Short Profile of the Chief Guest

Professor Bhaskar Ramamurthi

Bhaskar Ramamurthi
Professor Emeritus, Department of Electrical Engineering
Former Director, Indian Institute of Technology Madras

Professor Bhaskar Ramamurthi is a distinguished academic leader and technologist with exemplary contributions to higher education, advanced research, and national technology initiatives. He obtained his B.Tech in Electronics from Indian Institute of Technology Madras in 1980, followed by an M.S. (1982) and Ph.D. (1985) in Electrical Engineering from the University of California Santa Barbara. After a brief professional engagement with AT&T Bell Laboratories, he joined the faculty of IIT Madras in 1986 and has remained deeply associated with the institution ever since.

He served as Director of IIT Madras from 2011 to 2021, providing visionary leadership during a decade marked by significant academic expansion, strengthened research culture, and robust industry engagement. He held the Zoho Chair Professorship in the Department of Electrical Engineering and is currently Professor Emeritus in the same department.

Professor Ramamurthi’s academic and research expertise lies in Communications and Signal Processing. His work spans Wireless Networks, Modulation, Wireless Data, and Audio and Video Compression. He heads the Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology at the IIT Madras Research Park, focusing on emerging wireless standards and next-generation technologies. He holds several patents related to 4G and 5G technologies and served as the National Coordinator for India’s end-to-end 5G Test Bed initiative.

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE), a Member of the US National Academy of Engineering, and an Honorary Fellow of RWTH Aachen University, Germany. His contributions extend beyond academia to national policy, standards development, and industry leadership.

Major Leadership Positions Held

• Director, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (2011–2022)
• Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Madras
• Honorary Director, Centre of Excellence in Wireless Technology, IIT Madras Research Park, Chennai
• Chairman, IIT Madras Research Park (Section 8 Company) (2011–2022)
• Chairman, IITM Incubation Cell (Section 8 Company) (2011–2022)
• National Coordinator, Indigenous IIT Madras 5G Test Bed
• Chairman, Telecom Standards Development Society of India (2020–2022)
• Member, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India
• Member of the Board, Tejas Networks Ltd.
• Member of the Board, Bharat Electronics Ltd.