Every year, selected graduating PhD students who have produced high-impact PhD theses, publications, patents and / or have had a tangible impact on the industry through their research work are awarded the prestigious "Naik and Rastogi Award for Excellence in Ph.D. Research" by IIT Bombay. In the ceremony conducted on August 22nd, 2026, two NCPRE students, Ruchita Korgaonkar and Nrita Gaur, were conferred this award by Dr. Umesh Waghmare, Secretary DST and Prof. Shireesh Kedare, Director IIT Bombay. Both of these awardees being women researchers is a statement in itself regarding the healthy gender ratio NCPRE has maintained.
Dr. Ruchita worked with Prof. Narendra Shiradkar in the NCPRE Module Laboratory on data-driven operation and maintenance of solar photovoltaic power plants, including a significant amount of work in the field. Dr. Nriti worked with Prof. Dinesh Kabra on the development of an indigenous cluster-tool technology at the NCPRE HSC Lab, enabling the reproducible fabrication of hybrid, vacuum-processed perovskite solar cells. This technology has been licensed by ART-PV India Ltd. Both these alumnae of NCPRE are now working in the core solar industry in India.
Dr. Umesh Waghmare and Prof. Shireesh Kedare give the prestigious awards for Excellence in Ph.D. Research to NCPRE students Ruchita Korgaonkar (left) and Nrita Gaur (right).