IIT Bombay Professor Karthikeyan Lanka has been selected for the National Academy of Sciences, India (NASI) Young Scientist Award 2026 for his contributions to Earth sciences, with a particular focus on agricultural drought research.
IIT Bombay announced the recognition through its official X account and congratulated Prof. Karthikeyan Lanka on the achievement.
Prof. Lanka’s research explores drought processes, soil moisture dynamics and interactions between the land surface and atmosphere. His work combines satellite observations, remote sensing techniques and climate models to examine how changes in water availability influence agricultural systems.
His research seeks to improve the monitoring and prediction of agricultural droughts, which can significantly affect crop production, farmers’ livelihoods and water resources.
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At IIT Bombay’s Centre of Studies in Resources Engineering (CSRE), his research areas include soil-moisture estimation through microwave remote sensing, drought and heatwave prediction, and land-surface modelling.
With drought posing growing challenges for agriculture and water management, accurate information on rainfall and soil moisture is increasingly important. Prof Lanka’s work uses satellite-based observations and scientific modelling to track changes in these conditions and better understand emerging drought patterns.
Such research can support efforts to identify areas vulnerable to drought and assess its potential impact on agricultural regions, helping strengthen climate and water-resource planning.
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Prof Lanka is an Associate Professor at IIT Bombay’s Centre of Studies in Resources Engineering, where his academic work spans remote sensing, hydrology and land-atmosphere interactions.
The NASI Young Scientist Award recognises promising young researchers for notable contributions to science. Prof Lanka’s selection highlights the significance of his work in understanding drought, environmental change and water availability.
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