N. K. Naik
Professor Niranjan Krishna Naik with 38 years of experience as a faculty in Aerospace Engineering Department[1] has made major contributions to teaching, research and development at Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India. The discipline "Polymer Matrix Composites" was evolving and attracting the attention of engineers and scientists about 40 years ago. That was the time when Prof. Naik actively involved in composites research. His main fields of research are: 2D / 3D textile composites, ballistic impact / low velocity impact and fatigue and fracture of composites.
For multi-directional and out-of-plane loading cases, textile composites are widely used as high performance structural materials. Considering the importance of this subject, many investigations are being carried out world over to understand the behavior of textile composites under different loading conditions during the last 4 decades. Prof. Naik is one of the leading researchers on this subject and contributed significantly to the textile composites research.
He has presented analytical methods to the international scientific community for elastic and thermal analysis of different 2D / 3D textile composites. He has also presented analytical methods for the failure analysis under different loading conditions. His other major contributions are the development of new and efficient methods for the analysis of composite structures under low velocity impact, ballistic impact and fatigue loading.
His research papers have been published in many international archival journals. He has written a book on Woven Fabric Composites published by Technomic, USA. He has also contributed chapters to the books published by Blackie Academic and Professional, London; Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York and Woodhead Publishing Limited, Cambridge, U.K.
Prof. Naik’s research publications are well cited in international literature. It is evident from Web of Science and Scopus. He has completed several sponsored and industrial projects of national importance and continuing to work on many more projects. He has interacted with several national and international organizations.
In recognition of his contributions, Prof. Naik has been elected as a Fellow of National Academy of Sciences, India (2004) and Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (2005). Further, he has been conferred prestigious Professor H. H. Mathur award for Excellence in Research in Applied Sciences 2006 by IIT Bombay. He has been awarded Excellence in Aerospace Education Award 2008 by the Aeronautical Society of India. He is the recipient of Aerospace Engineering Division Gold Medal of the Institution of Engineers (India) for the year 1992-93. Prof. Naik was on the Editorial Board of The Journal of Strain Analysis for Engineering Design, published by Professional Engineering Publishing Limited, London for six years.
Indian patent with invention title Strength Enhancing Insert Assemblies is granted to him. Application number is 496/MUM/2004. Patent number is 211354. United States Patent with invention title Strength Enhancing Insert Assemblies is also granted to him. Patent number is US 8,640,428 B2. Inventors: N. K. Naik and Nageswara Rao Ganji.
Aircraft Production and High Velocity Impact Test laboratories at Aerospace Engineering Department are outcome of singular efforts of Prof. Naik.
Prof. Naik was Head of Aerospace Engineering Department during January 2002 – December 2004. He has provided services to Advisory Boards of many International Conferences. He has also provided services towards referring many journal publications. He is a fellow / member of many professional societies. Prof. Naik was Independent Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited during November 2009 – November 2012.
Niranjan was born in Agragone, Ankola Taluka, Uttar Kannad District, Karnataka State in 1944. His early education was at Primary School, Agragone and Anandashram High School, Bankikodla. His engineering education was at Engineering College, Gulbarga and IIT Bombay.