IIT Roorkee’s associate professor and head of the Paper and Packaging Technology Department, Kirtiraj Gaikwad, has been featured in the Stanford University and Elsevier BV list of the top 2% scientists for 2025. The list identifies the most influential researchers across all scientific disciplines based on standardized citation metrics, including total citations, h-index, and career-long impact.
Professor Gaikwad’s inclusion in the list recognizes his contributions to the fields of sustainable, smart, and functional food packaging, where his pioneering work focuses on biodegradable materials, edible sensors, and intelligent packaging systems designed to reduce plastic waste and enhance food safety. At IIT Roorkee, he leads the Functional Food Packaging Research Group, driving innovation in plant-based coatings, cellulose-derived films from agricultural residues, and active packaging technologies for real-time monitoring of food quality.
His interdisciplinary research integrates environmental science, materials engineering, and food technology to create next-generation packaging solutions aligned with the country’s zero-plastic and zero-food-waste vision. With over 115 high-impact research publications, several patents, and editorial positions in reputed international journals such as Food Bioscience, Food Measurement and Characterization, and Packaging Technology and Science, Professor Gaikwad is widely regarded as one of the foremost voices in sustainable packaging science and is frequently referred to as the “Packaging man of India.”
Recognized nationally and globally for his research and teaching excellence, Professor Gaikwad has received numerous honors, including the FSSAI Research Award, DST INSPIRE Faculty Award, J.C. Bose Memorial Award, and the Excellence in Teaching Award 2024 from IIT Roorkee. Reflecting on the recent recognition and listing in the Stanford-Elsevier list, he remarked, “This acknowledgment from Stanford University is not just an individual achievement but a collective success of my students, collaborators, and IIT Roorkee in advancing sustainable packaging innovations for a cleaner and safer planet.”
Professor Gaikwad’s ongoing projects focus on converting agricultural waste and natural polymers into high-performance biodegradable packaging materials, fostering a circular economy and promoting climate-smart food systems for the next generation. As India charts its path toward its Vision 2047 objectives aimed at a developed and sustainable future, his work, and that of his department and research scholars, represents a vital contribution to eco-friendly packaging technologies.
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Naresh Khanna – 10 February 2025
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