Ranganath Navalgund

B Sc (Physics & Mathematics) - Karnatak Science College, Dharwad
M Sc (Physics) - IIT Bombay
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph D) - Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, University of Bombay

Dr Ranganath R Navalgund was Vikram Sarabhai Distinguished Professor at ISRO, Bangalore for the period May 2012 to April 2017. He held the post of Director, Space Applications Centre (ISRO), Ahmedabad from July 2005 to March 2012. Prior to that, Dr Navalgund was at the National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad as its Director during the period May 2001 to November 2005. As Director of two major centres of the Indian Space Research Organisation, Dr Navalgund has successfully led teams engaged in the development of communication and navigation payloads, state-of-the-art electro-optical and microwave sensors, data acquisition and processing systems, setting up international ground stations to receive IRS data in several countries, international collaborative research efforts and has contributed in a major way towards growth and development of remote sensing application programmes, in the country.

During this period of thirty five years of scientific and professional career, Dr Navalgund has brought out more than 100 scientific publications including 78 papers in peer reviewed journals, proceedings and technical reports. He has delivered many invited talks at the national/international forums. His work has been recognized through many honours like the ISRO Outstanding Achievement Award (2008), Distinguished Alumnus of TIFR (2009), Maharana Udaisingh Award for Environment (2009), VASVIK Award (2003), Bhaskara Award (2006), Indian National Remote Sensing Award (1992), ASI Award for outstanding contributions in Space Science and Applications (1996), K R Ramanathan Gold Medal and Outstanding Leadership Award of ISPRS (2004).

He has been the Co-chair of the Joint Working Group of Indo-US Civil Space Cooperation, ISRO-ESA Earth Observation Working Group, ISRO-CNES Steering Group and ISRO-CNSA EO Group. He was instrumental in setting up Indo-Mynamar Friendship Remote Sensing Center.