Prof. Juzer M. Vasi, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay), has been awarded the Padma Shri in the 2026 Padma Awards announced by the Government of India. The award recognizes his lifetime contribution to science and engineering, particularly in the fields of semiconductors and microelectronics.
Prof. Vasi earned his B.Tech. from IIT Bombay in 1969 and his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from The Johns Hopkins University in 1973. His research interests include reliability of solar modules, deployment of solar PV in India and globally, nanocrystal-based solar cells, and nanoelectronics.
His professional career at IIT Bombay spans several decades: he served as Lecturer and Assistant Professor at IIT Delhi from 1974 to 1981, joined IIT Bombay as Assistant Professor in 1981, became Professor in 1983, headed the Department of Electrical Engineering from 1992 to 1994, served as Deputy Director from 2006 to 2009, and has been Professor Emeritus since 2017, following a period as Emeritus Fellow from 2015 to 2017.
Responses on LinkedIn to the announcement by IIT Bombay include comments from industry and academic figures. Omkaram Nalamasu, CTO and Senior VP at Applied Materials, described Prof. Vasi's role in building India's semiconductor industry. Mukesh Khare, IBM General Manager and Vice President, highlighted his long association with Prof. Vasi since his student days at IIT Bombay and his impact as a teacher. Prof. V Ramgopal Rao, Group VC at BITS Pilani, noted Prof. Vasi's academic rigor, institution building, and leadership.
The Padma Shri is one of India's highest civilian honors, with Prof. Vasi listed among recipients in the Science and Engineering category for 2026.
