Arun Kumar Chair
Late Mr. Arun Kumar (BT/EE/1969) was the President and Managing Director of Flextronics Software Systems. A native of Lucknow, he earned his B.Tech. in Electrical Engineering from IIT Kanpur before pursuing a Master's degree in Computer Science at the University of Missouri.
Returning to India in 1995, he joined Hughes Network Systems, where he played a pivotal role in driving the company's growth and expansion. He was instrumental in extending the company's presence into new markets and leading its transition into the products business. Following the acquisition of Hughes Network Systems by Singapore-based Flextronics Software Systems, Mr. Kumar served as its President and Managing Director.
To honour his legacy and enduring contributions, his family members and friends established the Arun Kumar Chair at IIT Kanpur. The Chair is open to faculty across all science and engineering departments of the Institute.
Current Occupant
Prof. Ashwani Kumar Thakur
(May 2026 - May 2029)
Prof. Ashwani Kumar Thakur, from the Department of Biological Sciences & Bioengineering, IIT Kanpur, works on peptide design and protein aggregation mechanisms, amyloid diseases, drug discovery, and nanoparticle-based technologies for therapeutic delivery to the brain. He earned his Ph.D. from the Institute of Microbial Technology and Panjab University. He is a recipient of the Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship for Postdoctoral Research, the Erasmus Mundus-NAMASTE Academic Staff Fellowship, and the DBT Rapid Young Investigator Grant.
Former Occupant
Prof. Aditya K. Jagannatham
(Jul. 2022 - Jul. 2025)
Prof. Aditya K. Jagannatham, Department of Electrical Engineering, research interests include next-generation wireless cellular and WiFi networks, with a special emphasis on various 5G technologies, and 6G technologies such as OTFS Modulation, Terahertz, Visible Light Communication (VLC), Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) Technology, and others. He received a B.Tech degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and an M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, San Diego, CA, USA. He has been awarded the P. K. Kelkar Young Faculty Research Fellowship for excellence in research, multiple Qualcomm Innovation Fellowships (QIF 2018, 2022), the IIT Kanpur Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Upendra Patel Achievement Award at Qualcomm.
Prof. Aditya K. Jagannatham
(May 2019 - Apr. 2022)
Prof. Aditya K. Jagannatham, Department of Electrical Engineering, research interests include next-generation wireless cellular and WiFi networks, with a special emphasis on various 5G technologies, and 6G technologies such as OTFS Modulation, Terahertz, Visible Light Communication (VLC), Intelligent Reflecting Surface (IRS) Technology, and others. He received a B.Tech degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and an M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, San Diego, CA, USA. He has been awarded the P. K. Kelkar Young Faculty Research Fellowship for excellence in research, multiple Qualcomm Innovation Fellowships (QIF 2018, 2022), the IIT Kanpur Excellence in Teaching Award, and the Upendra Patel Achievement Award at Qualcomm.