Secretary, Department of Science & Technology

Ashutosh Sharma is Secretary to the Government of India since January 2015, heading the Department of Science and Technology (DST), where he helped initiate several new programs related to infrastructure and human capacity building; innovation and startups; R&D in advanced manufacturing, waste processing, clean energy and cyber-physical systems; industry-academia cooperation; science communication; women scientists; and major international collaborations. He is also an Institute Chair Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur. Ashutosh received his PhD from the State University of New York at Buffalo (1988), MSfrom the Pennsylvania State University (1984) and B.Tech. from IIT Kanpur (1982).

Ashutosh has worked in nanotechnology; thin polymer films; nanocomposites and devices in energy, health and environment; functional interfaces; micro/nano-mechanics of soft matter; nano-patterning and nanofabrication; colloid and interfacial engineering; biomaterials and bio-surfaces; wetting and adhesion. He has published over 350 peer reviewed papers and filed over 15 patents in these areas. Ashutosh is a recipient of several honors and awards including the inaugural Infosys Prize in Engineering and Computer Science, TWAS Science Prize of the World Academy of Sciences, Bessel Research Award of the Humboldt Foundation, Distinguished Alumni Awards of IIT Kanpur and SUNY Buffalo, UNESCO Medal in Nano-sciences, Firodia Award, Syed Husain Zaheer Medalof INSA and many others. Ashutosh is an elected Fellow of The Indian National Science Academy, Indian National Academy of Engineering and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). He is an associate editor of ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces since 2014. His other interests are in ancient history and philosophy, poetry and visual arts.