Professor Abhay Karandikar, former Director of IIT Kanpur, has assumed the role of Secretary of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), succeeding Dr. Rajesh Gokhale. Professor Karandikar is an accomplished electrical engineer known for his contributions to the telecommunications sector. He is recognized for developing the “Frugal 5G Network” concept to provide affordable rural broadband connectivity and for his involvement in shaping national telecom policies and regulations. He played a pivotal role in establishing the Telecom Standards Development Society of India (TSDSI), India’s telecom standards body, and has led various global standardization initiatives in telecommunications.
An IIT Kanpur alumnus, he has held significant positions at IIT Bombay and previously served as the Director of IIT Kanpur. Professor Karandikar and his team have also innovated in the field of SDN-based architecture for 5G networks, leading to the filing of several patents for their technological advancements.
