Devang Khakhar gets second term as IIT-Bombay director

Panel consisting of J J Irani, Anil Kakodkar and others clear appointment

Professor Devang Khakhar, Director,  Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) would serve another term as the Director of the premier technology institute.

He was first appointed as the Director of the IIT Bombay in January 2009.

Khakhar has been granted a second term after approval from a high profile committee comprising J J Irani, former Managing Director, Tata Steel, Prof Rodham Narasimhan, former director of India's Space Commission, eminent Chemical Engineer, Prof. M. M. Sharma and nuclear scientist, Dr. Anil Kakodkar, who is also the Chairman of the IIT Bombay Board of Governors.

"The committee found his performance as the Director “outstanding” and recommended his reappointment to the MHRD for President's approval,” informed Dr. Indu Saxena, Registrar, IIT Bombay.

Prof. Khakhar's first-term performance was assessed on several parameters such as building the institution as a global brand and research hub, introduction of new academic programmes, faculty retention and development, academic, administrative and financial reforms, and revenue generation, among others.

The institute said during Khakhar's tenure, IIT Bombay emerged as the preferred destination for JEE toppers (67 of top 100 rankers in JEE 2013 have joined IIT Bombay), the faculty strength increased from 446 to 575 and several new initiatives were taken by the institute such as setting up of new centres including the National Centre for Aerospace Innovations and Research, Centre for Climate Change Research, and the Centre for Urban Science and Engineering.

Students numbers grew from 5800 to 8800 and significant enhancement in infrastructure was moreover, carried out. Several projects were undertaken to make the campus more green and energy efficient including the 1 MW rooftop Solar PV System,
Solar Thermal Water Heaters and Biogas from food waste plant for the hostels.

A B.Tech. graduate from IIT Delhi and a Ph.D. From University of Massachusetts Amherst, Khakhar joined the Department of Chemical Engineering at IIT Bombay in 1987, and has been serving the Institute at various capacities, since then.
 
Prof. Khakhar's research interests span several areas of Chemical Engineering. He has published over 100 papers. Prof. Khakhar serves on the Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister, the Scientific Advisory Council to the Cabinet, the Science and Engineering Research Board, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and the Central Advisory Board for Education.