Jyeshtharaj B. Joshi

Jyeshtharaj Bhalchandra Joshi is an Indian chemical engineer, nuclear scientist, consultant and professor, widely known for his innovations in nuclear reactor designs and generally regarded as a respected teacher. He is the DAE-Homi Bhabha Chair Professor, Homi Bhabha National Institute, Mumbai, and is the recipient of Shantiswarup Bhatnagar Prize for Engineering Sciences and many other awards and recognitions. He received the third highest civilian honour, the Padma Bhushan, in 2014 for his services to the field of chemical engineering and nuclear science. Joshi was born on 28 May 1949, in Masur, Satara district, in the Indian state of Maharashtra, as the son of Bhalachandra (Kaka) Joshi.[1] He passed BE in chemical engineering in 1971 and ME in 1972 from the University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT), Mumbai after which he started his research, under the guidance of renowned chemical engineer, Man Mohan Sharma. In 1977, he was awarded the PhD.[2] Joshi lives in Mumbai and is married to Rujuta and the couple has a son, Aniruddha, who is PhD in Computer Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai. Joshi started his career, in 1972, as joining the faculty of the erstwhile University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT), now known as Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. During 1999 to 2000, as the director of ICT, he organised around 200 science workshops. He was also successful in upgrading the institute to the status of a deemed university and increases fundraising for the Institute research by way of donations, research contracts and project consultancies. Joshi worked there for the most part of his career, in various positions and retired as its Director in 2009.[2] After that he joined as a Homi Bhabha Chair Professor in Homi Bhabha National Institute, Department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai.[3] Presently, he is working as emeritus professor in Department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai. Joshi is credited with many innovative designs in the area of multiphase reactors. He is reported to have successfully developed multiphase sparged and mechanically agitated reactors. This has helped in the set up of large number of commercial size reactors in India and abroad. Joshi published over 442 scientific papers he has published in peer-reviewed journals, with over 10772 citations on Google Scholar. Chem Tech Journal USA has recommended his procedures five times.