New Delhi : Rohit Srivastava, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, who has filed more than 250 patents and been granted over 80, is one of the Vigyan Shri awardees honoured by the Indian government for distinguished contribution in the field of Science and Technology. His seminal work in biomedical engineering, especially in the area of affordable healthcare devices in the Indian market, led him to be recognised under the “Technology and Innovation” category of the Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar 2024, which fetes outstanding researchers in the fields of science, technology and innovation. Srivastava and his team have the reputation of looking beyond papers and conferences in the field of biomedical sciences.
Over the years, they have developed handy and affordable devices, like a mobile phone-based diagnostic device and a convenient blood sugar tester. In an interview to ThePrint, Srivastava said that digital health research has gained importance, especially since the Covid pandemic. Also read : Science ministry proposes new Rashtriya Vigyan Puraskar as India’s highest science & tech honour Here are the edited excerpts: Could you talk about your area of expertise, specifically your work in affordable healthcare? I’ve been at IIT-Bombay for the past 20 years.
When I joined, biomedical engineering was at its nascent stage. Biomedical engineering scientists were very few in the country since it was an interdisciplinary field and not many understood its im.