Prof. Sounak Roy of BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus to Receive Prestigious MRSI Medal 2026

Hyderabad: Prof Sounak Roy, Professor in the Department of Chemistry, and Dean (Institute-wide), Research & Innovation (R&I), Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, Hyderabad campus, has been selected to receive the prestigious Materials Research Society of India (MRSI) Medal 2026. This comes in recognition of his contributions to catalysis, nanomaterials, and materials research for energy and environmental applications.

Prof. Roy’s research focuses on developing advanced catalytic materials for sustainable energy conversion, with particulaar emphasis on photocatalysis, electrocatalysis, carbon dioxide utilisation, hydrogen production, and solid-state inorganic materials.

Speaking about the recognition, Prof. Sounak Roy said,“MRSI stands for quality science in materials research, and we are delighted that our work on designing and developing catalytic materials for energy and the environment has found recognition. This honour belongs to my students, collaborators and the CReAtE Lab team, and it motivates us to keep making catalysts that matter.”

Prof. Roy has contributed to multiple research projects supported by national funding agencies and industry partners, including the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL).

The medal will be presented to Prof. Roy during the Annual General Meeting of MRSI in December 2026.