Dr. R. Krishnan, Director IITM

Dr. R. Krishnan was appointed as Director of IITM, Pune, with effect from 09 June 2022. He served the Institute in various capacities, since his joining at the Institute as Scientist D in 1995. Prior to taking charge as Director, IITM, he headed the Centre for Climate Change Research (CCCR) and served as Acting Director, IITM, Pune, during Nov 2021- June 2022.  He carried out PhD research in Atmospheric Sciences at the Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, under the guidance of Prof. R. N. Keshavamurty, and was awarded PhD from the University of Pune.  Prior to joining IITM, Pune, he worked as Scientist C at the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), New Delhi during 1992-1995.

Dr. Krishnan was a visiting researcher at the Frontier Research System for Global Change (FRSGC), Japan during 1998-2000, where he worked with Dr. Masato Sugi in the Global Warming Research Group headed by Prof. Syukuro Manabe – recipient of the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physics (Climate Science). During January-July 2001, he worked as a visiting scientist with Prof. V. Ramanathan at the Center for Clouds, Chemistry and Climate (C4), Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, USA.

Dr. Krishnan specializes in climate modelling to understand scientific issues relating to “Climate Change, Asian Monsoon and Water Cycle” and is engaged in developing in-house capability in Earth System Modelling to address the science of climate change. Under his leadership the CCCR developed the IITM Earth System Model (ESM) - the first global climate model from India that contributed to the Coupled Modelling Intercomparison Project – Phase 6 (CMIP6) and the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report (AR6). He was a Coordinating Lead Author in the IPCC AR6 WG1 report (Chapter-8: Water Cycle Changes) and a Drafting Author in the Summary for Policymakers. He is a member of the Joint Scientific Committee of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP). He and his team from CCCR-IITM published the First National Climate Change Assessment Report of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India in 2020.

In recognition of his outstanding contributions in the field of Atmospheric Sciences, the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Govt. of India, honoured Dr. Krishnan with the ‘National Award in Atmospheric Sciences’ for the year 2021.  He is also recipient of the Frontier Outstanding Research Award (FRSGC), Japan. He is Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi, the Indian Academy of Sciences (IASc), Bengaluru, the National Academy of Sciences India (NASI), Prayagraj, India and the Indian Meteorological Society (IMS).

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