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{{Short description|Indian chemical engineer (born 1967)}}
{{EngvarB|date=March 2018}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox scientist
| name = Ashish Kishore Lele
| image =
| alt =
| caption =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=y|1967|4|3}}
| birth_place = [[Maharashtra]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality =
| fields = {{ublist | [[Polymer science]] | [[Rheology]] }}
| workplaces = {{ublist | [[University of Delaware]] | [[University of Cambridge]] | [[National Chemical Laboratory]] }}
| alma_mater = {{ublist | [[Institute of Chemical Technology]] | [[University of Delaware]] }}
| doctoral_advisor =
| doctoral_students =
| notable_students = [[Yogesh M. Joshi]], Shyni Varghese ([https://bme.duke.edu/faculty/shyni-varghese])
| known_for = Studies on micro and mesostructure of polymers
| awards = {{ublist|1988 [[University of Mumbai|UoM]] S. G. Kane Gold Medal | 1992[[University of Delaware|UoD]] R. L. Pigford Best Teaching Assistant Award | 1996 [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research|CSIR]] Young Scientist Award | 1998 [[Indian National Science Academy|INSA]] Young Scientist Award | 2003 [[Institute of Chemical Technology|UDCT]] UAA Distinguished Alumnus Award | 2006 [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]] | 2012 [[Infosys Prize]] }}
}}
'''Ashish Kishore Lele''' (born 3 April 1967) is an Indian chemical engineer, [[rheologist]] and the Director of the [[National Chemical Laboratory]], Pune.<ref name="Scientific Staff List">{{Cite web |year=2017 |title=About The Director |url=https://www.ncl-india.org/files/AboutNCL/AboutDirector.aspx |publisher=National Chemical Laboratory}}</ref> He is known for his researches on micro and mesostructure of polymers<ref name="Brief Profile of the Awardee">{{Cite web |url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/content/Detail.aspx?AID=171 |title=Brief Profile of the Awardee |year=2017 |publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize}}</ref> and is an elected fellow of the [[Indian Academy of Sciences]],<ref name="Fellow profile">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ias.ac.in/describe/fellow/Lele,_Dr_Ashish_Kishore |title=Fellow profile |year=2016 |publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences}}</ref> and the [[Indian National Academy of Engineering]].<ref name="INAE fellows">{{Cite web |url=https://inae.in/search-of-fellows/ |title=INAE fellows |year=2016 |publisher=Indian National Academy of Engineers |access-date=6 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403030936/http://inae.in/search-of-fellows/ |archive-date=3 April 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]], the apex agency of the Government of India for scientific research, awarded him the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology]], one of the highest Indian science awards for his contributions to Engineering Sciences in 2006.<ref name="View Bhatnagar Awardees">{{cite web | url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/Content/AwardeeList.aspx | title=View Bhatnagar Awardees | publisher=Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize |year=2016 | accessdate=12 November 2016}}</ref>{{Refn|group=note|Long link – please select award year to see details}} He received the [[Infosys Prize]] in 2012.<ref name="Laureates 2012">{{Cite web |url=http://www.infosys-science-foundation.com/prize/laureates/2012/ashish-lele.asp |title=Laureates 2012 |year=2017 |publisher=Infosys Science Foundation}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Lele, born on 3 April 1967 in [[Maharashtra]], graduated in chemical engineering from [[Institute of Chemical Technology|UDCT]] in Mumbai in 1988. He moved to the US for his doctoral studies at the [[University of Delaware]] from where he secured a PhD in 1993, simultaneously working as a research assistant at the university.<ref name="Faculty profile">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ncl-india.org/files/Research/ScientistProfile/Default.aspx?menuid=ql8&Id=72&NCLEmpId=1610&UserId=159 |title=Faculty profile |year=2017 |publisher=National Chemical Laboratory}}</ref>

==Career==
Returning to India, he started his career by joining [[National Chemical Laboratory]] in 1993 as a scientist. While working at NCL, he took a sabbatical to complete his postdoctoral studies at [[Cambridge University]] from July 2000 to December 2001. Subsequently, he resumed his service at NCL where he later held the chair of the department of Polymer Science and Engineering.<ref name="Lele, Dr. Ashish - Chair">{{Cite web |year=2017 |title=Dr Asish Lele takes charge as director of CSIR – National Chemical Laboratory |url=https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/pune/dr-asish-lele-takes-charge-as-director-of-csir-national-chemical-laboratory-7254506/ |publisher=National Chemical Laboratory}}</ref> In 2018, he opted to take the role of Senior Vice President (R & R&D) at Reliance Industries Ltd where he served till 31 March 2021. On 1 April 2021, he became the thirteenth Director of the CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory Pune.<ref name="NCL Staff Recreation Club">{{Cite web |year=2017 |title=About The Director |url=https://www.ncl-india.org/files/AboutNCL/AboutDirector.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207031316/http://srclub.ncl.res.in/files/events/NCL%20SR%20Members%20list%20as%20on%20310304.pdf |archive-date=7 February 2017 |access-date=6 February 2017 |publisher=NCL}}</ref> He has also served as a visiting professor at [[Institut des sciences de l'ingénieur de Toulon et du Var]] (Institute of Engineering Sciences of Toulon and the Var – ISITV).<ref name="Ashish Lele, Sanjay Subrahmanyam, Amit Chaudhury among winners of Infosys Prize 2012">{{Cite web |url=http://netindian.in/news/2012/11/23/00022147/ashish-lele-sanjay-subrahmanyam-amit-chaudhury-among-winners-infosys-prize- |title=Ashish Lele, Sanjay Subrahmanyam, Amit Chaudhury among winners of Infosys Prize 2012 |work=NetIndian |date=23 November 2012 |publisher=Net Indian |last1=Network |first1=Netindian News }}</ref>

==Research==
[[File:Superabsorber Hydrogel KSG 2917 pK.jpg|thumb|235px|Hygrogel of a superabsorbant Hydrogel]]
Bulk of Lele's researches have been based on the theoretical and experimental studies of micro and mesostructure of polymers and his studies widened the understanding of their macroscopic dynamical and equilibrium properties.<ref name="Brief Profile of the Awardee" /> He was the first scientist to elucidate the ''amoeba-like dynamics of ring polymers'' and proposed the ''mean field theoretical framework of specific weak molecular interactions in gels'' for the first time.<ref name="Ashish Lele, Sanjay Subrahmanyam, Amit Chaudhury among winners of Infosys Prize 2012" /> He developed tailored molecules of stimuli responsive smart [[hydrogels]] and explained the anomalous rheological behaviour of complex fluids. He has documented his researches by way of several articles;<ref name="Browse by Fellow">{{Cite web |url=http://repository.ias.ac.in/view/fellows/Lele=3AAshish_K=2E=3A=3A.html |title=Browse by Fellow |year=2016 |publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences}}</ref>{{Refn|group=note|Please see ''Selected bibliography'' section}} [[Google Scholar]] and [[ResearchGate]], online article repositories of scientific articles, have listed many of them.<ref name="On Google Scholar">{{Cite web |url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=YiRrzs0AAAAJ&hl=en |title=On Google Scholar |year=2016 |publisher=Google Scholar}}</ref><ref name="On ResearchGate">{{Cite web |url=https://www.researchgate.net/researcher/27543459_Ashish_Lele |title=On ResearchGate |year=2016 }}</ref> He holds a number of patents for the processes he has developed.<ref name="Ashish Lele on INAE">{{Cite web |url=https://inae.in/expert-search/index.php/ashish-lele |title=Ashish Lele on INAE |year=2017 |publisher=Indian National Academy of Engineering}}</ref><ref name="List of Patents">{{Cite web |url=https://www.google.ch/search?tbo=p&tbm=pts&hl=en&q=ininventor:%22Ashish+Kishore+Lele%22&gws_rd=ssl |title=List of Patents |year=2017 |publisher=Google Patents}}</ref><ref name="Lele on Patent Docs">{{Cite web |url=http://www.patentsencyclopedia.com/inventor/lele-6/ |title=Lele on Patent Docs |year=2017 |publisher=Patent Encyclopedia}}</ref><ref name="Bibliographic data">{{Cite web |url=https://patentscope.wipo.int/search/en/detail.jsf?docId=WO2011013145 |title=Bibliographic data |year=2017 |publisher=World Intellectual Property Organization}}</ref>

Lele is a director at Orthocrafts Innovations Private Limited and Amps Innovations Private Limited<ref name="Director">{{Cite web |url=https://site2corp.com/in/ashish-kishore-lele |title=Director |year=2017 |publisher=Site2Corp |access-date=6 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206184536/https://site2corp.com/in/ashish-kishore-lele |archive-date=6 February 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and is the co-founder and adviser of BioMed Innovations, a start-up established at the NCL Venture Center.<ref name="Co-Founder and Advisor">{{Cite web |url=http://www.biolmedinnovations.com/leadership |title=Co-Founder and Advisor |year=2017 |publisher=BioMed Innovations}}</ref> He is the president of the Indian Society of Rheology<ref name="President – ISR">{{Cite web |url=http://www.isr.org.in/executive-committee/ |title=President – ISR |year=2017 |publisher=Indian Society of Rheology}}</ref> and is a member of Rheologica Acta, the official journal of the European Society of Rheology, since 2010.<ref name="Ashish Lele, Sanjay Subrahmanyam, Amit Chaudhury among winners of Infosys Prize 2012" /> He is also a member of the [[Society of Rheology]], USA as well as the Indian chapter of the [[Society of Polymer Science]], and sits in the Management and Advisory Team of IPUA Virtual Technical Center.<ref name="Management and Advisory Team">{{Cite web |url=http://ipuatc.com/aboutus.aspx |title=Management and Advisory Team |year=2017 |publisher=IPUA Virtual Technical Center}}</ref> He was a member of the National Organizing Committee of the International Conference on Polymer Science and Technology held in [[Thiruvananthapuram]] in January 2017<ref name="National Organizing Committee">{{Cite web |url=http://www.macroindia2017.org/index.php?page=committees |title=National Organizing Committee |year=2017 |publisher=International Conference on Polymer Science and Technology |access-date=6 February 2017 |archive-date=6 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206185611/http://www.macroindia2017.org/index.php?page=committees |url-status=dead }}</ref> and has delivered several keynote or invited talks;<ref name="Symposium">{{Cite web |url=https://www.naefrontiers.org/People/PeopleDirectory/16565.aspx |title=Symposium |year=2017 |publisher=NAE Frontiers}}</ref><ref name="Dr. Ashish Lele's Talk">{{Cite web |url=http://www.che.iitb.ac.in/online/events/dr-ashish-leles-talk |title=Dr. Ashish Lele's Talk |year=2017 |publisher=IIT Bombay}}</ref><ref name="Processing of Polymers, Blends & Composites">{{Cite web |url=http://www.mitpune.com/dept-Polymer/achievement-dept-Polymer.aspx |title=Processing of Polymers, Blends & Composites |year=2017 |publisher=Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune |access-date=6 February 2017 |archive-date=6 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206185036/http://www.mitpune.com/dept-Polymer/achievement-dept-Polymer.aspx |url-status=dead }}</ref> the list includes the 78th Annual Meeting of the Society of Rheology at [[Portland, Maine]] in October 2006<ref name="78th Annual Meeting">{{Cite web |url=http://www.rheology.org/sor06a/ViewAuthorProfile.aspx?ID=119 |title=78th Annual Meeting |year=2017 |publisher=Society of Rheology}}</ref>{{Refn|group=note|He presented a paper, ''Dynamics of flexible ring polymers in obstacle environment''}} and COMSOL Conference 2015 where he presented a paper on ''Sensitivity Analysis of MEA Parameters on the Performance of HT-PEM Fuel Cell via COMSOL Multiphysics Modeling''.<ref name="COMSOL Conference 2015">{{Cite web |url=https://www.comsol.com/2015-user-presentations/keynotes |title=COMSOL Conference 2015 |year=2017 |publisher=COMSOL Conference 2015}}</ref> He has also guided several doctoral scholars in their studies.<ref name="List of Recognised Ph.D. Guides">{{Cite web |url=http://www.unipune.ac.in/university_files/pdf/Engineering_15-5-14-new.pdf |title=List of Recognised PhD Guides |year=2017 |publisher=University of Pune}}</ref><ref name="Saad Bhamla, Ph.D.">{{Cite web |url=https://cap.stanford.edu/profiles/viewCV?facultyId=41928&name=Saad_Bhamla |title=Saad Bhamla, PhD |year=2017 |publisher=Stanford University}}</ref><ref name="Nihal Kanbargi">{{Cite web |url=http://www.pse.umass.edu/sites/default/files/lesser/documents/Nihal%20Kanbargi_resume.pdf |title=Nihal Kanbargi |year=2017 |publisher=University of Massachusetts Amherst}}</ref>

=== Selected patents ===
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.google.ch/patents/US20150018463?dq=ininventor:%22Ashish+Kishore+Lele%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjSy_e24_rRAhVLnBoKHcfPBLsQ6AEILTAC |title=Modified polypropylene compositions for reduced necking in extrusion film casting or extrusion coating processes |last=Kalyani Suresh Chikhalikar, Ashish Kishore Lele, Harshwardhan Vinayak Pol, Kishor Shankar Jadhav, Sunil Janardan Mahajan, Zubair Ahmad |work=US Patent No. US 20150018463 A1 |publisher=Google Patents |date=9 January 2014}}
* {{Cite web |url=https://patents.google.com/patent/US8779097 |title=Accelerated gelation of regenerated fibroin |last=Shailesh Prakash Nagarkar, Ashish Kishore Lele |work=US Patent No. US8779097 B2 |publisher=Google Patents |date=15 July 2014}}
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.google.ch/patents/WO2014108874A1?cl=en&dq=ininventor:%22Ashish+Kishore+Lele%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjSy_e24_rRAhVLnBoKHcfPBLsQ6AEIQjAF |title=An optical fiber-based force transducer for microscale samples |last=Chirag Deepak Kalekar, Pramod Appukuttan Pullarkatt, Seshagiri Rao, Ashish Kishore Lele |work=US Patent No. WO 2014108874 A1 |publisher=Google Patents |date=17 July 2014}}
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.google.ch/patents/WO2016194006A1?cl=en&dq=ininventor:%22Ashish+Kishore+Lele%22&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjSy_e24_rRAhVLnBoKHcfPBLsQ6AEISTAG |title=A one step process for the pelletisation of poly lactic acid without melt processing |last=Ashish Kishore Lele, Abhijit Pravin Shete, Karan Vivek Dikshit |work=US Patent No. WO 2016194006 A1 |publisher=Google Patents |date=8 December 2016}}

== Awards and honours ==
Lele won two honours during his college days, S. G. Kane Gold Medal and Sohrab Coomi Mistry fellowship of the University of Mumbai for being class topper in his bachelor's degree class in 1988.<ref name="Faculty profile" /> At University of Delaware, he was selected for the Competitive Graduate Research Fellowship in 1988 and later, he was chosen for the R. L. Pigford Best Teaching Assistant Award in 1992. Back in India, he received the Young Scientist Award of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research in 1996,<ref name="Laureates 2012" /> followed by the Young Scientists Medal of the [[Indian National Science Academy]] in 1998.<ref name="INSA Young Scientists Medal">{{Cite web |url=http://insaindia.res.in/youngmedal.php |title=INSA Young Scientists Medal |year=2016 |publisher=Indian National Science Academy |access-date=6 February 2017 |archive-date=11 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511084357/https://www.insaindia.res.in/youngmedal.php |url-status=dead }}</ref> His alma mater, [[Institute of Chemical Technology|UDCT]], honoured him in 2003 with the UAA Distinguished Alumnus Award,<ref name="UAA Distinguished Alumnus Award Winners">{{Cite web |url=http://www.udctalumni.org.in/assets/content_files/151347273_UAA_Bulletin_Vol_19_Jan_2014.pdf |title=UAA Distinguished Alumnus Award Winners |year=2017 |publisher=UAA Newsletter |access-date=6 February 2017 |archive-date=7 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170207031458/http://www.udctalumni.org.in/assets/content_files/151347273_UAA_Bulletin_Vol_19_Jan_2014.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> and [[The Week (Indian magazine)|The Week]] magazine included him in the list of ''India's 50 Emerging Stars'' the same year.<ref name="Alumni News & Notes">{{Cite web |url=https://www.che.udel.edu/pdf/newsletter2003.pdf |title=Alumni News & Notes |year=2017 |publisher=University of Delaware |access-date=6 February 2017 |archive-date=14 September 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060914144440/http://www.che.udel.edu/pdf/newsletter2003.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] awarded him the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]], one of the highest Indian science awards in 2006.<ref name="Engineering Sciences">{{Cite web|url=http://www.csir.res.in/external/heads/career/award/BPRIZE/Engineering_SCIENCES.htm |title=Engineering Sciences |year=2016 |publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150923211647/http://www.csir.res.in/external/heads/career/award/BPRIZE/Engineering_SCIENCES.htm |archivedate=23 September 2015 }}</ref> The same year, he was elected as a fellow by the Indian National Academy of Engineering<ref name="Ashish Lele on INAE" /> and he became an elected fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences in 2010.<ref name="Fellow profile" /> [[Infosys Science Foundation]] chose him for [[Infosys Prize]] in Engineering and Computing Science in 2013.<ref name="Laureates 2012" />

== Selected bibliography ==
* {{Cite journal |author1=Subramanian, Ganapathy |author2=Ranade, Vivek |author3=Nagarkar, Shailesh |author4=Lele, Ashish |title=Matched asymptotic solution for flow in a semi-hyperbolic die |journal=Chemical Engineering Science |date=2005 |volume=60 |issue=11 |pages=3107–3110 |doi=10.1016/j.ces.2004.12.043|bibcode=2005ChEnS..60.3107S }}
* {{Cite journal |author1=Kulkarni, Chandrashekhar |author2=Belsare, Nilesh |author3=Lele, Ashish |title=Studies on Shrikhand Rheology |journal=Journal of Food Engineering |date=2006 |volume=74 |issue=2 |pages=169–177 |doi=10.1016/j.jfoodeng.2005.02.029}}
* {{Cite journal |author1=Ganvir, Vivek |author2=Lele, Ashish |author3=Thaokar, Rochish |author4=Gautham, B. P. |title=Simulation of viscoelastic flows of polymer solutions in abrupt contractions using an arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) based finite element method |journal=Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics |date=2007 |volume=143 |issue=2–3 |pages=157–169 |doi=10.1016/j.jnnfm.2007.02.009|bibcode=2007JNNFM.143..157G |url=http://dspace.library.iitb.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10054/927 |url-access=subscription }}
* {{Cite journal |author1=Iyer, Balaji V. S. |author2=Shanbhag, Sachin |author3=Juvekar, Vinay A. |author4=Lele, Ashish K. |title=Self-diffusion coefficient of ring polymers in semidilute solution |journal=Journal of Polymer Science Part B: Polymer Physics |date=2008 |volume=46 |issue=21 |pages=2370–2379 |doi=10.1002/polb.21569|bibcode=2008JPoSB..46.2370I }}
* {{Cite journal |author1=Ganvir, Vivek |author2=Lele, Ashish |author3=Thaokar, Rochish |author4=Gautham, B. P. |title=Prediction of extrudate swell in polymer melt extrusion using an Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) based finite element method |journal=Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics |date=2009 |volume=156 |issue=1–2 |pages=21–28 |doi=10.1016/j.jnnfm.2008.06.006|bibcode=2009JNNFM.156...21G |url=http://dspace.library.iitb.ac.in/xmlui/handle/10054/1693 |url-access=subscription }}

== See also ==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Finite element method]]
* [[Complex fluids]]
* [[Fibroin]]
* [[Polymers]]
{{div col end}}
{{portal|India|Engineering}}

== Notes ==
{{reflist|group=note}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXtzSAfF3Is |title=Dr. Ashish Lele |date=2 January 2013 |work=YouTube video|publisher=Ifosys Prize }}
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZVADOvMGIg |title=Dr. Ashish Lele's molecular structure research could have revolutionary effects |date=6 January 2013 |work=YouTube video|publisher=Infosys Prize }}
* {{Cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uY2xdR_8yVU |title=Ashish GE Presentation |date=30 July 2016 |work=YouTube video|publisher=Jaya Nichanametla }}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite web |url=http://archive.indianexpress.com/news/ncl-scientist-ashish-lele-wins-infosys-prize2012/1056582/ |title=NCL scientist Ashish Lele wins Infosys Prize-2012 |last=Express News Service |date=9 January 2013 |work=The Indian Express}}
* {{Cite web |url=http://www.iith.ac.in/events/res_profiles/pdf/From%20Macromolecular%20Structure%20to%20Polymer%20Processing.pdf |title=From Macromolecular Structure to Polymer Processing: Bridging length and time scales |last=Ashish Lele |year=2017 |publisher=IIT Hyderabad |access-date=6 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131112062207/http://www.iith.ac.in/events/res_profiles/pdf/From%20Macromolecular%20Structure%20to%20Polymer%20Processing.pdf |archive-date=12 November 2013 |url-status=dead }}

{{SSBPST recipients in Engineering Science}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lele, Ashish Kishore}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Engineering Science]]
[[Category:1967 births]]
[[Category:Scientists from Pune]]
[[Category:Marathi people]]
[[Category:Indian chemical engineers]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian inventors]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:University of Mumbai alumni]]
[[Category:Institute of Chemical Technology alumni]]
[[Category:University of Delaware alumni]]
[[Category:University of Delaware faculty]]
[[Category:Alumni of the University of Cambridge]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian National Academy of Engineering]]
[[Category:21st-century Indian inventors]]

Ashish Kishore Lele - Revision history

RonAgnew292842 at 11:09, 11 November 2025