N. C. Nigam Chair
Late Prof. N.C. Nigam's family & friends instituted the N.C.Nigam Chair in his memory. The Chair is open to all the departments of science and engineering at IIT Kanpur. He served as a faculty member and Head of the Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kanpur, and is a Distinguished Alumnus of IIT Roorkee.
Current Occupant
Prof. Basker Sundaraju
(May 2026 - May 2029)
Prof. Basker Sundararaju, from the Department of Chemistry, IIT Kanpur, works on organometallic chemistry, the development of new methods for organic synthesis, ligand design, C-H and C-C bond functionalization, and their applications in targeted synthesis. He earned his Ph.D. from University de Rennes, France. He is a recipient of the Thieme Chemistry Journal Award, the DAE-BRNS Young Scientist Award, and the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship for Postdoctoral Research.
Former Occupant
Prof. Manas K. Ghorai
(Jul. 2022 - Jul. 2025)
Prof. Manas K. Ghorai, Department of Chemistry, specializes in Synthetic Organic Chemistry. His research interests include Azirdine and Azetidine Chemistry, Dianion Chemistry, Memory of Chirality, and Organocatalysis. He earned his doctorate from the National Chemical Laboratory, Pune in 1998.
Prof. Tarun Gupta
(May 2019 - Apr. 2022)
Prof. Tarun Gupta, from the Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Kanpur, works on the development of instruments for aerosol measurement, engineering control of particles in ambient and indoor settings, physico-chemical characterization of atmospheric pollutants and secondary organic aerosol formation, personal exposure assessment and health effects of inhaled particles, source apportionment of air pollution, formation and control of engine exhaust emissions, and risk assessment. He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard University. He is a recipient of the INSA Medal for Young Scientist, the INAE Young Engineer Award, the Indo-US Frontiers of Science Symposium Joint Research Award, and the IEI Young Engineers Award.