Krishnamurty Balasubramanian

Krishnamurty Balasubramanian has spent 35 years building one research centre and turning its lab work into products. In 2026 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of science and engineering, from Telangana ^[1].

Training

Balasubramanian was born on 2 June 1960 ^[2]. He graduated from IIT Kanpur in 1982 and went to McMaster University in Canada on an ALCAN fellowship for a PhD in materials science ^[2].

NFTDC

In 1990 he came back to India to set up the Non-Ferrous Materials Technology Development Centre (NFTDC) ^[2]. He has been its director from the start ^[2]. His citation describes it as India’s only self-financing, non-grant autonomous R&D institution of its kind under the Government of India, working from early research all the way to factory use ^[2].

The centre has set up centres of excellence in critical materials, engineering design, electric vehicle technology, biomedical devices and energy devices ^[2]. His team developed advanced materials for the cryogenic engines used on the Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan and Gaganyaan missions, parts for the ITER fusion project and a knee implant that has finished clinical trials ^[2]. India’s first rare-earth magnet plant, built with an industry partner, came on stream in 2025–26 ^[2].

He is now an expert member of the Principal Scientific Adviser’s technology advisory group ^[2]. In 2012 he became the youngest scientist then to be given Distinguished Scientist grade ^[2].