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Nilesh M Desai

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Nilesh M. Desai

Nilesh M. Desai is an Indian engineer and space scientist. He is known for his work in the development of microwave radar satellites, the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (NAVIC), quantum key distribution, and the third Indian lunar exploration mission, Chandrayaan-3. He assumed the directorship of the Space Applications Centre (SAC), [1] in Ahmedabad, on January 1st, 2021. [2][3]

Early life and education

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Nilesh Desai, was born on April 1st, 1964 in a Gujarati family in Navsari, Gujarat. Desai completed his schooling from Kandriya Vidhlya and graduated with top honors, securing the gold medal in the 1985/86 batch of BE (Electronics & Communication) from L. D. College of Engineering, Gujarat. Nilesh was also honoured with a degree of Doctor of Science (Honoris causa) from Bundelkhand University,[4] Jhansi on their 28th Convocation held on 30 September 2023,[5] for his contribution in the design and development of ISRO’s Microwave Radar (RISAT[6]), Oceansat,[7] NISAR,[8] and critical elements of Chandrayaan-3.

Career at ISRO

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Commencing his professional journey in 1986 at SAC/ISRO, Desai began working in ISRO's Microwave Remote Sensing Programme (MRSP). During his career, Desai has been instrumental in the design and development of ISRO's Microwave Radar Systems, contributing significantly to advanced applications encompassing earth observation, navigation, and communication technologies for societal welfare, governance, and strategic purposes.  Desai's expertise lies in leading the design and development of various key projects such as the RISAT-1 C-Band Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), Oceansat-2 and Scatsat-1, Chandrayaan-2 Orbiter SAR and Lander Altimeter, and Hazard Detection & Avoidance Processing System for Chandrayaan-3. Additionally, he had a pivotal role in the realization of Airborne SAR for Disaster Management, MiniSAR,[9] as well as signal & data processing, and remote sensing applications. Desai played a pioneering role in advancing VLSI and semiconductor manufacturing within India. Under his guidance, ISRO achieved a significant milestone by developing its first indigenous ASIC. His critical involvement led to the modernization of India’s semiconductor manufacturer, SCL Chandigarh, and has been actively contributing to the formulation of Indian semiconductor policies towards enhancing the semiconductor landscape of India. Under his guidance, ISRO pioneers the development of the first satellite-based Based Quantum Communication (SBQC).[10]

During his tenure, he held the positions of Group Director and Deputy Director of multiple technical areas of SAC. He also worked as an associate director for some duration before he became the director of SAC.

Contributions and recognitions

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His contributions and leadership have earned him prestigious accolades, including the ISRO Performance Excellence Award (2018),[11] the ISRO Individual Merit Award (2010), and the ISRO Team Award for RISAT-1 Payload in 2012. Desai's recent recognitions include the IESA Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Indian Space Programme at Spacetronics and Deftronics Summit-2023, as well as the "Lifetime Achievement Award" for Accelerating the Indian Design Verification Ecosystem by DVCon-India,[12] 2023.

International representation and professional affiliations

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Nilesh Desai has represented ISRO, and India at various international forums in countries such as Austria, China, France, Germany, Japan, Russia, and the United Kingdom. He has actively contributed to discussions and conferences, notably organizing and presiding over the ICG-14[13] held in India in December 2019. He remains an active life member of several professional societies, including the Indian Society of Remote Sensing (ISRS), Indian Society of Geomatics[14] (ISG), Astronautical Society of India[15] (ASI), and Indian Society of Systems for Science and Engineering[16] (ISSE).  Desai served as the National President of ISRS[17] from 2020 to 2022, and currently holds the position of Vice President of ISSE[18]-Ahmedabad Chapter.

Advocacy and outreach

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Desai's enthusiasm for space science outreach is evident through his involvement in activities like the Vikram Sarabhai Space Exhibition[19] and the Smart India Hackathon (SIH),[20] and in delivering lectures in engineering and science on National Science & Technology days. As the Chief Nodal Officer of ISRO/DOS for SIH, he actively spearheads various outreach initiatives for school and college students at SAC/ISRO.

References

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  1. ^ "Space Applications Centre". www.sac.gov.in. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  2. ^ "Space Applications Centre". www.sac.gov.in. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  3. ^ "Nilesh Desai new SAC director". The Times of India. 1 January 2021. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Bundelkhand University, Jhansi". www.bujhansi.ac.in. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  5. ^ "The convocation ceremony will take place with major changes, the scientist will be awarded an honorary degree". 25 September 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  6. ^ "RISAT-1". www.isro.gov.in. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  7. ^ "Oceansat-2". www.isro.gov.in. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  8. ^ Rosen, Paul A.; Kim, Yunjin; Kumar, Raj; Misra, Tapan; Bhan, Rakesh; Sagi, V. Raju (May 2017). "Global persistent SAR sampling with the NASA-ISRO SAR (NISAR) mission". 2017 IEEE Radar Conference (RadarConf). IEEE. pp. 0410–0414. doi:10.1109/radar.2017.7944237. ISBN 978-1-4673-8823-8. S2CID 12427851.
  9. ^ "MiniSAR (A miniaturized Airborne SAR Payload at X-Band)". www.isro.gov.in. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  10. ^ "Quantum Key Distribution (QKD)". www.isro.gov.in. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  11. ^ "ISRO Awards presented to 96 achievers". www.isro.gov.in. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  12. ^ "DVCon India – Design and Verification Conference & Exhibition". dvcon-india.org. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  13. ^ "ICG 14: Working Group D Presentations". www.unoosa.org. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  14. ^ "ISG I Indian Society of Geomatics (ISG) – ISG I Indian Society of Geomatics (ISG)". isgindia.org. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  15. ^ "ASINDIA". www.asindia.org. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  16. ^ "ISSEIndia". isseindia.co.in. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  17. ^ "Indian Society of Remote Sensing | Home". www.isrs-india.org. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  18. ^ "ISSEIndia". isseindia.co.in. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Space Applications Centre". www.sac.gov.in. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  20. ^ "ISRO Organizes Smart India Hackathon-2022 Grand Finale". www.isro.gov.in. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
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