This International Women’s Day, we bring to you the journeys, insights, and inspirations of the women leading India’s next wave of scientific breakthroughs.
Across India’s scientific landscape from research labs and university campuses to deep‑tech startups and national innovation centers, women scientists continue to push boundaries, ask bold questions, and redefine what is possible. This International Women’s Day, ACS Publications is proud to celebrate their leadership, resilience, and vision through a special feature highlighting conversations with remarkable women who are shaping the future of Indian science.
This collection brings together a diverse group of voices: established academicians leading cutting‑edge research, founders driving science-based entrepreneurship, and women at the forefront of interdisciplinary discovery. Their journeys reflect not only scientific excellence but also the power of mentorship, community, and determination in creating a more inclusive STEM ecosystem.
In these interviews, the scientists share what first sparked their curiosity, the people who inspired and guided them, and the moments that defined their careers. They offer thoughtful reflections on overcoming challenges, navigating evolving scientific landscapes, and carrying forward a sense of purpose rooted in discovery. Most importantly, they speak directly to early-career women and young girls aspiring to enter STEM, encouraging them to stay curious, seek mentorship, embrace creativity, and pursue science with confidence.
We invite you to explore these stories and celebrate the women who continue to strengthen India’s scientific future. Their perspectives remind us that progress in science is fueled not only by breakthroughs in the lab, but also by the diverse voices, lived experiences, and unwavering dedication of those who lead the way.
In this Article:
Read Interviews From Women Scientists in India
- Dr. Sivapriya Kirubakaran
- Dr. Veda Krishnan
- Dr. Janhavi Raut
Browse Research Highlights in ACS Journals
Read Interviews From Women Scientists in India
Dr. Sivapriya Kirubakaran
Dr. Sivapriya Kirubakaran is Professor of Chemistry and the Kankuben Bakshirambhai Gelot Chair at Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar. She earned her Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Indian Institute of Science (2007) under Prof. S. Chandrasekaran, and completed postdoctoral research at DFCI, Harvard Medical School and the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, MIT. With over 20 years of experience in organic chemistry and targeted drug discovery, her research focuses on DDR kinase mechanisms and Helicobacter pylori survival pathways to develop novel and affordable therapeutics for cancer and infection. She has authored over 60 publications and holds around 20 patents, including 6 granted Indian and 2 granted U.S. patents.
Her honors include the Alumni Excellence Award (2024) from Ethiraj College for Women and the Dr. R. Gopalan Endowment Prize (2022). She is a BIG-BIRAC awardee, prestigious Ramanujan Fellow (2013–2018), Council Member of the Chemical Research Society of India (2023-2029) and has been named a “Future Leader” in Chemical Biology by the Royal Society of Chemistry (since 2023). She is featured in India’s Science Geniuses among the top 25 scientists from India and she is also the co-founder and the Chairperson of Procyl Therapeutics, an innovative solution for therapeutics.
Dr. Veda Krishnan
Dr. Veda Krishnan is a senior scientist in nutritional biochemistry at the Division of Biochemistry, ICAR–Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI), New Delhi. With over 13 years of research experience, her work focuses on functional foods, low glycemic index (GI) phenotyping, bioactive compounds, and the development of predictive models for metabolic health. She leads the Food Matrix Lab, where her team integrates food chemistry, in vitro digestion models, clinical validation, and data-driven approaches to develop nutrient-dense and health-promoting food systems. Her research places particular emphasis on minor cereals, millets, and indigenous bioresources for sustainable and resilient nutrition strategies.
Dr. Krishnan has contributed significantly to interdisciplinary collaborations, including international partnerships, and actively works at the interface of science, policy, and translational research. She has been an International Research Exchange Fellow at Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and a Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Fellow at Purdue University, USA. Her work focuses on innovation-driven research, resulting in 85+ publications, a granted patent, a copyright, and four commercialized products. Dr. Krishnan has established global collaborations, including the IBERS, University of Aberystwyth, and University of Manitoba, through BBSRC institutional partnership, Joy Welch grant and ISPF Indo-UK-Ethiopia collaborations. She is actively engaged in science leadership, serving as an Executive Committee Member of the Global Young Academy, former Secretary of INYAS, Fulbright ambassador of exchange, INSA young associate, INSA women associate, Plantae Fellow, and received Dr. H.K Jain Memorial Award for outstanding young scientist in Biochemistry.
Dr. Janhavi Raut
Dr. Janhavi Raut leads the Skin Cleansing Technology and Processing program at Unilever R&D. She is a Chemical Engineer by training with a B. Tech from IIT-Bombay and a PhD from Pennsylvania State University, USA. She has been with Unilever for 25+ years working on various aspects of Chemical Engineering & Materials Research. She delivered a wide range of product innovations with 30+ publications. Janhavi has been a visiting Professor at IIT-Bombay and MIT-Manipal and served on the Editorial Advisory Board of Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. She was elected fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineers (INAE) in 2020.
Browse Research Highlights From ACS Journals
In celebration of International Women's Day, we invite you to explore a curated collection of research articles published in ACS journals, featuring scientific advances led by women researchers in India.
Systematic Study via Controlling the Molecular Design for Reducing the Triplet Delayed Lifetime in Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Emitters for Efficient OLEDs
Nisha Yadav, Annette Mariya Tedy, Shana Shirin M A, Thamodharan Viswanathan, Arun K Manna and Pachaiyappan Rajamalli
DOI: 10.1021/acsami.5c17734
Smart Silica Nanocomposites Activating Plant Defenses via Enhanced Biomolecule Deposition on Superhydrophobic Monocot Surfaces
Anju Sangwan, Nitish Kumar, Gurdeep Kaur and Neetu Singh
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.5c06497
Keeping Up with the Q’s: Mechanistic Insights and Validation of Quinoline and Quinazoline Scaffolds as Potent Drugs against Tuberculosis
Anjali Negi, Summaya Perveen, Harpreet Kour, Parvinder Pal Singh and Rashmi Sharma
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.4c02568
Enhancing Visible-Light Driven Photocatalytic Hydrogen Evolution through Carbazole-Benzothiadiazole Conjugates Integrated with Graphitic Carbon Nitride
Anita Kumari, Rajsekhar Roy, Supriyo Sil, Ujjal K Gautam, and Sanchita Sengupta
DOI: 10.1021/acsmaterialslett.5c00413
Isomorphous Cobalt Coordination Frameworks: Enhancing Electrocatalytic Oxygen Evolution Reaction through Coordinated Solvent Variations
Anjana Chanthapally, Anagha Yatheendran, and N. Sandhyarani
DOI: 10.1021/acs.cgd.4c00890
Radial Asymmetry in Quadrupole Mass Filters: Stability, Multipole Fields and Resolution Enhancement
Sukanya Jana, Snigdha Bose, Sayel Chakraborty, Pintu Mandal and Nabanita Deb
DOI: 10.1021/jasms.5c00288
Antibacterial and Antibiofilm Efficacy of Graphene Oxide Nanomaterials against Gram-Positive Bacteria: Mechanistic Approaches to Understand the Membrane Damage and Oxidative Stress in Cells
Anjali Singh, Soumyasri Nikhilesh Mahapatra, Sayani Mitra, Nisha Yadav, Bimlesh Lochab and Kasturi Mukhopadhyay
DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c03508
Protease-Mediated Shedding and Intermittent Mobility of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant
Manorama Dey, Poojitha Sai Potharaju, Khushika, Krishnan H. Harshan, Pritam Kumar Jana and Nagma Parveen
DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpclett.5c02783
The ACS150 JACS Symposium Series is Coming to IACS Kolkata!
ACS Publications, in partnership with the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), is delighted to bring the JACS Symposium Series to Kolkata on 1 July 2026 to celebrate the 150th Anniversaries of the American Chemical Society and IACS.
Join us for a full day of innovation and collaboration across the fields of polymer, materials, and physical chemistry. This inspiring in-person event will feature exclusive keynote lectures and dynamic panel discussions with leading researchers.
Spaces are limited and applications to attend are now being accepted.