The National Academy of Inventors (NAI), USA, has announced the induction of 169 distinguished inventors to be NAI Fellows and included National Science Chair of Govt. Of India, Emeritus Professor of Eminence, and Former Vice Chancellor of Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT) Mumbai Prof Ganapati. D. Yadav as one of them. 

The Election as an Academy Fellow is the highest professional distinction awarded to academic inventors. The full list of 2022 Fellows was released on 8th December by the NAI.

The 2022 Fellow class hails from 110 research universities, governmental and non-profit research institutions worldwide. They collectively hold over 5,000 issued US patents. Among the new class of Fellows are members of the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine; Fellows of AAAS; and other prestigious organizations; Nobel Laureates; other honors and distinctions as well as senior leadership from universities and research institutions. Their body of research and entrepreneurship covers a broad range of scientific disciplines involved with technology transfer of their inventions for the benefit of society.

This year’s class of NAI Fellows represents a truly outstanding caliber of inventors. Each of these individuals have made significant impact through their work and are highly regarded in their respective fields. The breadth and scope of their inventions is truly staggering. Their creativity continued to define a new era of science and technology in the global innovation ecosystem.

Professor Ganapati D. Yadav is the only second Indian to be so honoured. The NAI was founded in 2010 to recognize and encourage inventors with patents issued from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, enhance the visibility of academic technology and innovation, encourage the disclosure of intellectual property, educate and mentor innovative students, and translate the inventions of its members to benefit society.

Professor Yadav is the inventor of 120 patents and his recent work on green hydrogen production from water splitting with cost of hydrogen of less than a dollar, carbon dioxide valorisation into fuels and chemicals such as methanol, dimethyl ether, methane and higher hydrocarbons, and waste biomass into 14 different value added chemicals has caught the attention of the world.

His green hydrogen work is supported by ONGC Energy Centre. He was conferred Padma Shri in 2016. He was also inducted as the Honorary Fellow of the Biotech Research Society India (BRSI) at IIT Guwahati. Last month MIT ADT University bestowed on him the first Bharat Ratna A. P. J. Abdul Kalam Award for Science and Technology with a cash prize of Rs. 2.5 lakh and citation and medal. On 2nd October 2022, he was inducted into the US National Academy of Engineering in Washington; only 21 Indian nationals have been inducted into that academy in its entire history.

Professor Yadav also holds another record for Indian engineering professor of guiding 107 Ph. D., 135 masters, and 48 post-doctorates with 509 original papers and over 900 orations or lectures all over the world. He established two new campuses in Bhubaneswar with IOCL support and Jalna with Maharashtra Govt. Support. He has been serving on a number of central government committees and policy making bodies.

He is an independent director of five renowned listed companies and a consultant to industry for four decades. He is an elected fellow of all Indian Science and Engineering Academies and The World Academy of Sciences and many other professional bodies. He is currently the President of the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences, Indian Chemical Society, and ACS India International Chapter.