Originally Published 01 May 2004

It has just been announced on Saturday 1st of May 2004, that Professor Sir Kumar Bhattacharyya, Director of the Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick has been awarded a peerage. A short biography of Professor Sir Kumar Bhattacharyya now follows:

Professor Sir S K Bhattacharyya CBE

Btech Kharagpur, MSc, PhD Birmingham, HonD(Univ) Surrey, HonDEng UTM Malaysia, Hon D Business Administration. Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hon Dean Harbin Institute of Technology, FREng, FIEE, Professor of Manufacturing and Director of Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick.

Professor Sir Kumar Bhattacharyya, has published extensively in the field of manufacturing and is advisor to many companies and organisations around the world.

In 1998 he was awarded the Mensforth International Gold Medal by the Institute of Electrical Engineers. This was awarded for the outstanding international contribution to manufacturing engineering and management. In the same year he was also awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Institute for Logistics and Transport. This was followed in 1999 by the Institute's Sir Robert Lawrence Award for Services to Logistics.

He is a past member of the UK Council for Science and Technology, the Government's premier advisory body on major science and technology issues of strategic importance to the United Kingdom.

Professor Sir Kumar Bhattacharyya is also a past board member of Advantage West Midlands, the Regional Development Agency, and has served on numerous Government committees including the DTI Committee for Investment and Competitiveness and the Export Committee on Education and Training.

He is Trustee of the Institute for Public Policy Research.

He has received many international Honours awards. In January 2002 Professor Sir Kumar Bhattacharyya was awarded the Padma Bhusan by the President of India for services to science, technology and industry.

Professor Sir Kumar Bhattacharyya advises the Government of South Africa on Science and Technology policy and is a member of the Board of Transnet - the holding company for the state owned transport businesses from airlines to railways.

He advises many companies and governments in various countries on matters of industrial policy and strategy. He was recently awarded a Doctorate of Engineering by Universiti Teknologi Malaysia for services to Malaysian industry. He is also a member of the Business and Technology Advisory Committee in Malaysia. He holds Honorary Professorships in many countries.

He was awarded a knighthood in the Queens Birthday Honours in 2003.