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{{Short description|Indian–American computer engineer (1945–2021)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{BLP sources|date=June 2012}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Arun N. Netravali
| birth_date = {{birth date|1945|05|26}}
| birth_place= [[Ankola]], [[Karnataka]], [[India]],<ref name="auto">{{cite web |last1=Gudi |first1=Ravi |title=Orbituary |url=https://acr.iitbombay.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Newsletter-June-2022.pdf |website=acr.iitbombay.org |publisher=Indian Institute of Technology Bombay |access-date=6 December 2025 |page=15 |date=June 2022}}</ref> [[Bombay Presidency]], [[British India]]
| occupation = Engineer, business executive, professor
| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|11|4|1945|5|26}}<ref name="auto"/>
| death_place = [[Dallas, Texas]], U.S.
| alma_mater = [[IIT Bombay]] (B.Tech) [[Rice University]] (M.S.), (Ph.D.)
| employer = [[Bell Laboratories]]
| awards = [[Marconi Prize]] [[Padma Bhushan]] [[National Medal of Technology]] [[Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers|IEEE Fellowship]]

}}
'''Arun N. Netravali''' (May 26 1945 – November 4, 2021) was an [[Indian–American]] computer engineer credited with contributions in digital technology including [[HDTV]]. He conducted research in digital compression, signal processing and other fields. Netravali was the ninth President of [[Bell Laboratories]] and served as Lucent's Chief Technology Officer and Chief Network Architect. He received his undergraduate degree from [[IIT Bombay]], India, and an M.S. and a Ph.D. from [[Rice University]] in [[Houston, Texas]], all in electrical engineering. Several global universities, including the Ecole Polytechnique Federale in Lausanne, Switzerland, honored him with honorary doctorates.

Netravali worked at NASA from 1970 to 1972, solving technical problems for the space shuttle project.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arun Netravali to Address Supercomm |url=https://www.lightreading.com/cable-technology/arun-netravali-to-address-supercomm |website=www.lightreading.com |publisher=TechTarget, Inc |access-date=7 December 2025 |date=March 19, 2001}}</ref>

Netravali led Bell Labs research and development of high definition television (HDTV) and was widely acknowledged as a pioneer in the development of digital video technology. He was the author of over 170 technical papers, 70 patents, and three books in the areas of picture processing, digital television, and computer networks.

Netravali was a member of Tau Beta Pi and [[Sigma Xi]]. He is also an IEEE fellow. He has received awards including the [[Marconi Prize]], the [[Padma Bhushan]] Award from the Indian government, the [[National Medal of Technology and Innovation|National Medal of Technology]] from President George W. Bush, the Computers & Communications Prize, the Alexander Graham Bell Medal, the IEEE Kilby Medal, the IEEE Frederik Philips Award, and the National Association of Software and Services Companies in India Medal.

Prior to joining Bell Labs, Netravali was an [[adjunct professor]] at the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]]. While at Bell Labs, he taught at City College of New York, Columbia University, and Rutgers University.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bell-labs.com/about/history-bell-labs/presidents/|title=Nokia Bell Labs: Presidents of Bell Labs|website=www.bell-labs.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-10}}</ref>

Netravali died on November 4, 2021, at the age of 76.<ref name="auto"/>

== Awards and honors ==
[[File:Assignment- TA 2002 8688 20) Technology Administration - NATIONAL MEDAL OF SCIENCE (40 CFD TA 2002 8688 20 Arun-N-Netravali.jpg - DPLA - 3822ee4146e9eba5321929a33b41fa56.jpg|thumb|right|Netravali (center) was presented the 2002 U.S. National Media of Technology by U.S. President George W. Bush (right)]]
Netravali has received numerous awards and honorary degrees, including
* the Marconi Prize from the [[Marconi Society]] in 2017
* the [[IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal]] in 2001 (together with [[Thomas S. Huang]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/documents/kilby_rl.pdf |title=IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal Recipients |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date={{Format date|2011|2|27}}}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/about/awards/bios/kilby_recipients.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120905043533/http://www.ieee.org/about/awards/bios/kilby_recipients.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=5 September 2012 |title=IEEE Jack S. Kilby Signal Processing Medal Recipients - 2001 - Thomas S. Huang and Arun N. Netravali |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date={{Format date|2011|2|27}}}}</ref>
* the [[IEEE Frederik Philips Award]] in 2001<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/documents/philips_rl.pdf |title=IEEE Frederik Philips Award Recipients |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date={{Format date|2011|3|7}}}}</ref>
* the U.S. [[National Medal of Technology]]<ref>[http://www.bell-labs.com/news/features/arun.html Award details at Bell Labs website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110926232423/http://www.bell-labs.com/news/features/arun.html |date=26 September 2011 }} in 2001 and [http://www.technology.gov/Medal/Recipients.htm Technology Administration agency] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928061946/http://www.technology.gov/medal/Recipients.htm |date=2007-09-28 }}</ref>
* the [[Padma Bhushan]] from the Government of India<ref>[http://pib.nic.in/archieve/phtgalry/pgyr2001/pg032001/pg22mar2001/22032001e.html Photo of award ceremony]</ref>
* the [[IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal]] in 1991 (together with [[C. Chapin Cutler]] and [[John O. Limb]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/documents/bell_rl.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619233055/http://ieee.org/documents/bell_rl.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 June 2010 |title=IEEE Alexander Graham Bell Medal Recipients |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date={{Format date|2011|1|2}}}}</ref>
* elected to member of the [[National Academy of Engineering]] in 1989<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nae.edu/MembersSection/Directory20412/27673.aspx |title=NAE Members Directory - Dr. Arun N. Netravali |publisher=[[National Academy of Engineering]] |access-date={{Format date|2011|3|7}}}}</ref>
* elected to [[IEEE Fellow]] in 1985<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/membership_services/membership/fellows/chronology/fellows_1985.html |title=Fellow Class of 1985 |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date={{Format date|2011|3|7}} |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629021152/http://www.ieee.org/membership_services/membership/fellows/chronology/fellows_1985.html |archive-date=2011-06-29 }}</ref>
* the [[IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award]] in 1982 (together with [[John O. Limb]])<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ieee.org/documents/fink_rl.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101124231931/http://ieee.org/documents/fink_rl.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 November 2010 |title=IEEE Donald G. Fink Prize Paper Award Recipients |publisher=[[IEEE]] |access-date={{Format date|2011|1|2}}}}</ref>

== Selected writing ==
* Arun N. Netravali and Barry G. Haskell, ''Digital Pictures: Representation, Compression and Standards (Applications of Communications Theory)'', Springer (second edition, 1995), {{ISBN|0-306-44917-X}}
* Don P. Mitchell and Arun N. Netravali, ''Reconstruction Filters in Computer Graphics'', Computer Graphics, Vol. 22, No. 4, August 1988. pp. 221-228. [https://www.cs.utexas.edu/~fussell/courses/cs384g-fall2013/lectures/mitchell/Mitchell.pdf ]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20060110223903/http://www.thetech.org/nmot/detail.cfm?ID=107& Laureate profile at The Spirit of American Innovation]

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{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2000–09}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Netravali, Arun}}
[[Category:Columbia University faculty]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian people]]
[[Category:Indian computer scientists]]
[[Category:Rice University alumni]]
[[Category:Indian emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:National Medal of Technology recipients]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in science & engineering]]
[[Category:1946 births]]
[[Category:IIT Bombay alumni]]
[[Category:Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering]]
[[Category:American chief technology officers]]
[[Category:Businesspeople from Mumbai]]
[[Category:Fellows of the IEEE]]
[[Category:Bell Labs]]
[[Category:2021 deaths]]

Arun Netravali - Revision history

NoeMacmillan574 at 23:56, 1 January 2026