Professor Phani Kumar Pullela

Head, I & E Cell

About Dr. Pullela

Dr. Phani Kumar Pullela did his bachelors from Government College, Rajahmundry and Masters from University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad in the year 1999. He did his PhD from University of Mysore and postdoctoral research from Marquette University, Milwaukee, USA under the guidance of Prof. Daniel S Sem. After postdoc, Dr. Pullela returned to India and worked in a Biomedical industry for seven years and joined at CMR Institute of Technology, Bangalore in June 2014 and working as Professor from last 4.5 years. His research group works with motto of ‘Science for Society’.

He has licensed at least one product from each of the above stages of his life and have six granted US patents to his name. The past areas of research span from applied science to biomedical research, to fluorescence chemistry to sensors to breast cancer research and mostly performed product-oriented research. From CMRIT research till now five patents are filed and all said patents are licensed. One of his student startups has secured the coveted Elevate 100 funding from Government of Karnataka and has a manufacturing facility and has licensed a patent from their research.

His notable awards include Department of Biotechnology (DBT)- Biotech Product, Process Development & Commercialization 2017, Received from President of India, Breast cancer concept award form USA Department of Defense, USA in 2005, Young researcher award at World Chemistry Congress (WCC) in 2001, ASBMB awards in the years 2005, 2006, & 2007 and more than 18 research grants amounting to almost 30 crores funding as PI or Co-PI in last 19 years of his research career. His students’ achievements include few IEEE awards, UIF selection at Stanford University d.school, numerous awards at state and national level etc. He also completed a course on “Teaching & Learning in maker centric environment” in December 2016 from Harvard University with highest possible grade. His current areas of research include Water exploratory research, nanomaterials, fluorescence sensors, societal engineering, water purification, geographical indication, slimming products, solid and liquid waste recycling and development of associated technologies etc.

His student accomplishments are from competitions of national & international repute like DST- Texas instruments, Google sponsored Stanford UIF awards, Elevate 100, GHC USA Award, Stanford UIF FAB, FKCCI Manthan, Grand Challenges Karnataka, SoCH award from Government of India, International Indian Innovation Fair (IIIF) Gold medal, Portuguese Innovation medal etc. The other awards/ competitions include Ideas for India, Anveshan, Srishti, IEEE Humanatarian challenge, etc. He also supports students for scholarships from iSquareD, Arihant trust, Greenhood technologies, CO3 Structural Systems, GHC India etc.

The research funding for Dr. Pullela's research group involves both private and government funding. The private funding is through iSquareD, Greenhood Technologies, CO3 structural systems, Bleave hospitality private limited, etc. His group's government support is from DST nanomission, VGST SMYSR, VGST KFIT2, Grand Challenges Karnataka (GCK), DBT, BIRAC, AICTE SPDP, AICTE PRERANA, AICTE SAMRIDDHI etc. The AICTE grants are meant to train, empower and help the SC/ST students and the social equality and empowerment is an integral part of Dr. Pullela's research. Finally Dr. Pullela believes that a faculty's role starts from teaching in class and spans to emotional and personal counselling, motivation in right direction, winning the confidence of students through non-violence and friendship based methods. Dr. Pullela strongly believes that an entrepreneurial journey involves not just student, but a whole ecosystem of parents, financial background, academic performance, social interaction skills etc and emphasizes emotional empowerment of students should be part of every faculty's unwritten responsibility.