Veezhinathan Kamakoti, the director of the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and one of the country's most respected computer scientists, has been conferred the Padma Shri for 2026 in the science and engineering category.
The Veezhinathan Kamakoti Padma Shri recognition shines a light on India's quiet, long running effort to build its own semiconductor and computing capability, a field that has moved to the centre of national strategy.
Dedicating the honour, Kamakoti described it as a collective effort and credited his team and the nation.
The award is timely.
As India pushes to reduce its dependence on imported chips, the work Kamakoti has led offers a working example of indigenous design.
