CFTRI chief now first Indian fellow of US body

Speaking to Business Standard, the director said it was a good signal that the West is now recognising the knowledge base of the East, in particular that of India and China. It shows these two countries can no longer be ignored. On the other hand, it has to look out for the knowledge network in these two countries.

IFT president John D Floros presented the award on June 28 at New Orleans, USA.

Prakash is the first Indian elected as a fellow of the US IFT, which conferred its fellowships on the scientists of the West so far. The fellowship is in recognition of Prakash's contributions in the areas of food science and food technology, and proteins and enzymes with a focus on his greater role in policy inputs at the national and international levels.

"This has come as peer recognition of the superb work going on India," he said, describing the award as a recognition of team-India in R&D. It also shows the West has come to recognise that industry-relevant research is happening in India. The patents obtained by the CFTRI, for example, have high business potential, which is promoting the economy in turn. This is a good signal for the young scientists," Prakash said.

Mysore-born 56-year-old Visvesvaraya Prakash has been associated with the CFTRI for 36 years and has been director from 1994. Established in 1950 as a constituent laboratory of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, CFTRI stands out as being among the largest and most diversified technology laboratories in the world today. During his tenure as director, the institute has filed around 1,000 patents.

The CFTRI today has over 300 scientists, technologists and engineers, and over 400 technicians across 16 R&D departments. It features a catalogue of R&D achievements with over 300 products/processes/equipment designs and close to 160 commercialised technologies