Hyderabad: Professor Chandrasekhar Durai from the University of Hyderabad (UoH) has been elected as an Indian National Science Academy (INSA) Fellow for his research on organic photonics.
Organic photonics involves tiny organic crystals that can manipulate light and shape future communication, sensing and computing technologies. Durai’s appointment as INSA fellow will be effective from January 2027.
The UoH scientist will join a distinguished group of scientists recognised for significant contributions to science. INSA’s citation specifically recognises his work on advanced organic photonic materials, crystal-based waveguides, lasers and circuits, and his pioneering work in mechanophotonics.
Durai is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, UK, and, according to the university, among the world’s top two per cent of scientists in nanoscience and technology in the Stanford global ranking. He has received the SERB-STAR Research Award, Materials Research Society of India Medal and YIM Boston Young Scientist Award.
Durai serves on the international editorial boards of several leading journals in Materials Chemistry and Science.
His research group develops miniature, all-organic photonic microsystems, capable of guiding, modulating, splitting, and processing light, with applications in communication, sensing, computation, robotics, and space technologies. He pioneered the field of “Mechanophotonics,” integrating mechanical micromanipulation with crystal photonics to create all-organic photonic integrated circuits.
