Prof. Manindra Agrawal
(BT/PhD/CSE/1986/1991)
Prof. Manindra Agrawal is an internationally acclaimed computer scientist, distinguished academic leader, and Director of IIT Kanpur. Widely recognized for his seminal contributions to computational complexity theory, algorithms, number theory, and cryptography, he is best known as a co-inventor of the AKS Primality Test, the first deterministic polynomial-time algorithm for primality testing, regarded as a landmark breakthrough in theoretical computer science.
Profile
Prof. Agrawal received his B.Tech. (1986) and Ph.D. (1991) in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Kanpur. Following his doctoral studies, he served as a Fellow at the School of Mathematics, SPIC Science Foundation, Chennai (1993-1995), and subsequently as a Humboldt Fellow at the University of Ulm, Germany (1995-1996). He joined the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Kanpur as an Assistant Professor in 1996 and was appointed the N. Rama Rao Chair Professor in 2003. During 2003-2004, he was a Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, USA.
Prof. Agrawal's research spans computational complexity theory, algorithms, number theory, and cryptography. His pioneering work on efficient reductions between computational problems has advanced the understanding of fundamental questions in theoretical computer science, particularly those related to the celebrated "P versus NP" problem. He is internationally recognized as a co-developer of the AKS Primality Test, developed jointly with Dr. Neeraj Kayal and Prof. Nitin Saxena. This breakthrough algorithm was the first deterministic primality test proven to run in polynomial time, representing a landmark achievement in computational mathematics and theoretical computer science. In addition to his foundational contributions to theory, Prof. Agrawal has developed cryptographic solutions for the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force, contributing to the security of critical defence communications.
Over the course of his distinguished academic career, Prof. Agrawal has made significant contributions to both scholarship and institutional leadership. He has served IIT Kanpur in several key administrative capacities, including Head of the Department of Computer Science and Engineering (2006-2010), Dean of Resource Planning and Generation (2011-2012), Dean of Faculty Affairs (2013-2015), and Deputy Director (2017-2019). On April 19, 2024, he assumed charge as the Director of IIT Kanpur.
Achievements and Honors
- Fellow, The Royal Society, 2026
- Goyal Prize, 2017
- NASI-Reliance Platinum Jubilee Award, 2015
- ACCS-CDAC Foundation Award, 2014
- Padma Shri by Government of India, 2013
- H. K. Firodia Award, 2011
- TWAS Prize in Mathematics, 2011
- Rajib Goyal Prize, 2010
- G. D. Birla Award for Scientific Research, 2009
- Infosys Mathematics Prize, 2008
- Fulkerson Prize, 2006
- Godel Prize, 2006
- ICTP (International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste) prize, 2003
- Fellow, Telangana Academy of Sciences, 2003
- Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar award in Mathematical Sciences, 2003
- Recipient of Distinguished Alumnus Award, 2003 by IIT Kanpur
- Clay Research Award, 2002