Dr. Mahesh Panchagnula

Dr.Mahesh Panchagnula is the Dean, ‘Alumni and Corporate Relations’ at IIT Madras. His energy, entrepreneurial bent and persuasive skills have meld together to build a robust alumni and corporate CSR connect with IIT Madras, raising a national record-breaking high funding to the tune of INR.300+ Cr in just the last three years.

Armed with a B.Tech from India’s #1 Institution, IIT Madras and both an M.S and a Ph.D from the world-renowned Purdue University, Dr. Mahesh is a professor at IIT Madras’ Department of Applied Mechanics. With an illustrious 20+ years’ career of teaching and research (59 publications, 2 patents) to his credit, Prof.Mahesh has undertaken innumerable global teaching and consulting assignments and is a seasoned, sought-after speaker addressing packed audiences on a wide range of topics, including alumni relations to applied mechanics, entrepreneurship to education, impact to innovation, to name a few.

A man of many hats, Prof. Mahesh ideated and launched a pan-India Science and Technology Magazine, IIT Madras Shaastra, the first of its kind in the country, to feature the best of Indian Science and Tech. The magazine has been well-received in India, receiving appreciation from the Vice President of India.

Prof. Mahesh has also pioneered the growth of ‘IIT Madras Incubation Cell’ as the Professor-in-charge and Board member, this Cell has now become the best tech incubator in the country with 220+ startups. Some of his career highlights include working with DRDO to design mission-critical elements of Kaveri Gas Turbine engine and also the creation of India’s first model to understand the onset of stampedes in dense crowds.