

Distinguished Professor, Keio University

Masaru Tomita, born in Tokyo in 1957, is a pioneer in bioinformatics and systems biology. He earned his Ph.D. in Artificial Intelligence from Carnegie Mellon University in 1985. In 2001, he founded the Institute for Advanced Biosciences and supported the launch of Spiber Inc., developer of Brewed Protein™, sustainable biomaterials made through microbial fermentation of plant-derived sugars. These innovations provide petroleum-free alternatives and advance global sustainability through cutting-edge bio-manufacturing.

Dr. Jean-Yves Le Gall

Former President of French Space Agency

Dr. Jean-Yves Le Gall is a renowned French engineer and scientist with over 40 years of leadership in global space programs. He served as President of CNES (2013–2021), chaired ESA and GSA, and was President of the IAF. Former CEO of Arianespace, he also held roles at CNRS, Novespace, and Starsem. Widely honored, he has received numerous international awards and distinctions, including the Legion of Honour and national honors from Russia, Japan, and China. He remains active in global space and technology organizations.

Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla

India Air Force and ISRO

Shubhanshu Shukla is a group captain and test pilot with the Indian Air Force (IAF) and gaganyatri (astronaut) with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO). He served as the mission pilot for Axiom Mission 4, a privately organised mission to the International Space Station (ISS). Shukla is the first ISRO astronaut to visit the ISS and the second Indian to travel to space.

Prof. Hidetoshi Katori

The University of Tokyo Team Director, RIKEN Center for Advanced Photonics

Hidetoshi Katori is a Professor at the Department of Applied Physics, University of Tokyo, and Team Director at RIKEN, where he leads the Space-Time Engineering Research Team. After serving as a research fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Quantum Optics in Germany, he was appointed Associate Professor at the University of Tokyo in 1999. He proposed (2001) and demonstrated (2005) the optical lattice clock, which has enabled significant advances in precision measurements and fundamental physics. His contributions have been recognized by the Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics, the Micius Quantum Prize, and the Japan Academy Prize.

Prof. Manjul Bhargava

Princeton University

Manjul Bhargava is a professor of mathematics at Princeton University. One of the foremost mathematicians of our times, he is the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions for his work, including the Fields Medal in 2014, considered the highest honour in the field of mathematics. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2015. A member of the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology, and Innovation Council, Prof. Bhargava also holds very strong interests in the arts - particularly music, poetry, linguistics, magic, history of science, and education.

Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan

IIT Bombay

Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan, Bank of Baroda Chair Professor at the Dept of CSE IIT Bombay, leads BharatGen, India's sovereign multimodal multilingual LLM ecosystem. Recognized globally as an AI leader by Forbes and AIM, he brings extensive research excellence and its impact in efficient machine learning and natural language processing. His contributions have been acknowledged by leading technology companies and have earned him several national awards. Furthermore, his applied AI research has led to successful technology transfers and the co-founding of a company, resulting in its large-scale adoption. He also holds leadership positions in premier national and international research organizations.

Plenary Panelists

Chair

Prof. Ajay K. Sood

PSA to GoI

Panellists

Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala

IIT Madras, Chennai

Shri Baba Kalyani

Bharat Forge

Prof. G. Rangarajan

IISc, Bengaluru

Lt. Gen. Madhuri Kanitkar (Retd)

Former Vice-Chancellor of the Maharashtra University of Health Sciences (MUHS)

Shri J D Patil

Indian National Academy of Engineering

Dr. Pawan Kumar Goenka

IN-SPACE

Dr. Soumya Swaminathan

Principal Advisor to National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme (NTEP), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Govt. of India

Speakers

Advanced Materials & Manufacturing

Keynote Speaker

Prof. G.U. Kulkarni

Former President, JNCASR, Bengaluru

Session Speakers

Shri Pawan Kumar Chandana

Co-founder and CEO, Skyroot Aerospace, Hyderabad

Smt. Rajashri Teli

MD, MD, HYT Inovative Projects Pvt Ltd, Pimpri

Prof. T. Pradeep

IIT Madras, Chennai

Moderator