Director CSIR-COE in Chemistry Indian Institute of Science, Current position Chairman of the Science Advisory Committee to the Prime Minister

Bangalore – 560 012 India
Fax: 91 80 3442468 pr 8462766
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Professor Rao is a world-renowned authority in solid state and structural chemistry. He has made seminal contributions to chemical spectroscopy, molecular structure, surface chemistry, high temperature superconductivity. More recently, his interest has shifted to nano sciences and nano technology.

In his laboratory, a large variety of nanoparticles and nanoparticle assemblies have been synthesised and characterised and new phenomena have been discovered. He and his research group have found that nanoscale metal oxides and nitrides show magnetism at room temperature due to surface effects. He has been instrumental in getting the Government of India to launch the Nano Science and Technology Initiative (NSTI) under the aegis of the Department of Science and Technology.