Day 4:

Strategic Agility & Change Navigation

Session:

Vital role of Rare Earth Elements in the Development of Advanced Technologies including Military Applications and National Security Security

Date & Time:

07 Aug 2025 | 09:00 AM – 10:30 AM

Professor R. Gopalan
Technology Advisor & INAE Chair Professor, ARCI, DST, Government of India
Adjunct Professor, Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore
Profile

Professor R. Gopalan is an eminent materials scientist and technology leader, currently serving as Technology Advisor and INAE Chair Professor at the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), DST, Government of India, and as Adjunct Professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore. He has previously served as Regional Director, ARCI and held various scientific positions at Defence Metallurgical Research Laboratory (DMRL), DRDO, contributing significantly to national missions of DRDO, DAE, and ISRO.

Education & International Experience

Prof. Gopalan earned his M.Sc. in Physics from Madurai Kamaraj University, M.Tech in Materials Technology from IIT-BHU, Varanasi, and Ph.D. in Physics from IIT Madras. His international experience includes nearly five years as Visiting Scientist at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan, along with collaborative research visits to the USA, Russia, Korea, China, Germany, and Uzbekistan.

Contributions to Science & Technology

At ARCI, he established cutting-edge research centres on automotive and alternative energy materials, spearheaded the creation of the Technical Research Centre at IIT Madras Research Park, and set up the National Facility for Atom Probe Tomography, advancing India’s capabilities in materials research.

He has published over 200 research papers, holds 14 patents, and has mentored numerous Ph.D. scholars across premier institutions including IITs, NITs, DMRL, and ARCI.

Honours & Recognition

Prof. Gopalan’s contributions have been recognised with prestigious awards including Best Metallurgist of the Year (2013) – Ministry of Steel, Government of India, and Lifetime Achievement Award (2022) – Indian Rare Earth Association. He is a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE), Indian Institute of Metals, Indian Society of Analytical Scientists, Electron Microscopy Society of India, Telangana Academy of Sciences, and Chennai Academy of Sciences.

He continues to serve on national and international scientific committees and programme boards, contributing to strategic research and technology initiatives.

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