New Delhi, Delhi, India, March 2025 — Dr. Shivkumar Kalyanaraman has been appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), marking a significant leadership transition for the organization. With over three decades of experience in research, technology, and innovation, he takes over from Professor Abhay Karandikar. Before joining ANRF, Dr. Kalyanaraman served as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Energy Industry, Asia at Microsoft, bringing deep expertise in scientific research, industrial collaboration, and emerging technologies. His appointment is expected to drive ANRF’s mission of strengthening India’s research and development ecosystem and fostering transformative innovation across academia, research institutions, and industry.
Prior to this, Dr. Kalyanaraman led strategic efforts at Microsoft India as CTO for Energy & Mobility, where he developed vertical cloud strategies for clean energy, power utilities, transportation, and finance. At GE Power Conversion, he served as Executive General Manager for Growth Offerings & Initiatives, building new lines of business and advancing power conversion technologies for renewable energy and electrification infrastructure.
Before that, he spent over a decade at IBM Research, holding leadership roles in both India and Australia. His responsibilities included building AI and cognitive solutions, managing global partnerships, and leading cross-industry initiatives in energy, agriculture, blockchain, and transportation. His strategic contributions played a key role in IBM’s research-to-market impact in Asia-Pacific. He also served as Chief Scientist at IBM Research Australia and led cognitive solutions departments, focusing on innovation in smarter cities, energy, and industry.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Kalyanaraman was a tenured professor at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in New York, where he conducted pioneering research in computer networking, traffic management, and wireless systems. He has also served as Co-Director of the UBD | IBM Research Centre in Brunei, promoting international collaboration and research capacity-building.
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF)
Anusandhan National Research Foundation (ANRF), established under the ANRF Act, 2023, aims to provide strategic direction to India’s R&D landscape and foster excellence in scientific innovation. With his visionary leadership, Dr. Kalyanaraman will be instrumental in expanding industry-academia partnerships, improving research infrastructure, and boosting India’s global standing in science and innovation.
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