CEO
M.S. Unnikrishnan (Unny) is the Head & Chief Executive Officer of the IITB-Monash Research Academy. He previously served as Managing Director & CEO of Thermax Group for over thirteen years, leading its global expansion and professionalisation. He currently serves on the boards of KEC International, Kirloskar Brothers, and Greaves Cotton, and is Chairperson of Livguard Energy Technologies.
Beyond industry, Mr. Unnikrishnan contributes to education and social causes as a Trustee of Akshaya Patra Foundation and Jehangir Hospital, Pune, and as a member of the Governing Councils of TERI and BITS Pilani. He was elected a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering in 2019 and recognised as an Eminent Mechanical Engineer by the Institution of Engineers (India) in 2017.
A Distinguished Alumnus of VNIT Nagpur and an alumnus of the Harvard Business School, he brings together corporate leadership, academic engagement, and a commitment to nation-building.
By education, Kuheli is an IT engineer. She is associated with the Academy since 2010. After performing several roles since the inception period, she is currently serving as Senior Manager (Operations). She is in charge of the overall financial and HR oversight and the Academy operations.
Kiran is in charge of Finance and Legal Affairs of the Academy. He is the sole point of contact for the students and supervisors to inquire about their research budget.
Beena is in charge of the Admissions process in the Academy. The Academy has two student intakes in a year. Beena organises the interviews for both the intakes and is the point of contact for any issues regarding the student admissions.
Laya is the EA to the Head and she also handles the process of examination from the time the student completes the Pre-synopsis till he/she gives the defence viva seminar. She manages the content for the Academy website and also handles the Academy's social media handles.
Jayasree is in charge of the student candidature from the time they get admitted till they complete their Pre-synopsis. She is the point of contact for the students in case of any issues they face during their candidature and Monash stay extension. She handles the student scholarship and booking of the Academy Video conference rooms.
Karan Singh is the Assistant Administration & Maintenance In-charge . He is responsible for maintaining safety in the laboratories and ensuring smooth functioning of the Academy building.
Sudarshan, an MBA and B.E. (Computer Engineering) graduate from Mumbai University with 8 yrs of experience in B2B sales, project management, and Corporate Social Responsibility heads the Business Development team for industry, philanthropy, and Non-profit partners for scaling our PhD program
Bhumika is a software engineer with multiple master’s degrees from US universities and prior product development experience within the consulting industry as a Business Analyst. At the Academy, she works on strengthening industry–academia engagement, fostering new research collaborations, and facilitating programs such as the Prime Minister Fellowship for Doctoral Research.
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