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.

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. Masaru Tomita

Distinguished Professor, Keio University President & CEO, Tsuruoka Science Park

Masaru Tomita, born in Tokyo in 1957, is a pioneer in bioinformatics and systems biology. He earned his Ph.D. in AI from Carnegie Mellon University. In 1990, he helped establish Keio University’s Shonan Fujisawa Campus and served as Professor and Dean. In 2001, he founded the Institute for Advanced Biosciences in Tsuruoka, leading it for 22 years and launching eight bio-ventures, including Spiber Inc. His honors include awards from the NSF, IBM, the International Metabolomics Society, and the Japan Bioindustry Association.

Professor 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 and the Stieltjes Professor of Number Theory at Leiden University, with adjunct positions at TIFR, IIT Bombay, and the University of Hyderabad. Known for his work in number theory, he received the Fields Medal in 2014 for developing new methods in the geometry of numbers. He also served on the Padma Award committee in 2023.

Speakers

Advanced Materials & Manufacturing

Keynote Speaker

Prof. Giridhar Udapi Rao Kulkarni

Former President, JNCASR, Bengaluru

Session Speakers

Shri Pawan Kumar Chandana

Co-founder and CEO, Skyroot Aerospace, Hyderabad

Ms. Rajshree Teli

MD, Innovative Projects Private Ltd, Pimpri

Moderator

Prof. Budaraju Srinivasa Murthy

Director, IIT Hyderabad

Panellists

Dr. Ramalingam Balamuralikrishnan

Director, DMRL-DRDO, Hyderabad

Prof. Mandar Madhukar Deshmukh

TIFR, Mumbai

Prof. Mannepalli Lakshmi Kantam

Distinguished Professor, ICT, Mumbai