Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur has welcomed Prof. Rintu Banerjee as the new Deputy Director. Prof. Banerjee is the first woman to assume the role of Deputy Director at the institution, the first IIT established in India.
Leadership in bioenergy and agricultural engineering
Prof. Banerjee is the Founder Head and Chairperson of the P K Sinha Centre for Bioenergy and Renewables. She has served as the Head of the Centre for Rural Development, Innovative and Sustainable Technology, and as the Head of the Department of Agricultural & Food Engineering at IIT Kharagpur for three years. Her career includes roles such as Chairperson of the Centre of Excellence in Precision Agriculture & Food Nutrition, Nodal Coordinator for Australia and New Zealand for SPARC, and Coordinator for RuTAG.
Speaking on her new role, Prof. Rintu Banerjee said, "It is my utmost privilege and honour to be the Deputy Director of IIT Kharagpur. Previously, as the Dean of Research & Development, I wanted to develop opportunities for innovation and sustainable inventions with affordable technology. My intent is to fast-track the economic progress of the country through innovative solutions provided by IIT Kharagpur, along with uplifting the Institute’s ranking both on national and international levels. With Industry 4.0 and digitronics making inroads using smart technology for ongoing automation of traditional industrial practices, the institution should boost its performance indicators to suit best in industry collaborations and develop strong policy mission programs with the government that sensitize people to 'Make in India & Make for the World'."
Education
Prof. Banerjee completed her PhD in Microbial Biotechnology from the Chemical Engineering Department at IIT Kharagpur. She has been involved in industry-academy collaborative research activities throughout her career, leading to the transfer of several technologies to different industries and many national and international patents. Recently, she transferred her 1G & 2G Ethanol technology to industry for commercialisation
