In celebration of National Science Day 2026 in India, hear from scientists across disciplines as they share perspectives on research, innovation, and the ideas shaping the country’s journey toward a developed, knowledge-driven economy.
India celebrates National Science Day each year on February 28, commemorating Sir C.V. Raman’s Nobel Prize-winning discovery of the Raman Effect. First celebrated in 1987, the observance and events associated with this day focus on promoting scientific temper and showcasing advancements in science and technology across educational/research institutions in India, towards encouraging scientific innovation and public appreciation of science.
India is also at a pivotal moment in its scientific journey with the Viksit Bharat (Developed India) initiative, the Government of India's vision to transform the nation into a fully developed country by 2047, marking the 100th anniversary of its independence. This ambitious mission positions India on a bold path toward becoming a developed, innovation-driven economy marked by technological leadership, sustainability, and inclusive growth. The national roadmap emphasizes holistic development spanning digital empowerment, sustainability, education reform, and a knowledge-based economy powered by research and entrepreneurship.
In this context, the voice of India’s scientific community becomes more important than ever. Scientists today work at the intersection of rapid technological advancement and societal need, shaping progress in areas such as AI, quantum technologies, biotechnology, renewable energy, and space exploration. The Viksit Bharat framework clearly identifies these domains as critical to India’s long-term global competitiveness and future readiness. It also underscores the need for world-class research ecosystems, modern infrastructure, and capacity building to unlock the full potential of India’s scientific talent.
This curated collection of interviews brings together diverse perspectives from researchers across disciplines, highlighting their aspirations, challenges, and insights at this transformative juncture. Their reflections not only illuminate the current scientific landscape but also offer a glimpse into the ideas and innovations that will define India’s journey to 2047. As the nation looks ahead with ambition and clarity of purpose, these voices remind us that India’s progress will be shaped by its scientists and their curiosity, resilience, and unwavering commitment to discovery.
In this Article:
Read Interviews From Scientists in India
- Dr. Dibyendu Das
- Dr. Sunanda Chatterjee
- Dr. Venkata Krishnan
- Dr. Ritika Gautam Singh
Browse Research Highlights in ACS Journals
Read Interviews From Scientists in India
Dr. Dibyendu Das
Dr. Das is a Professor of Chemistry at IISER Kolkata. He obtained his PhD from the Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science (IACS), India, and completed postdoctoral training at Emory University, USA. His research interests lie in systems chemistry, chemical evolution, and peptide nanotechnology, with a focus on non-equilibrium and life-like chemical systems. He is a recipient of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Chemistry (2025) and the Swarnajayanti Fellowship. He was featured in “75 under 50 scientists shaping today’s India” and has been elected Chair of the Gordon Research Conference on Systems Chemistry (2028) and Vice Chair (2026), alongside active international editorial and advisory roles.
Dr. Sunanda Chatterjee
Dr. Chatterjee is an Associate Professor at the Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. She is an organic and peptide chemist by training and currently pursuing medicinal chemistry and chemical biology in her independent research. Her research focuses on peptide-based antimicrobial peptides to combat antimicrobial resistance in infectious diseases. She is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, ACS Publications, one of the most revered journals in the field. Dr. Chatterjee loves teaching and delivering scientific lectures.
Dr. Venkata Krishnan
Prof. Dr. Venkata Krishnan earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Stuttgart, Germany (2006) and pursued postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A. (2006-2010) and at the National Institute for Materials Science, Japan (2010-2012). He joined IIT Mandi in 2012 and is now a full professor working in the field of green chemistry and heterogeneous catalysis for energy and environmental applications. He has guided several Ph.D. and M.Sc. students, published 200+ articles, holds 6 patents, and has an h-index of 65. He serves as Associate Editor of New Journal of Chemistry, Editorial Advisory Board member of ACS ES&T Engineering, and has received many prestigious awards.
Dr. Ritika Gautam Singh
Dr. Ritika Gautam Singh is an Associate Professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, where she leads a research group in metals in medicine. She earned her PhD from The University of Arizona and completed postdoctoral training at The Scripps Research Institute. Since establishing her laboratory in 2019, she has advanced metal-based diagnostics and therapeutics integrating in vitro, in vivo, and in silico approaches. She is a recipient of the Thieme Chemistry Journals Award 2026 and the Merck Young Scientist Award 2025 (Runner-Up), and a Young Associate of the Indian Academy of Sciences. Her recognition includes RSC ChemComm Emerging Investigator and ACS Organic & Inorganic Au Rising Star (2023).
Browse Research Highlights From ACS Journals
As the nation celebrates National Science Day, we invite you to explore a curated collection of research articles published in ACS journals, featuring scientific advances from India.
Engineering of Integral Membrane Metalloenzyme UndB and Designing of a Cell-Free Biocatalytic Platform Enabled Efficient 1-Alkene Production
Tabish Iqbal, Subhashini Murugan, Jayaprakash Karupusamy, Abhishek Sirohiwal*, and Debasis Das*
DOI: 10.1021/acscentsci.5c01099
Electrocatalyst-Free Pinacol Coupling in Water: A Sustainable Strategy for C–C Bond Formation Utilizing Ionic Liquid Vesicles
Nadia Hassan, Sana Zahoor, Mohammad Yaseen Kuchey, Ummar Ramzan Sheikh, Tabasum Ismail, Bilal Ahmad Ganaie, and Mohsin Ahmad Bhat*
DOI: 10.1021/acselectrochem.5c00031
Air Induced Phosphoryl Radical Mediated Stereoselective Hydrosulfonylation of Alkynes via Halogen Atom Transfer: Ingress of Z-Vinyl Sulfones
Shashikant Tiwari, Manisha Kumari, and Diwan S. Rawat*
DOI: 10.1021/acs.orglett.4c00539
Dithiocarbamate-Based Sequence-Defined Oligomers as Promising Membrane-Disrupting Antibacterial Agents: Design, Activity, and Mechanism
Anna Jose, Shabin N. Chathangad, Palliyil Sivadas, Debashis Barik, Karthika Kannan, Sovan Lal Das*, Sushabhan Sadhukhan*, and Mintu Porel*
DOI: 10.1021/acsabm.4c01732
Fermi-Level Equilibrium-Driven Trap Filling in Multibandgap PbS Quantum Dot Solids Enabling Record Voltage Generation and Improved Carrier Transport in High-Performance Solar Cells
Neha V. Dambhare, Arindam Biswas, Anjali Sharma, Dipak Dattatray Shinde, Anurag Mitra, Vrushali S. Girade, and Arup Kumar Rath*
DOI: 10.1021/acsenergylett.5c03000
Water microdroplets in air: a hitherto unnoticed natural source of nitrogen oxides
Anubhav Kumar, Veena Shankar Avadhani, Abhijit Nandy, Supratim Mondal, Barsha Pathak, Vinod Kumar Naidu Pavuluri, Madan Mohan Avulapati, and Shibdas Banerjee*
DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.4c00371
Behavior of Microstrain in Nd3+-Sensitized Near-Infrared Upconverting Core–Shell Nanocrystals for Defect-Induced Tailoring of Luminescence Intensity
Panchanan Pandey, Shilpa Tripathi, Manvendra Narayan Singh, Rajendra Kumar Sharma, and Supratim Giri*
DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.4c01077
Epigenetic Modifier Drug Valproic Acid Enhances Cancer Metaphase Chromosome Elasticity and Electron Transport: An Atomic Force Microscopy Approach
Tanya Agrawal, Debashish Paul, Amita Mishra, Ganesan Arunkumar, and Tatini Rakshit*
DOI: 10.1021/jacsau.4c00991
View Last Year's National Science Day Celebrations
Celebrating National Science Day 2025: Featured Interviews With Scientists in India
Read insightful interviews with four Indian scientists, along with a curated selection of research articles based on the pioneering discoveries of Sir C. V. Raman and related technologies recently published in ACS journals.