Prof Ajay Kumar Sood

Prof Ajay Kumar Sood has served as Principal Scientific Adviser since April 2022 and chairs the Prime Minister’s Science, Technology and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). A distinguished physicist and National Science Chair Professor at IISc Bangalore with research interests spanning quantum materials, soft and active matter, he has authored over 450 research papers. 

He was awarded the Padma Shri in 2013 and elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2015. He chaired the second AI Advisory Council, convened by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with MeitY, helping shape strategies supporting the IndiaAI Mission.

In October 2025, he released three key publications under the AI for India 2030 initiative: the AI Playbook for Agriculture, the AI Playbook for SMEs, and the AI Sandbox White Paper. “India’s AI journey is defined by transformation at the grassroots,” he says, urging stakeholders to implement these actionable roadmaps for national growth.