CSIR-NIIST Director Dr Anandharamakrishnan Wins TATA Transformation Prize

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Dr C. Anandharamakrishnan, renowned agricultural scientist and Director of CSIR–NIIST Thiruvananthapuram, has been selected for the prestigious Tata Transformation Prize 2024, jointly instituted by TATA Sons and New York Academy of Sciences.

A coveted honour, the Tata Transformation Prize is presented to eminent scientists to support groundbreaking technologies in the fields of food security, sustainability and healthcare.

A pioneer in food engineering research, Dr Anandharamakrishnan’s work towards the development of fortified rice has the potential of making a far-reaching impact in addressing the dual challenges of providing a vital nutritional boost and a healthier diet to millions, the New York Academy of Sciences noted while announcing the award.

“By addressing two major public health concerns simultaneously, his work could pave the way for significant improvements in both nutrition and health conditions with the potential to benefit not only India but also two billion people worldwide who suffer from malnutrition,” the academy said.

The potential impact of this work is far-reaching. If successful, this fortified rice could provide a vital nutritional boost to millions while also providing a healthier diet for the diabetic population on a large scale, it said.

The honour seeks to support scientists who are crafting innovative solutions to critical societal challenges through high-risk high-reward research initiatives that are essential for meeting India’s societal needs and strengthening its competitiveness in the global landscape.

Winners are selected by a confidential jury, independently chosen by the New York Academy of Sciences, comprising world-leading topical experts from academia, industry, government, and beyond.

“I am humbled by this prestigious honour for which I am selected. It reminds me of my responsibilities and challenges ahead as a scientist,” said Dr Anandharamakrishnan.

“I dedicate this prize to my illustrious predecessors who built great scientific institutions in India with dedication and hard work. I am also deeply indebted to my team here at CSIR-NIIST and other institutions that I have been associated with”, he added.

A highly accomplished scientist and team leader, Dr Anandharamakrishnan was earlier this year bestowed with the Vigyan Shri (Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar) from the President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu for his notable and inspiring contributions in the field of Agricultural Sciences.

Over the years, Dr Anandharamakrishnan has been actively involved in various path-breaking research, policy initiatives, and commercial interventions of the Government of India. He has been actively involved in research projects aimed at the development of innovative solutions to meet the priorities set by the country in agriculture, food security and allied areas.

His endeavours in developing dual functional micronutrient-fortified rice with a modulated Glycaemic Index (GI) involves a tapestry of interdisciplinary focus on structuring foods to meet specific consumer standards and need-driven requirements, particularly targeting national priorities related to nutritional deficiencies and diabetic control.

Dr. Anandharamakrishnan is a global expert in micro and nanoencapsulation applications and his works are well-documented in reputed scientific journals. In the current research project, he is using a multi-layer encapsulation technique for premix enriched with multiple nutrients,thereby ensuring targeted release and maximum absorption of nutrients.

The outcome of over 10 years of his research, Asia’s first indigenously engineered artificial gastrointestinal system comprising human stomach and small intestine models, has been developed to support his studies and can effectively mimic the bio-mechano-chemical processes of human digestion and predict the GI of foods in addition to the bioaccessibility and release kinetics of nutrients.

Overall, this technology will interface food production, food processing, engineering innovations, and a strong focus on food digestion and absorption in the human body.

Dr Anandharamakrishnan’s areas of research include 3D food printing, spray drying and spray-freeze-drying of food products, and computational modelling of food processing operations.

Under Dr Anandharamakrishnan’s leadership, NIIST (National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology), a constituent laboratory of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has diversified its research into cutting-edge areas and has patented various technologies for commercial production, including the vegan leather technology.

His accomplishments also include a stint as Chairman & Convener of the Capacity building and Research for the Prime Minister’s Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises Scheme by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI).