Two IIT Bombay Alumni Conferred with the Padma Shri Awards

IIT Bombay is delighted to announce that two of its alumni have been conferred with one of the country’s most prestigious honours – the Padma Shri Awards.

Prof. Juzer Vasi

IIT Bombay’s former Deputy Director and distinguished academician Prof. Juzer Vasi (B.Tech., Electrical Engineering, 1969) was conferred with the Padma Shri in recognition of his extraordinary lifetime contribution to science and engineering. A widely respected name in the field of semiconductors and microelectronics, Prof. Vasi, Department of Electrical Engineering, continues to inspire many as Professor Emeritus.

Image and story source: IITB Linkedin – Vasi

Mr. Shashi Shekhar Vempati

IIT Bombay alumnus, Mr. Shashi Shankar Vempati (B.Tech., Chemical Engineering, 1995), Co-Founder, DeepTech for Bharat Foundation (AI4India.Org), and the former CEO of Prasar Bharati (India’s Public Broadcaster), was also conferred with the Padma Shri Award. He is a strong champion of India’s AI ecosystem through the ‘AI for India’ initiative. He holds several pivotal public roles, including as the Chairperson of the Committee for Science & Technology Communication at the Dept. of Science and Technology (DST), Govt of India, and is also the Chairperson of the UGC’s Experts Committee on Educational Media. He contributes governance expertise to various Boards, including the Indian Institute of Mass Communications (IIMC) and the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC). As the former CEO of Prasar Bharati, India’s Public Broadcaster, he drove sweeping reforms, steering the modernisation of Doordarshan and All India Radio while concurrently leading Rajya Sabha TV. He is also the author of the book Collective Spirit Concrete Action – Mann ki Baat and its Influence on India. He now serves as a member of the Board for BharatGen.

Image and story source: IITB LinkedIn – Vempati