(DIYA TV) — Mukesh Ambani and Sam Pitroda have been elected as part of the National Academy of Engineering’s (NAE) new class of members—the academy’s member-base now sits at 2,275 in the U.S., and 232 internationally with the election of 80 new members from the state, and 22 new foreign members.
Mukesh Ambani
Election to the academy is one of the highest honors bestowed upon an engineer, reserved for those whom have made outstanding contributions to “engineering research, practice, or education, including, where appropriate, significant contributions to the engineering literature” and to “the pioneering of new and developing fields of technology, making major advancements in traditional fields of engineering, or developing/implementing innovative approaches to engineering education.”
Ambani serves as chairman and managing director for Reliance Industries Limited, a Mumbai-based petrochemical company, and becomes one of only 10 Indians to be elected to the NAE since its inception in 1964. A press release from the academy said Ambani’s election came as a result of his “engineering and business leadership in oil refineries, petrochemical products, and related industries.”
Sam Pitroda
Sam Pitroda, a tech evangelist, and chairman of The Pitroda Group, was elected for development of rural telecommunications infrastructure in India, the release said.
The two will be formally introduced as new members at the academy’s Oct. 9 annual meeting in Washington D.C.
Other Indian members include P.C. Kapur of IIT-Delhi, scientist R.A. Mashelkar, Narayana Murthy of Infosys, scientist Roddam Narasimha, Pradip P. of TCS, scientist P. Ramarao, chemical engineer M.M. Sharma and industrialist Ratan Tata.
