The Most Famous
ENGINEERS from India
Top 5
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Indian Engineers of all time. This list of famous Indian Engineers is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Verghese Kurien (1921 - 2012)
With an HPI of 48.76, Verghese Kurien is the most famous Indian Engineer. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages on wikipedia.
Verghese Kurien (26 November 1921 – 9 September 2012) was an Indian dairy engineer and social entrepreneur. He led initiatives that contributed to the extensive increase in milk production in India termed as the White Revolution. Kurien graduated in physics from the University of Madras in 1940 and received his masters in mechanical engineering from the Michigan State University in 1947. In 1949, Kurien was sent by the Government of India to run its experimental creamery at Anand, where he set up the Kaira District Cooperative Milk Producers' Union in 1950 which later became Amul. Amul organised the dairy farmers in the villages as a part of cooperatives and linked them to the milk consumers directly. In 1965, Kurien was appointed as the head of the newly formed National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), which helped to set up similar cooperatives across India and made dairy farming one of the largest self-sustaining industries and employment generators in rural areas. The dairy cooperatives were successful in increasing the milk production as the dairy farmers controlled the procurement, processing, and marketing of milk and milk products as the owners of the cooperative. This led to a multi-fold increase in milk output over the next few decades and helped India become the world's largest milk producer in 1998. The co-operative model was later applied to other agricultural industries such as the production of edible oils and replicated in other countries. For his contributions in increasing the dairy output, Kurien is known as the "Father of the White Revolution" in India. He was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award in 1964 and the World Food Prize in 1989. In 1999, he received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour. He was conferred the Order of Agricultural Merit by the French Government in 1997.
2. Percy Hobart (1885 - 1957)
With an HPI of 47.03, Percy Hobart is the 2nd most famous Indian Engineer. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Major-General Sir Percy Cleghorn Stanley Hobart, (14 June 1885 – 19 February 1957), also known as "Hobo", was a British military engineer noted for his command of the 79th Armoured Division during the Second World War. He was responsible for many of the specialised armoured vehicles ("Hobart's Funnies") that took part in the invasion of Normandy and later actions.
3. Arthur E. Kennelly (1861 - 1939)
With an HPI of 46.96, Arthur E. Kennelly is the 3rd most famous Indian Engineer. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.
Arthur Edwin Kennelly (December 17, 1861 – June 18, 1939) was an American electrical engineer, physicist and mathematician.
4. Rajeshwari Chatterjee (1922 - 2010)
With an HPI of 42.91, Rajeshwari Chatterjee is the 4th most famous Indian Engineer. Her biography has been translated into 15 different languages.
Rajeshwari Chatterjee (24 January 1922 – 3 September 2010) was an Indian scientist and an academic. She was the first woman engineer from Karnataka and described herself as an engineering-scientist. During her tenure at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, Chatterjee was a professor and later chairperson of the department of Electrical Communication Engineering.
5. Tessy Thomas (b. 1963)
With an HPI of 39.82, Tessy Thomas is the 5th most famous Indian Engineer. Her biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Tessy Thomas (born April 1963) is an Indian scientist and former Director General of Aeronautical Systems and the former Project Director for Agni-IV missile in Defence Research and Development Organisation. She is the first ever female scientist to head a missile project in India.
People
Pantheon has 5 people classified as Indian engineers born between 1861 and 1963. Of these 5, 1 (20.00%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Indian engineers include Tessy Thomas. The most famous deceased Indian engineers include Verghese Kurien, Percy Hobart, and Arthur E. Kennelly. As of April 2024, 1 new Indian engineers have been added to Pantheon including Rajeshwari Chatterjee.
Living Indian Engineers
Go to all RankingsDeceased Indian Engineers
Go to all Rankings
Verghese Kurien
1921 - 2012
HPI: 48.76
Percy Hobart
1885 - 1957
HPI: 47.03
Arthur E. Kennelly
1861 - 1939
HPI: 46.96
Rajeshwari Chatterjee
1922 - 2010
HPI: 42.91
Newly Added Indian Engineers (2024)
Go to all RankingsOverlapping Lives
Which Engineers were alive at the same time? This visualization shows the lifespans of the 3 most globally memorable Engineers since 1700.
