New Delhi: Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murthy, health researcher and activist Abhay Bang and scientist and entrepreneur Krishna Ella are among 61 individuals who have been awarded the esteemed India Fellowship of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA) for 2025.
The India Fellowship is a prestigious honour bestowed by the INSA to distinguished individuals who have made notable contributions to new knowledge and discoveries.
Sudha Murthy, the former chairperson of Infosys Foundation, is known for her philanthropy and her contribution to Kannada and English literature. She is the first female engineer hired at TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company. Over the years, Murthy has written several books which include novels, non-fiction, travelogues, technical books, and memoirs and they have been translated into all major Indian languages.
“Bang’s journey is deeply rooted in the ethos of Mahatma Gandhi’s Sevagram ashram, where he found inspiration. In 1985, he established SEARCH (Society for Education, Action and Research in Community Health) in Maharashtra’s underdeveloped Gadchiroli district. Operating across 150 villages, SEARCH delivers community-based healthcare and conducts ground-breaking research, influencing health policies globally,” INSA mentioned in its website.
Ella, co-founder and executive chairman of Bharat Biotech International Limited (BBIL), has been recognised for his contributions to the field of science, including the development of new vaccine technologies and significant improvements to existing ones.
Ella, who specialises in molecular biology, founded BBIL in 1996. He holds a PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and was a gold medallist at the university. Prior to his entrepreneurial endeavours, he worked as a research faculty member at the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston. He has been conferred with the Padma Bhushan. Ella is a part of several committees, including the scientific advisory committee to the Union cabinet.
Infosys founder N.R. Narayana Murthy, co-founder and chairman of Infosys Nandan Nilekani, Biocon India executive chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, Indian Institute of Science professor Ambarish Ghosh and All India Institute of Medical Sciences’s head of Obstetrics & Gynaecology department Dr Neerja Bhatla have also been bestowed with the India Fellowship of INSA for 2025.
