Team MPPL
Research group as of June 2025:
Srikanth, Angshuman, Varad, Sonali, Prof. A. S. Gandhi, Gauri, Sairam
Research group as of August 2025:
Top Row: Jyoti, Saumya, Sonali, Tushar, Jayanti
Middle Row: Srikanth, Prof. A. S. Gandhi, Gauri
Bottom row: Rohan, Vikram, Sai Ram, Varad
Research group as of January 2024, from left to right:
Varad , Sairam, Vikram, Angshuman, Harshad, Prof. A S Gandhi, Imrongnaro, Anu Mohan and Gauri.
Research group as of January 2019, from left to right:
Prof. A S Gandhi, Srikanth, Imrongnaro, Angshuman, Harshad, Anu Mohan and Vikram.
Prof Ashutosh S. Gandhi
Dr. A. S. Gandhi is Professor at IIT Bombay in the Department of Metallurgical Engineering & Materials Science. His research interests are: Science of Ceramics, High Temperature Protective Coatings (TBCs and EBCs), Phase Transformations, and Metastable and Amorphous Materials. He obtained his Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Science Bangalore. He was a post-doctoral researcher at the University of California Santa Barbara, and a faculty member at IIT Madras from 2006 to 2015.
Post-Doctoral Fellows
Dr. Jyotirekha Mallick
Jyoti works with the Optical and Dielectric properties of multicomponent ceramic oxides, not challenging enough for her, considering her doctoral and graduate experience in physics. So she adds thrill to her life with badminton, travel, and vlogging anywhere the road takes her.
Dr. Sonali Vilas Jamale
Sonali has a keen sense of mechanics; thus, she brings that same sense to materials as well. She is working on the mechanical properties of multicomponent ceramic oxides through synthesis and material testing methods. She is more lively and tougher than many superalloys we work with.
PhD Students
Srikanth Batna
Srikanth is our stress buster and is also looking into Non-Destructive methods of stress determination in Thermal Barrier Coatings using mainly Raman and Photoluminescence techniques. He is a cinephile and finds fun in badminton and cycling.
Tutul Putul
Angshuman Gupta
Angshuman has studied quasi-high entropy alumina-based amorphous materials for his doctoral thesis. His expertise lies in metastable materials, material characterization such as XRD, SEM, TEM, NMR, and EXAFS. In his off hours, he also enjoys swimming, trekking, playing chess, and exploring cuisines.
Sairam Ramachandran
Sairam is developing expertise in the synthesis of multicomponent ceramic oxides and has hands-on experience with SEM, LFA, and Furnaces. Besides science, one can discuss a lot with Sai, like Cricket, MotoGP, F1, and Cinema; he is all in for it.
Varad N. Joshi
If you want to know the physics of the thermoelectric properties of multicomponent ceramic oxides, Varad is the one place for all. He is excited about many things, whether it's music (especially classical music), cinema, sports, or chess; he can talk about anything-anytime.
Research Associate
Dr. N. Thamarai Selvi Natarajan
Thamarai works on the development of low thermal conductivity oxides, so the materials are all cool and safe from the heat of the moment. To add joy to her life outside the lab, she spends her time reading, working out, tailoring, teaching students with weak finances, and making contributions to sustainability and prevention of climate change.
Project Research Assistant
Rohan Rana
Both TBCs and I have gone through some stress and bad phases, so as a Research Assistant at the lab, I'm working on Raman spectroscopy data analysis for residual stresses and phase transformation. I'm also engaged in the study of different 3D printed polymers to be designed for analyzing different mechanical properties. Whenever I have to take a break, it's for hockey, running, graphic designing, sketching, and writing sometimes.
Dual Degree Program
Tushar Anoop Jhamtani
Jayanti Hansdah
Past Members:
Post-Doctoral Fellow
1. Dr. Raghavendra Koneracharya Sagar, Institute Post-Doctoral Fellow, IIT Madras, 15-Mar-2013 to 31-Jul-2014,
Topic: Synthesis and Study of Ni and Co-substituted Mn3O4 as Protective Coatings for SOFC Interconnects.
PhD students
1. Gauri Waghmare
Title of Thesis: Processing and Performance of Slurry Sprayed-Reactive Sintered Ytterbium Silicate Environmental Barrier Coatings
Year of Award: Aug-2025
2. Vikram Hastak
Title of Thesis: On the Phase Transformation Mechanisms in Yttria Stabilised Zirconia for Thermal Barrier Coating Application
Year of Award: Aug-2025
3. Anu Mohan
Title of Thesis: Multicomponent Equimolar “High Entropy” Spinels: Synthesis, Processing and Characterisation of a New Class of Ceramic Materials
Year of Award: Nov-2024
4. Imrongnaro Longkumer
Title of Thesis: Multicomponent Equimolar and Site-Specific Equimolar Perovskite “High Entropy” Oxide Ceramics
Year of Award: Nov-2024
5. Harshad U. Gandhe
Title of Thesis: Development of High Entropy Oxides and Pyrochlore – Monazite Composites as Materials for Thermal Barrier Coating Application
Year of Award: Nov-2022
6. Raghunandan S.
Title of Thesis: Rare-earth silicates as environmental barrier coatings for si – based non – oxide ceramics
Year of Award: 2020
Co-Guide(s): M. Kamaraj (IITM Guide-in-charge)
7. R. Raja Madhavan (External)
Title of Thesis: Immobilization of simulated fast reactor waste in crystalline ceramics: synthesis and characterization
Year of Award: 2019
Co-Guide(s): S.S. Bhattacharya (IITM Guide-in-charge) & K.V.G. Kutty (IGCAR, External)*
8. N. Indumathi
Title of Thesis: Synthesis, thermal stability and crystallisation behaviour of alumina-rare earth oxide glasses
Year of Award: 2019
Co-Guide(s): S.S. Bhattacharya (IITM Guide-in-charge)
9. P. Mohan Babu
Title of Thesis: Phase transformations in zirconia stabilised with yttria and rare-earth oxides for thermal barrier application
Year of Award: 2015
10. K. Murugan (External)
Title of Thesis:Development of visible light active nano Titania self-cleaning surfaces
Year of Award: 2012
Co-Guide(s): B.S. Murty (IITM) and T.N. Rao (ARCI) External*
11. R. Suresh Kumar (External)
Title of Thesis: Development of silicon carbide based materials for aerospace applications
Year of Award: 2012
Co-Guide: D. Siva Kumar (VSSC) External*
12. B. Ramakrishna Rao (External)
Title of Thesis: Glass forming ability of iron and copper based alloys: thermodynamic modelling and validation
Year of Award: 2012 (Posthumous)
Co-Guide: B.S. Murty (IITM)
* External guide not counted for co-supervision
M.S. by Research (IIT Madras)
1. Anu Mohan
Title of Thesis:Oxidation behaviour of SiCf/SiC composite in static dry air and high velocity combustion environment
2015
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2. P.A. Manoj Kumar (External)
Title of Thesis:D-gun alumina coating deposition of nanocrystalline powders
2012
Co-Guide(s): M. Kamaraj (IITM) and A.K. Tyagi (IGCAR) External
3. L. Archana
Title of Thesis: Phase stability and fracture toughness of zirconia based thermal barrier materials
2012
4. Narender Reddy Beesu
Title of Thesis: Studies on molten salt attack on zirconia based thermal barrier materials
2012
M.Tech Students
1. Sachin Krishna Sangode
Title of Thesis: Optimization of Process Parameters of Liquid Fuel HVOF Sprayed WC-10Co-4Cr Coatings
Co-Guide: Nagamani Jaya Balila
2023
2. Reetika Sethi
Title of Thesis: Photoluminescent doped Yttria Stabilized Zirconia for Residual Stress Measurement in Thermal Barrier Coatings
2022
3. Uday Shankar
Title of Thesis: Residual Stress Measurement of Thermal Barrier Coatings
2022
4. Himanshu Chauhan
Title of Thesis: Multicomponent Rare earth silicate-environmental barrier coatings for ceramic composites in aerospace engines
2022
5. Gokul Ram
Title of Thesis: Rare earth doping of Zirconia-based thermal barrier materials for spectroscopic characterization of coatings
2021
6. Ashish Tripathi
Title of Thesis: Residual Stress Measurement in Thermal Barrier Coatings
2021
7. Manish Kayal
Title of Thesis: New Composition for Thermal Barrier Coating: Synthesis and Process
2018
8. Anushri Nag
Title of Thesis: Effect of thermal exposure on Thermal Barrier coatings
2018
9. Shubham Mahajan
Title of Thesis: Development of Rare Earth Silicate Environmental Barrier Coatings by Slurry Spray Method
2018
10. Kuldip Sharma
Title of Thesis: Solution combustion synthesis of multicomponent equimolar oxide ceramics
2018
11. Shubham TIbrewal
Title of Thesis: Development of inner thermal barrier coatings on diesel engines
2018
12. Sachin M. Kalaskar
Title of Thesis:
Co-Guide: A. S. Khanna
2018
13. Angshuman Gupta
Title of Thesis: Aging of air plasma sprayed yttria stabilized zirconia coating and characterization using X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy
2017
14. Hunny Garg
Title of Thesis: Multicomponent equimolar perovskite based oxides
2017
15. Mridul Sharma
Title of Thesis: Spinel coatings on interconnect plates used in solid oxide fuel cell to reduce Cr evaporation
2017
Co-Guide: MJNV Prasad
16. Satya Prakash Pasi
Title of Thesis: Yttrium silicate environmental barrier coating by alcohol based slurry method
2017
Dual Degree
17. Aniket Kumar
Title of Thesis: Development of alumina based glasses with ternary oxides additions
2017
18. Ankit K. Sanodiya
Title of Thesis: Development of protective coatings for solid oxide fuel cell interconnects
2017
19. Jayesh Warjurkar
Title of Thesis: Development of inner thermal barrier coatings for turbocharger housings
2017
20. Shiva Mangal
Title of Thesis: Multicomponent equimolar oxides with octahedral coordination unit
2017
21. Rohit Chhawchharia
Title of Thesis: Photocatalytic self-cleaning coatings
2016
M. Tech students at IIT Madras
22. A. Shanmukha Kiran
Title of Thesis: Alumina-based amorphous oxides with improved thermal stability
2015
23. R. Vinodhini
Title of Thesis: Oxidation behaviour of MoSi2 reinforced SiC composite in high velocity combustion environment
2015
24. Sishar Parimi
Title of Thesis: Rare earth silicate environmental barrier coatings for SiC ceramics
2014
25. Abhijeet Lale
Title of Thesis: Development of phosphate-based thermal barrier composite coatings
2014
26. Kasturi Paithankar
Title of Thesis: Pyrochlore-monazite thermal barrier materials
2013
27. Ankit Kabir
Title of Thesis: Indentation toughness of nanocrystalline ceramics
2012
28. Govinda Soni
Title of Thesis: Development of a pyrochlore Gd2Zr2O7 – monazite GdPO4 composite for ultrahigh temperature applications
2012
29. Ninad Pranjape
Title of Thesis: Joining of yttria-stabilised zirconia to AISI 304 stainless steel by active metal brazing and other joining techniques
Co-Guide: G. Phanikumar (IITM)
30. Soundarya Arunachalam V.
Title of Thesis: Oxidation of hot-pressed SiC in combustion environment
2012
31. Jayaraj Radhakirshnan
Title of Thesis: Synthesis and co-firing studies of NiO-YbSZ nanostructured anode materials for solid oxide fuel cells
2011
32. K. Satish
Title of Thesis: Nanostructured Ni/YSZ anode material for solid oxide fuel cells
2010
33. J. Vanaja
Title of Thesis: Characterisation of alumina coating on RAFM steel for fusion reactor application
Co-Guides: K. Laha and Sitaram Dash (Both of IGCAR)
2009
34. Sayan Ganguly
Title of Thesis: Chemical synthesis of nanostructured anode material for solid oxide fuel cells
M.Tech. (DD)
2009
35 Y. Ragupathy
Title of Thesis: Chemical synthesis of NiO-YSZ nano-composites for anode material of solid oxide fuel cells
2008
36. Rohit Bansal
Title of Thesis: A study of thermal barrier coating system for aerospace applications
2007
Co-Guide: M. Kamaraj (IITM)