Lalit Mohan Kapoor Chair
Mr. Lalit Mohan Kapoor established the Lalit Mohan Kapoor Chair. This chair is open to any outstanding faculty member across all departments at the Institute. Mr. Lalit Mohan Kapoor (BT/CHE/1971) is the Founder, President, and CEO of Group BiGates Inc. USA, established in 2000. BiGates is an IT outsourcing company that provides business solutions to enterprises across the United States, with a primary focus on ERP solutions.
Current Occupant
Prof. Kantesh Balani
(Sep. 2025 - Sep. 2028)
Prof. Kantesh Balani from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, IIT Kanpur, has research interests in multi-functional biomaterials, nanomechanics, nanotribology, polymeric/ceramic nanocomposites, ultra-high temperature ceramics, and energy materials. He is a recipient of several prestigious honors, including the Swarnajayanti Fellowship (2016-17), Metallurgist of the Year (2016), and fellowships from ASM International (FASM, 2021), INAE (FNAE, 2021), and NASI (FNASc, 2021). He has also received numerous young scientist and engineering awards from leading national and international bodies. Prof. Balani earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Florida International University, USA, in 2007.
Former Occupant
Prof. Sankar Prasad Rath
(Apr. 2022 - Apr. 2025)
Prof. Sankar Prasad Rath from the Department of Chemistry, IIT Kanpur, has research interests in bioinorganic chemistry, multi-heme cytochromes, electron transfer processes, supramolecular chirality, and light-induced electron/energy transfer. His work focuses on understanding heme-heme interactions in multiheme proteins, modeling di-heme cytochromes, and probing molecular chirality using metallo-porphyrin systems and exciton coupled circular dichroism techniques.
He has contributed significantly to the study of photosynthetic reaction center proteins and electron transfer mechanisms in biological systems. Prof. Rath has been recognized with several honors, including the C. N. R. Rao National Prize in Chemical Sciences (2018), Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellowship (2012), CRSI Bronze Medal (2015), and multiple fellowships and academic distinctions.