With over 33 years of experience in Non-Destructive Evaluation (NDE), Prof. Krishnan Balasubramaniam has been at the forefront of research, innovation, and industry transformation.
A prolific researcher, he has authored over 480 technical publications, filed 30 patents, and mentored 25 Ph.D. and 49 M.S. students. His groundbreaking work has earned him prestigious accolades, including the ROY SHARPE PRIZE from the British Institute for NDT (2012), the Abdul Kalam National Technology Innovation Fellowship (2018), and the Lifetime Achievement Award from IIT Madras.
Beyond academia, Prof. Krishnan has played a crucial role in incubating several successful startups, including Dhvani Research, Detect Technologies, HyperVerge, and Solinas Integrity, driving innovation in NDT, robotics, and AI-based inspection solutions.
In this exclusive interview, we dive into his journey, the evolving landscape of NDE, emerging technologies, and his vision for the future.
It’s a privilege to have you with us today, Professor Krishnan. As the President of ISNT, Vice President of APFNDT, and a distinguished board member of ICNDT, your contributions to the field of NDT are truly inspiring. Could you kindly share a little about yourself and your incredible professional journey with our audience?
I did my undergraduate degree in INDIA from REC Tiruchirapalli (now NITT) and like most of my peers went to the US for a Masters in Mechanical Engineering. Coincidentally, I was looking for funding and met Prof. Joseph L Rose at Drexel University, who was looking for a student. Joe asked me in the interview if I knew NDT or about NDT, and I said that I have no knowledge. However, he hired me and the rest is history, as they say.
I worked on my MS and continued with my PhD. I was Joe’s first student in the field of Guided Ultrasonic Waves, where I worked on composite materials, with particular application to the measurement of porosity levels.
After Drexel, I worked at Mississippi State University in Aerospace Engineering, where I worked closely with HONDA in developing of the General Aviation planes. We helped Honda build the best-selling private jet aircraft where my role was NDT for the composite structures used.
Around the late 90s’ I was requested by IIT Madras and Dr. Baldev Raj, ICGAR, to consider coming back to India and start a Center of Excellence in NDT. I joined IITM in 2000 and the CNDE became a reality by 2001 April.
CNDE has grown to be now recognized as one of the key Centers of Research and Manpower creation in the world.
You’ve been a trailblazer in non-destructive testing for over three decades. May I ask what first inspired you to venture into this fascinating field and how you’ve seen it evolve throughout your extraordinary career?
As mentioned in the previous section, my involvement with NDT was pure serendipity. I needed financial support and knocked on Joe’s door at the opportune moment.
I have since found the multi-disciplinary nature of the technology to be fascinating. You can be an NDT engineer or researcher irrespective of which discipline you belong to. The merger of Physics, Mathematics, Electrical, Electronics, and nowadays Robotics, Computational Science and AI has only made it even more interesting.
With over 480 technical publications and numerous patents to your name, your research has left an indelible mark on the field. In your view, what has been the most impactful contribution of your work to NDT? Could you share a particular moment when you realized the profound real-world difference your efforts have made?
As an academic, it is part of the job description that we conduct research that are peer-recognized. It is also important that Master's and Doctoral students are trained in the field of NDT. Hence, publications are an integral part of the process, where the knowledge is peer-validated and shared for posterity to improve upon.
While each one of the papers we have published was made with the same zeal and commitment, the popular metric of the acceptance of the work is the number of citations received by any paper. We have been fortunate to observe that more than 20 papers have been cited more than 100 times, which is a credible achievement in the field of NDT. I must thank each of my students and collaborators for their patience and perseverance in making publishing a priority at CNDE.
We are also blessed with excellent national and international collaborations. Over a period of 12 years between 2006-2019, we have had the pleasure of hosting more than 120 international students and over 250 national students in support of their project work. In addition, since 2001, when CNDE was born, we have provided approximately 400+ summer and winter internships in our CNDE.
Having guided 25 Ph.D. dissertations and 49 master’s theses, you’ve mentored many aspiring researchers. What qualities do you believe are essential in young scholars, and how do you inspire them to push the boundaries of innovation?
The first dialogue I have with my research scholar will be to point out that if the student needs me to tell them what to do on any given day, then they need to look elsewhere for a guide. My responsibility as a guide is not only to make the student learn-to-learn, independent, but also to work with the student on soft skills, reinforce ethical values, and provide guidance on how they become responsible problem solvers.
During my graduate studies, Joe used to make me take full responsibility of the industry projects. I found this experience to be invaluable.
One of the essential requirements as a student at CNDE will be to interact with and work on Industry problems. Not only they must work on the technical aspects of the project, but they must also handle the logistical and inter-personnel challenges. I insist that they make the presentations and participate in all of the project meetings.
Professor Krishnan, your instrumental role in incubating successful startups like Detect Technologies, HyperVerge, and Solinas Integrity is remarkable. What do you believe are the critical factors in transforming groundbreaking academic research into commercially viable ventures?
I was fortunate to work under Joe. Even in mid-80’s, he was very focused on solving industry problems. This gave me opportunities to work with leading experts in the field of nuclear energy, aerospace, and automotive industries. He also was a faculty entrepreneur and exposed me to how faculty can not only perform well in academics but also explore avenues to commercialize the research for the benefit of the Industry.
Subsequently, my everyday involvement with Honda engineers taught me the Japanese work culture.
Hence, upon my return to India, I realized that in the field of NDT, most of the instruments and technologies were imported and India was a great validator of these technologies. Much of the Indian business houses involved primarily in the marketing and sales of these Imported technologies. Every query from an Indian user would normally be referred to the foreign technical team. If the user was from the Strategic sector, they would be forced to reveal much undesirable information. Also, the maintenance of this equipment, whereby any repairs needed the equipment to be shipped back to the manufacturer was a serious difficulty. This led to delays, additional costs, and logistical issues, all of which must be endured. This situation was something that I was bothered with and served as a strong motivation to look at “researched and made-in-Inda” alternatives. I have been working with Industries for pthe ast 25 years evangelizing the need for local technologies for local problems. Over the past 16 years, I have been involved in mentoring more than 20 startups, many of who are in the broad areas of NDT, Asset Integrity Monitoring, and Process Measurements.
Today, these Startups employ more than 1200 professionals, and have a presence in 12 countries solving real-world problems and surviving the financial and delivery challenges daily.
Most importantly, these entrepreneurs have translated “researched-in-labs-of-India” technologies into globally recognized solutions. Some of the ideas, that at one point appeared to be improbable, over a short period, maturing to a technology that solved a real-world problem is a transformation process that we have experienced. Each of these metamorphosis processes has been the most satisfying experience for me, and this feeling is indescribable.
In addition to technology solutions, CNDE has developed many other solutions for Industries, including strategic sectors, where the technology has been transferred and many of them are protected through more than 80 patents
Receiving accolades such as the Abdul Kalam National Technology Innovation Fellowship is a testament to your pioneering work. How do such recognitions fuel your passion for research and innovation?
Awards and Fellowships are welcome rewards for the painstaking efforts over long periods. However, I intend to work on problems, and the recognition only fuels me and CNDE to keep striving harder.
As Editor-in-Chief and an editorial board member of leading journals, you have a unique vantage point. What trends in NDT research excite you the most, and how do you envision the field evolving in the next decade?
Today, we are seeing the role of AI that appears to transform R&D globally. We are seeing that the number of publications submitted that entirely or partially use AI in their work is rapidly increasing. We are seeing a significant decrease in publications that use fundamental theory or principles. Even, most of the modelling work is of numerical type and even here AI is being used to substitute numerical methods with AI engines that do the computations.
NDT is a cornerstone of various industries, from manufacturing to maintenance. In your expert opinion, which sector is poised to undergo the most transformative change due to advancements in NDT, and what role might emerging technologies play in this evolution?
While we see NDT and SHM as a need that will continue to grow in traditional industries, the mode of utilization is changing. More of the NDE 4.0 concepts are emerging that will question the fundamentals of NDT. Robotic Avatars may replace field personnel, AI-based interpretation is already replacing trained NDT professionals, AI-based predictions are reducing the need for NDT operators, and improved quality in manufacturing is making NDT redundant.
Additionally the sun-rise Industries such as Electic Vehicles, Small Modular Reactors, Additive Manufacturing, and Hydrogen Engines, among others are throwing up new challenges.
While there is a significant flux in the field, it also provides the NDT community with new opportunities to innovate and take advantage of the NDE 4.0 technologies, and improve the productivity and reliability of operations.
Your involvement with international bodies like APFNDT and ICNDT underscores the importance of global collaboration. Could you share your thoughts on how such partnerships shape the future of NDT? Are there any projects or initiatives you’ve been part of that stand out as milestones?
Today, Safety is a global concern. When any unfortunate events happen anywhere in the world, everyone is concerned and the learnings are shared to avert future incidents. Here, the sharing of the learning are vital, across boundaries.
Not only should have collaborations between the different NDT Societies and forums, we also need to expand the collaborations with other National and International societies representing Welding (eg. IIW), Composites (eg. SAMPE), Polymers, Metals (eg. IAM), etc.. is very important.
Throughout your distinguished career, you’ve balanced multiple roles as a researcher, mentor, and entrepreneur. Is there a guiding principle or philosophy that has helped you navigate challenges and remain steadfast in your commitment to excellence?
I believe in the goodness and capabilities of the people I work with, maybe to a point of fault. I have found that when u are sincere in your approach and transparent with your expectations, students respond and perform better than the ordinary. I also believe in resolving problems with a cool head and avoid reacting in haste.
Another aspect of my approach is to multitask, which is a necessary strategy in Indian conditions. Things do take a bit longer here.
While your professional achievements are extraordinary, we’d love to know more about the person behind the titles. Are there any hobbies or interests that have enriched your professional life and contributed to your work ethic or mindset?
I guess everyone pays a price for spending too much time professionally. Apart from time away from family, some of my passion for cooking, photography, music and drama has taken a back seat. I do spend a lot of time playing and watching sports, both Indian and global sports, whether it is Cricket, Soccer, or Basketball. I am also following American sports such as NBA and NFL. Lately, Sports have kept the balance between work and leisure.
As the President of ISNT and a leader in several other esteemed organizations, how do you effectively manage such diverse responsibilities? What advice would you give to others striving for balance in their professional and personal lives?
While this topic has been well discussed, thanks to some of the famous industrialists making comments in the public forum. For me, I believe that working long hours is the answer. Working efficiently is more productive. For me, my time is valuable. Hence, if I can complete a task or make a decision within a specified time, then there is no reason to take even one minute more.
Everyone has to find their right balance. I would advise that you need to find this and not be bothered by what anyone else says or does.
Finally, what are your thoughts on OnestopNDT? Do you think our efforts to provide real, authentic and accurate content are helping the NDT industry? Also, do you think our platform helps the community connect with like-minded people?
I think OnestopNDT is doing a great job, of bringing NDT Professionals together and filling a vital gap. I hope you continue in this mission.
