Prof. Narinder Kumar Gupta, one of the most honored Indian Professor and Recipient of Padma Shri in 1991, brought real honor to himself and India particularly:
1. International Society of Impact Engineering honoured him - as one of the five scientists, chosen from membership across the globe (as Honorary member), who have contributed significantly to the subject.
2. Series of IMPLAST symposia he fathered since 1973, has become an essential part of the world Calendar. This is the only Indian event held in many foreign countries, including USA, Germany, Australia, and South Korea.
3. Prof. Gupta directs mostly Impact Engineering Research - which can compare well with any in Europe (Prof. W. Johnson, Cambridge - in his memoirs 2003)
He is alumni of IIT Delhi, did his PhD in 1972 – in the area of large deformations.
He joined the faculty of the Dept of Applied Mechanics, Indian Institute of technology Delhi in 1971, and retired as Professor in 2004 (at the age of 62).
He continued in IIT Delhi as Henry Ford Chair Emeritus Professor for another five years.
In 2011, he was invited by DFG (Germany) as Mercator Professor at the Aachen University for one year.
From the day he retuned he is supported by Indian National Science Academy.
Presently he is INSA Honorary Scientist. He is associated with researchers/ scientists at IISc, IIT’s, DRDO defence laboratories and other institutes in India and quite a few scientists abroad.
Summary of achievements/contributions:
His pioneering researches, in development of constitutive behaviour of materials, understanding of the basic mechanics of large deformation, design for crashworthiness of road and air vehicles, design for safety in defence applications and design of metal forming processes, have been greatly augmenting the advancement in technology and developing the in-house capabilities. in particular, of Indian Defence, Aerospace and Naval researches and other laboratories and institutes including IISc and IITs. He has been consulted in most of the national designs involving large deformation and failure under impact or blast loading. He has published his researches extensively in national and international journals and guided researches at Ph.D. and M.Tech. levels. He is father of IMPLAST series of SYMPOSIA which by now has become part of International calendar and is held both in India and countries abroad. He has been visiting Professor / fellow / invited to deliver guest lectures by the universities in about 25 countries over the five continents, and has been serving on the Editorial Advisory Boards on over a dozen international and national journals. He has been President of most Indian Scientific Societies on the subject and has chaired number of DRDO, DST and other meetings. He has received several national and international recognitions and awards. He is among the very first IIT scientists to have received PADMA SHRI award in 1991.