Dr. Navindra Shekhar Shakunt | Composite | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Navindra Shekhar Shakunt is an accomplished materials scientist and engineer specializing in materials processing, with a particular focus on powder metallurgical processing of tungsten heavy alloys (WHAs), high-entropy alloys (HEAs), and structure-performance correlations. He currently serves as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, India, where he investigates the heat treatment and mechanical properties of advanced high-strength steels for automotive applications. Previously, he worked as a Research Associate at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, contributing to the development of refractory alloys using additive manufacturing and studying their tribological behavior. Navindra completed his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, with a thesis on powder metallurgical processing and characterization of W-Ni-Cu heavy alloys modified with La₂O₃ and Fe, under the guidance of Professors Anish Upadhyaya and Gouthama. He also holds an M.Tech. in Materials Engineering from the University of Hyderabad, where he focused on the development and mechanical properties of multicomponent high-entropy alloys, and a B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from Uttar Pradesh Technical University. His research expertise includes liquid-phase and super-solidus sintering, mechanical characterization using TEM, nanoindentation, tribological studies, and the design and evaluation of quenching and partitioning steels. Navindra has published extensively in high-impact journals such as International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials, Materials Chemistry and Physics, Journal of Materials Engineering and Performance, and Journal of Alloys and Compounds, and has presented his work at numerous national and international conferences. his work has been cited by 33 documents across 5 published research articles, with an h-index of 3. Known for his meticulous experimental skills, analytical mindset, and commitment to advancing materials science, Navindra continues to pursue innovative research in alloy design, mechanical performance, and additive manufacturing, contributing significantly to the development of advanced structural materials with enhanced reliability, durability, and tribological performance.