A. E. Muthunayagam
The founding director of ISRO's Liquid Propulsion Centre, later Secretary for Ocean Development, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Kerala
Heroes in Science & Engineering
Showing 1–24 of 37 heroes
Abbareddy Nageswara Rao
An orchid scientist who has described 35 orchid species new to science from India's Northeast, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Andhra Pradesh
Aditya Prasad Dash
A scientist who has worked on malaria, filariasis and other diseases of the poor, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Odisha
Ajay Kumar Sonkar
A Prayagraj scientist who developed new ways to grow pearls, from black pearls in the Andamans to tissue culture, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Uttar Pradesh
Anil Kumar Rajvanshi
An engineer who leads a rural research institute in Phaltan working on village energy, from ethanol stoves to e-rickshaws, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Maharashtra
Arvind Kumar
An agronomist who was founding vice-chancellor of the Rani Lakshmi Bai Central Agricultural University in Jhansi, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Uttar Pradesh
Ashok Kumar Singh
The plant breeder behind Basmati rice varieties now grown on over 90% of India's Basmati area, a former IARI director, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Uttar Pradesh
Ashutosh Sharma
An IIT Kanpur nanotechnology scientist who led the Department of Science and Technology, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025
- Uttar Pradesh
Bakshi Ram
A sugarcane breeder whose variety Co 0238 came to cover most of the cane fields of northern India, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Haryana
Chandramouli Gaddamanugu
The DRDO scientist who worked on the Akash missile for 34 years, from its start to its induction in the armed forces, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Telangana
Deepak Dhar
A theoretical physicist known for exact solutions in statistical physics, such as the sandpile model, honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 2023.
- Padma Bhushan 2023
- Maharashtra
Eklabya Sharma
A Himalayan ecologist who led a major regional assessment and argued for mountains in global climate talks, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2024
- West Bengal
Ganesh Nagappa Krishnarajanagara
A chemist known for work on DNA analogues and the founding director of IISER Pune and IISER Tirupati, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Andhra Pradesh
Gopal Ji Trivedi
A Bihar farm scientist and former vice-chancellor who devised the Trivedi Scale and went back to farm in his village, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Bihar
Hari Om
A Haryana agronomist who has trained thousands of farmers and agricultural scientists in natural farming, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2024.
- Padma Shri 2024
- Haryana
Jayantkumar Maganlal Vyas
A forensic scientist who founded the world's first university of forensic science, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2022.
- Padma Shri 2022
- Gujarat
Juzer Vasi
An IIT Bombay professor who helped start Indian microelectronics teaching and later its solar photovoltaics research, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Maharashtra
K. Ramasamy
A microbiologist and former TNAU vice-chancellor whose waste-treatment work helped tanneries and sugar mills stay open, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Tamil Nadu
Khadar Valli Dudekula
A biochemist known as the Millet Man of India, who left a US career to bring millets back to Indian kitchens and farms; Padma Shri, 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Karnataka
Krishnamurty Balasubramanian
The founding director of Hyderabad's NFTDC, which made materials for India's space missions, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Telangana
Kumarasamy Thangaraj
A CCMB geneticist whose work traced the Andamanese to early migrations out of Africa, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2026.
- Padma Shri 2026
- Telangana
M.D. Srinivas
A theoretical physicist and historian of Indian mathematics who chairs Chennai's Centre for Policy Studies, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2025.
- Padma Shri 2025
- Tamil Nadu
Mahendra Pal
A veterinary scientist called the father of veterinary mycology in India, with over 575 papers on fungi in animals, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Gujarat
Modadugu Vijay Gupta
A fisheries scientist whose low-cost fish farming methods spread across Asia and Africa, and a World Food Prize winner, honoured with the Padma Shri in 2023.
- Padma Shri 2023
- Telangana