Two IIT (ISM) Dhanbad faculty members win INAE Young Engineer Award 2026
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Dhanbad, July 23: In a significant achievement for IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, two young faculty members from its Department…
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Dhanbad, July 23: In a significant achievement for IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, two young faculty members from its Department of Mechanical Engineering have been selected for the prestigious INAE Young Engineer Award 2026, underscoring the institute’s growing stature in cutting-edge engineering research and innovation.
The awardees are Dr Ajay Bhandari and Dr Antarip Poddar, both Assistant Professors (Grade I) in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Presented by the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE), the award recognises outstanding young engineers for their contributions to engineering research, technology development, innovation and design.
Research Driving Healthcare and Advanced Engineering
Dr Ajay Bhandari’s research focuses on biofluid mechanics, image-based numerical modelling, patient-specific computational models, computational oncology, drug delivery and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). An alumnus of IIT Kanpur, he has established the Biofluids Research Laboratory at IIT (ISM), where his team is working on advanced healthcare applications and personalised medicine.
Dr Antarip Poddar’s research encompasses biomedical flows, biological soft matter, electrohydrodynamics, electrokinetics and thermodynamic optimisation. He is also a recipient of the Department of Science and Technology’s AWSAR Best Story Award 2020 and has earned several academic distinctions during his career.
Director Congratulates Awardees
Congratulating the two faculty members, IIT (ISM) Director Prof Sukumar Mishra said the recognition reflects the institute’s strong emphasis on high-quality research and innovation.
“The selection of two of our young faculty members for the INAE Young Engineer Award reflects the quality of research and innovation being pursued at IIT (ISM). Their achievements will motivate young researchers and further strengthen the institute’s contribution to engineering research and technology development,” he said.
Award Recognises Future Engineering Leaders
The INAE Young Engineer Award, recently reinstated after the academy regained financial and functional autonomy, carries a cash prize of ₹25,000 along with a certificate. Recipients are also inducted as INAE Young Associates, recognising their outstanding achievements and future potential in engineering research and technology development.
