Padma Shri Dr. Arun Firodia (Chairman, Kinetic Group)
by Suman Gupta
Pune, April 2024: Kinetic Group proudly announced the inauguration of the Arun Firodia Research Floor at the esteemed Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Powai. The inauguration ceremony, held on Friday, 5th April 2024, was attended by esteemed dignitaries, including Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director of IIT, faculty heads, students, and members of the Kinetic family.
Arun Firodia, an alumnus of IIT Bombay, has been a pivotal figure in India’s engineering and automotive landscape, exemplifying innovation, entrepreneurship, and a deep commitment to advancing engineering education.
Dr. Arun Firodia, known as “Mr. R & D” has created revolutionary products like the famous Kinetic Luna, which gave mobility to common man and Kinetic Honda which ushered an era of independence and freedom for women. Arun Firodia has always emphasized on the development of indigenous technology and “Make in India”. Recently, he has developed range of Electric Vehicles to eliminate pollution in the country. He has also played an eminent part in developing innovations like the earthquake warning system, digital nose to trace out drugs and explosives, “Divya Nayan” that reads a book, Cooking Machine etc. The President of India honoured him with Padmashri (2012), one of the highest civilian honours in recognition of his contribution to nation building.
Arun Firodia received his B.Tech with distinction in Electrical Engineering from IIT, Mumbai in 1965. He then went to USA for his post-graduation and received Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from World’s Top Engineering University, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) in USA. He also completed MS in Management at ‘Sloan School of Management” at MIT.
IIT Bombay had awarded him the prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award and MIT recognized his contributions with the Distinguished Alumnus Award for his unparalleled achievement and exceptional service to country, society and MIT. The automobile industry of India bestowed him with the ‘Hall of Pride’ Award by CII, SIAM & ACMA, in association with Overdrive for Lifetime contribution to automotive industry.
Speaking about the occasion of the inauguration at IIT Bombay, Dr. Arun Firodia, Chairman, Kinetic Group, said, “IIT Bombay was just established as a world-class institution when I graduated as one of its first alumni, and it is now one of the finest engineering education institutions globally. My education at IIT instilled in me a belief in innovation and the ‘Make in India’ ethos, which has been fundamental to my journey and that of the Kinetic Group. I express my gratitude to my Alma Mater and offer my best wishes to the future engineers of India, who will certainly play a significant role in shaping the world.”
Mr. Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director, IIT Bombay, commended Dr. Firodia’s dedication to excellence, remarking, “We are delighted to recognize Dr. Arun Firodia’s outstanding achievements in contributing to bringing ease of mobility to common people in India with the inauguration of the Arun Firodia Research Floor. Our distinguished Alumnus, Dr. Firodia, is a true pioneer and we are proud of him. Naming this floor after him symbolizes our deep appreciation of his contribution to IIT and the field of engineering and reaffirms our commitment to fostering a culture of excellence and innovation at IIT Bombay. We thank him for his contribution to furthering the advanced research work at IIT, Bombay.”
The ceremony, attended by esteemed dignitaries including the Director of IIT Bombay, department heads, family members, and members of the Kinetic family, was a celebration of academic excellence, innovation, and collaboration. Kinetic Group remains steadfast in its commitment to fostering a culture of innovation, excellence, and inclusivity, both within the group and beyond. The inauguration of the Arun Firodia Research Floor is a testament to Kinetic’s dedication to supporting educational institutions and empowering future generations of engineers and innovators.
