National Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Dr. Raman Meenakshi Sundaram
FELLOW, ELECTED 2019

Born in Thirunelveli, Tamilnadu on 23rd August 1972. Educated at Tamilnadu Agricultural University, B.Sc. (Agri) 1994, M.Sc. (Agri) in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology at G.B. Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar 1996 and Ph.D. in Plant Sciences at Univeristy of Hyderabad, Hyderabad 2008.

Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Hyderabad, 2021 to date.

Principal Scientist (Biotechnology), Crop Improvement Section, ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Hyderabad, 2014 to 2021. Senior Scientist (Biotechnology), ICAR-IIRR (formerly known was Directorate of Rice Research), Hyderabad, 2008 to 2014; IUSSTF Post Doctoral Fellow, Iowa State Universit and Cornell University, USA, 2012, Scientist (Sr. Scale; Biotechnology), ICAR-IIRR, Hyderabad, 2004 to 2008; USAID-ABSPII Research Fellow, Cornell University, USA, 2005, Scientist (Biotechnology), ICAR-IIRR, Hyderabad, 1998 to 2004; Senior Assistant Manager (Technical), Central Warehousing Corporation, New Delhi, 1997 to 1998.

Awards/Honours: Department of Biotechnology, Government of India Award for Biotech Product and Process Commercialization, 2016; PN Behl Award for the Biennium 2012-13 for Excellence in Crop Sciences, awarded by ICAR-Indian Agricultural Research Institute (ICAR-IARI), New Delhi, 2015; DST-Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation grant for CONNECT Program for attending 6th Indo-German Frontiers in Engineering Symposium, 2014; CSIR Award for S & T Innovations in Rural Development (CAIRD), 2013; Indo-US Science and Technology Fellowship, 2012; Hari Om Ashram Trust Award of ICAR for the Biennium 2010-12; Lal Bahadur Shastri Outstanding Young Scientist Award of ICAR, 2010; Prof. SVS Shastri Outstanding scientist Award of ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research (ICAR-IIRR), Hyderabad for the year 2015, USAID-ABSPII Research Fellow, 2005; Best worker (Scientist) of ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Hyderabad (2017-18), Team Member/Expert, Crop group (Rice) for developing DNA fingerprinting protocol constituted by ICAR, 2018; External Subject Expert (Plant Biotechnology) at Kerala Agricultural University, 2018; External Member, Technical Advisory Committee, M/s Metahelix Life Sciences Limited, Bangalore, 2016 to date; Member, Expert Committee on Crop Molecular Breeding, Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India, 2014 to 2016; Member, Project Monitoring and Site Committee, BIRAC-DBT, Govt. of India, 2015 to date; DBT Nominee, Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBSC), Xylem Seeds and Tierra Seeds, 2014 to date; External Expert, IBSC; Biosco Biosciences, Pioneer Hi-Bred Seeds, 2016 to date; Chief Editor, Journal of Rice Research; 2018, Editor, Journal of Plant Biochemistry and Biotechnology (A Springer Journal), 2018; Academic Editor, PLoS One; 2018; Recipient of DBT Merit Fellowship, M.Sc. (Agri) studies, 1994 to 1996; Govt. of Puducherry Merit Fellowship, B.Sc. (Agri) studies, 1990 to 1994.

Fellow: National Academy of Sciences, India; Indian Society of Genetics and Plant Breeding (ISGPB); Indo-US Science and Technology Forum, United States

Research Areas: Crop biotechnology, Rice genetics, Rice molecular breeding

Address: Director, ICAR-Indian Institute of Rice Research, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad 500030, Telangana; Apartment No. G410, Aparna Cyber Zon, Nallangandla, Sherilingampally, Hyderabad 500019, Telangana; [Tel: Off. (040) 24591226; Res. (040) 67642332; Cell: 9440488043, 7286835684; Fax: (040) 24591217; Email: rms_28@rediffmail.com; r.sundaram@icar.gov.in; rmsundaram34@gmail.com; director.irri@icar.gov.in]

NAAS Associate, 2013