Dr. Venkatesh T

Sri.Venkatesh T

Educational Details

  • PhD Chemical Engineering - Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research, Ghaziabad, 2020 - 2024.
  • M.Tech Chemical Engineering - Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, 2014-2016
  • B.Tech Chemical Engineering - Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, 2010-2014
  • Higher Secondary - Town Higher Secondary School, Kumbakonam, 2010
  • Secondary School - Town Higher Secondary School, Kumbakonam, 2008

Professional Experience

  • Senior Scientist - CSIR - National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, July 2022 - Present
  • Scientist - CSIR - National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, July 2018 - July 2022.
  • Assistant Professor (Contract) - National Institute of Technology, Calicut - June 2016 - May 2018.

Professional Affiliations

  • Life Associate Member - Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (IIChE)
  • Life Member - Kerala Academy of Sciences (KAS)
Technology Transfer

Patents & Technology Transfers

Title of the
Technology/patent		 Status Role in Technology Transfer
Process for free flowing cane juice powders Indian patent filed Principal Investigator
Development of the process with validation and scale-up
Establishment of 5 TPD jaggery processing unit at Marayoor, Idukki Tech. Transferred to 2 MSME’s and implementation in progress Principal Investigator
Engineering design and implementation in turn-key mode
Ready to Cook Products from Raw Banana Tech. Transferred and under commercialization Co-Investigator
Involved with Scale-up, Specification Drafting, Material/Energy Balances, Costing and feasibility of the developed technology
Agriculture residue based cutleries Tech. Transferred to around 16 companies and 3 companies started Commercial production
Vegan leather from agri residues Tech. Transferred to two firms
    Publications

    Publications & Conferences

    • "Scientific Understanding of Traditional Jaggery Making Process at Marayoor, Kerala." Journal of The Institution of Engineers (India): Series A (2025): 1-5. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40030-025-00891-z (Corresponding Author)
    • A perspective of microalga-derived omega-3 fatty acids: scale up and engineering challenges. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2025.2494060 (First Author)
    • Valorization of mosambi peels: Comparative Analysis of dehumidified and freeze-drying for essential oil extraction, Biomass Conversion and Bio refinery, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-025-06749-5 (Corresponding Author)
    • Biodegradable products from renewable sources: impact on replacing single-use plastic for protecting the environment. Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol. 22, 6181-6208 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13762-024-06104-7 (Co-Author)
    • An Insight into the Role of Humidity and Temperature on Phenolic Retention, Powder Flow, Glass Transition, and Crystalline Changes During Non‐centrifugal Sugar Drying, Journal of Food Process Engineering, 47:e70020, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.70020 (Corresponding Author)
    • Energy requirement in non-centrifugal sugars production units and its mitigation via steam controlled concentration techniques, Environmental Progress and Sustainable Energy, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1002/ep.14381 (Corresponding Author)
    • Non-Centrifugal Sugars Production via Thermic Oil Heaters: A Case Study on GI Tagged Natural Sweetener. Sugar Tech, 1-10. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12355-023-01348-y (Corresponding Author)
    • Plant-based hydrocolloids for efficient clarification of cane juices: rheological analysis and solidification studies. Food & Function. 2024. https://doi.org/10.1039/D3FO05029G (Corresponding Author)
    • Impact of Integrated Ultra Violet-Ozone Treatment on Textural and Structural Properties of Dough Made of Natural Fiber Based Agro Residues. Journal of Natural Fibers, 20(1), 2161690. 2023. (Co author)
    • Reinforced water hyacinth based biodegradable cutlery: Green alternative to single-use plastics. Food Packaging and Shelf Life, 40, 101211. 2023. (Co-author)
    • Influence of refrigerated adsorption dehumidified drying towards the retention of phenolic, flavonoid and antioxidant properties of small cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum): Performance comparison with convection, solar and fluidized bed dryer. Industrial Crops and Products, 200, 116839. 2023. (Corresponding Author)
    • Current production strategies and sustainable approaches towards the resurgence of non-centrifugal cane sugar production–a review. Sustainable Food Technology. 2023. (Corresponding Author)
    • Effect of Aeration Techniques on Flow Properties of Spray-Dried Sugar Powders - Process Optimization Studies, Food and Bioprocess Technology, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1007/s 11947-022-02854-9 (Corresponding Author)
    • Advances in drying techniques for retention of antioxidants in agro produces, Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2022.2082371 (Corresponding Author)
    • Recent advances in non-thermal and thermal processing of jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam): An updated review, Journal of Food Processing and Preservation, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpp.16637 (First Author)
    • Artocarpus heterophyllus Lam (jackfruit) processing equipment: Research insights and perspectives, Journal of Food Process Engineering, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfpe.13920 (Co Author)
    • Recent advancements in baking technologies to mitigate formation of toxic compounds: A comprehensive review, Food Control, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2021.108707 (Co Author)
    • A comparison of the Refrigerated Adsorption Drying of Daucus carota with fluidized bed drying, LWT, Vol 154, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2021.112749 (Corresponding author)
    • Short food supply chains to resolve food scarcity during COVID-19 pandemic-An Indian model, Advances in Food Security and Sustainability, Vol 6, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.af2s.2021.08.001 (Corresponding author)
    • A novel bio-physical approach for perchlorate contaminated well water treatment, Environmental Advances, Vol 4, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envadv.2021.100058 (Co-author)
    • Need for a balance between short food supply chains and integrated food processing sectors: COVID-19 takeaways from India, Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-020-04942-0 (Corresponding Author)
    • Grey water treatment and surfactant recovery using UF and RO process, Separation Science and Technology, Volume 52, 2017. https://doi.org/10.1080/01496395.2016.1273244 (First Author)
    • Break-through analysis of fixed bed adsorption using organic adsorbents’, International Journal of Chemical Engineering Research, Vol 7, Number 1 (2015), pp 17-21.
    • Lab-scale extraction, confirmation and applications of protein from human hairs, IJTES, Volume 3[8], pp: 4008-4011, August 2015.
    Group

    Students

    1. Mr. Karthik Raja, Project Associate, B.Tech Biotechnology, 2024 - 2027.
    2. Miss. Soundharya, Project Associate, B.Tech Biotechnology, 2024 - 2027.
    3. Mr. Venuprasad Narasingh, Project Assistant, B.Tech Chemical Engineering, 2024 - 2025.
    4. Mr. Krishnan Unni, Project Associate, B.Tech Civil Engineering, 2023-2025.
    5. Mr. Gokul Vel E, Project Associate, B.Tech Mechanical Engineering, 2021-2023.
    6. Miss. Silpa V, Project Associate, M.Sc Biochemistry, 2020-2023.
    7. Mr. Nandhulal A M, Project Associate, M.Tech Agricultural Engineering, 2020-2022.
    8. Miss. Athira V A, Project Associate, M.Tech Food Engineering, 2020-2022.
    9. Mr. Anand, Project Assistant, Diploma in Mech. Engineering, 2021-2022.
    Research Interest

    On-Going Research Areas

    Biofuels from Agro-residues, Scale-up and Process Engineering

    • Biofuels from various agricultural feedstock’s/residues
    • Development of non-thermal techniques for minimizing the inhibitors in 2G ethanol processes
    • Implementation of large scale processing unit for production of biodegradable products from agro residues/agro by-products.
    • Material and Energy Balances, Specification drafting, Equipment Selection, Costing and documentation for various unit operations involved in food/agro processing.
    • Scale-up, life cycle assessment and feasibility studies

    Drying Technologies for Post-Harvest Agro Processing

    • To design and develop various prototype models of drying units based on dehumidification and solar principles.
    • Calculation of energy efficiency and exergy studies.
    • Development of drying kinetics and transport phenomena for various drying processes.
    • Scale-up and feasibility studies

    Modernization of Traditional Agro Sectors

    • Technological interventions in traditional food processing sectors such as Jaggery, Virgin Coconut Oil and Ayurvedic medicines.
    • Development of suitable machineries/process protocols for large scale production.
    • Development of various value added products and its validation studies.
    • Scale-up and feasibility studies.
    Projects

    Projects

    I) Sponsored Projects

    Sl.No Title of Project Funding Agency Duration and Amount Role
    1 Establishment of 6 TPD processing unit for Marayoor Jaggery at Idukki, Kerala DST May 2024 - May 2027 137 Lakhs Principal Investigator
    2 Life cycle assessment of millets for better positioning of millets as an environmentally sustainable food CSIR Mission Project Aug 2023- Aug 2025 32 Lakhs Activity Lead
    3 Modernization of Jaggery Production Units DST Agro Tech Aug 2020-Aug 2022 35 Lakhs Principal Investigator
    4 Development of Solar Dryer for Spices DST Young Scientist Oct 2020-Oct 2022 43 Lakhs Principal Investigator
    5 Fermentation, Scale-up and Technology Development of Cellulase Industrial Enzymes for Biofuel Applications CSIR Mission Project May 2024-May 2026 45 lakhs Co-Investigator
    6 Development of thermocol alternatives from agro residues DST Apr 2024-Mar 2026 55 Lakhs Co-Principal Investigator
    7 Development of Vegan Leather from Agricultural Residues CSIR FTT Scheme August 2022 - August 2024 80 Lakhs Co-Principal Investigator
    8 Field Level Demonstration of perchlorate reduction through bio-physical process Ministry of Jal Sakthi April 2021-October 2023 30 Lakhs Co-Principal Investigator
    9 Development of food packaging containers from pineapple leaves and banana stem Ministry of Food Processing Industries, GoI Apr 2021-Oct 2022 22 Lakhs Co-Principal Investigator
    10 Nutraceuticals from Priyala seeds - Validation, Process Optimization and scale-up CSIR Apr 2021- Mar 2023 50 Lakhs Co-Principal Investigator
    11 Utilization of coconut wastes for various biodegradable products Coconut Development Board Mar 2021-Sep 2022 15 Lakhs Co-Principal Investigator
    12 Solar Based Dehumidified Dryer for Spice Processing CSIR Mar 2020-Mar 2022 45 Lakhs Co-Principal Investigator
    13 Setting up processing unit for dehydrated fruits and vegetables Kerala Horticulture Board Jan 2020-Mar 2021 25 Lakhs Team Member
    14 Establishment of dehydration unit for underutilized fruits and vegetables Kerala Horticulture Board Mar 2021-Dec 2021 11 Lakhs Team Member
    15 In-situ Preservation and Value Addition of Matured Coconut Water Coconut Development Board Mar 2018-June 2021 30 Lakhs Team Member
    16 Development of Nutri-breakfast for pan-India CSIR Mar 2018-Mar 2020 40 Lakhs Team Member

    II) Consultancy Projects

    Sl.No Title of Project Industry/Client Name Duration and Amount Role
    1 Design Considerations in Evaporators and Dryers for Food Processing Applications Accelerate Vigyan, SERB August 2022 - December 2022 1.5 Lakhs Project Leader
    2 Feasibility assessment of agro-residue for ethanol production using ICT’s proprietary technology, using different biomass hydrolyzing enzyme cocktails Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai May 2024 - October 2024 18 Lakhs Co-Principal Investigator
    3 Establishment of pineapple leaves processing unit for manufacture of biodegradable products Vazhakulam Agro and Fruit Processing Company Ltd, Kerala April 2022 - October 2023 20 Lakhs Co-Principal Investigator
    4 Establishment of 500 kg per day apple prunes processing plant for biodegradable plates production Himjoy Enterprises, Himachal Pradesh October 2021 - October 2022 Co-Principal Investigator
    5 Development of edible plates and Cutleries from agro residues Auro-Exim, Ernakulam Feb 2019-May 2021 4 Lakhs Co-Principal Investigator
    6 Establishment of 500 kg per day rice waste processing unit Maraikar Green Earth Private Limited, Thiruvananthapuram Feb 2021-Feb 2022 20 Lakhs Co-Principal Investigator
    7 Engineering consultancy for establishment of a processing unit for vegetables BLFO, Rani Feb 2021- Oct 2021 4 Lakhs Team Member
    8 Product development and stability for milk based herbal extract formulation Arya Vaidya Pharma, Coimbatore Jan 2020 - Oct 2020 5 Lakhs Team Member

     

    Training programs

    Skill Development Programs

    • Organized a one-week skill development program on “1G, 2G ethanol and biofuels - Process Development, Opportunities and Pilot Scale Operation” sponsored by Ministry of Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Govt of India, during Feb 10 - Feb 14, 2025.
    • Organized a one-week skill development program on, “Introduction of Life Cycle Assessment studies on Bioprocessing and Chemical Engineering - Phase II” at CSIR - NIIST, during January 6 - 10, 2025.
    • Organized a one-day online skill development program on, “Introduction of Life Cycle Assessment studies on Bioprocessing and Chemical Engineering - Phase I” at CSIR - NIIST, during June 26, 2024.
    • Organized a one-week skill development program on ‘Entrepreneurship focused skill training in food sectors - Phase II’ sponsored by Kerala Institute for Entrepreneurship Development, Govt of Kerala, during March 2023.
    • Organized a one-week skill development program on “Entrepreneurship focused skill training in food sectors - Phase I” sponsored by Kerala Institute for Entrepreneurship Development, Govt of Kerala, during January 2023.
    • Organized a 7 days’ workshop on “Handling perishable Food/Agro produces - Equipment Handling, Modeling, Simulation and Scale-up studies” sponsored by Accelerate Vigyan, SERB between July 22, 2022 - July 28, 2022.
    • Organized a 10 days’ skill development program on “Food Processing Equipment Design and Handling” for students of Lourdes Matha Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology between July 18 - July 28, 2022.
    • Organized a 10 days’ skill development program on “Food Processing Technology” for students of Lourdes Matha Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology between February 1 - February 11, 2021.
    Invited Talks

    Invited Lectures

    • Delivered an invited lecture on, “Post-harvest processing and storage of vegetables” during the APEDA’s capacity building program held on June 30, 2025.
    • Delivered a lecture on, “Post-harvest technologies and value addition on Himalayan crops and products - A possibility of collaboration” at National Institute of Himalayan Environment, MoEFCC, Almora on November 14, 2024.
    • Delivered a lecture on “Role of water in food processing sectors” during World food day celebrations held at TKM Institute of Technology, Kollam on October 16, 2023.
    • Invited lecture on the topic, “NEW TRENDS IN POST-HARVEST TECHNOLOGIES OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES” organized by Department of Agriculture, Govt of Kerala on May 2, 2023.
    • Invited lecture on the topic, “Relevance of Process Engineering in Fruits and Vegetables Value Addition” sponsored by the Ministry of Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), India, at NIT Calicut on March 10, 2023.
    • Invited lecture on the topic, “Technology Business Incubator for Fruits and Vegetables” at VAIGA 23 expo, Thiruvananthapuram, organized by Department of Agriculture, Govt of Kerala on Feb 26, 2023.
    • “Post-harvest value addition of agri crops” for the farmers of Palluruthy Block,Vyttila Ernakulam organized by Directorate of Agriculture, Palluruthy Block on May 26, 2022.
    • “Webinar on Research and Career Options for Chemical Engineers in Food Processing Sectors” at Agni College of Engineering, Chennai on 13th May 2022.
    • “Technology Incubation Activities at CSIR-NIIST” at 5th International Workshop and Exhibition on Agro Processing and Value Addition, (VAIGA 2021: Sustainable Development through Agripreneurship) organized by Department of Agriculture, Government of Kerala, India on February 13, 2021.
    • “Interdisciplinary Research & Education in Biochemical Engineering - Opportunities and Future Perspectives” at Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram on November 15, 2020.
    • “Webinar on Post-harvest technologies - Current Trends and Research Options” at Tirupura University, Agartala on August 21, 2020.
    • “Webinar on Post-harvest technologies” at Karpagam Institute of Higher Education, Coimbatore on July 5, 2020.
    • “Career & Research options in Bio-chemical Engineering” at Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram on July 15, 2019.
    • “Bio-gas and Bio-energy, Production, Challenges and Design Considerations”, at Karpagam Institute of Higher Education, Coimbatore on September 28, 2018.
    • “Career guidance in Chemical Engineering after GATE”, at Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Coimbatore, on August 23, 2018.
    • “Modeling tools for solving Chemical Engineering problems”, at NIT Trichy on March 23, 2018.
    Honors and Awards

    Awards and Honours

    • “Young Scientist Award” during the 1st International Conference on Food Chemistry, Microbiology and Process Engineering for Wellness & Health, jointly organized by BITS Meshra & University of Gerogia, USA during July 10-12, 2025.
    • Subject Matter Reviewer in FICSI (Sector Skill Council for Food Processing Industries), Govt. of India.
    • Part of the team winning “CSIR RURAL TECHNOLOGY AWARD 2020” awarded by CSIR, Govt of India, for work carried out in the area of “Biodegradable products from agro residues”.
    • Received “BEST STORY AWARD 2021” by Vigyan Prasar, DST for submitting a popular science story based on research.
    • DST Young Scientist Research Grant 2020.
    • Best Oral Presentation - 30th Kerala Science Congress.
    • Best Poster Award - International Conference on Emerging trends in Separation Science and Technology, Organized by BRNS and DAE.
    • Best Teacher Award - CIT Coimbatore.
    • MHRD Fellowship - For pursuing M.Tech at IIT Guwahati.
    • GATE qualified in the year 2014, 2017 and 2019 with 89, 94 and 93 percentiles respectively.