Padma Shri for Shashi Shekhar Vempati: Tracing remarkable career of the IIT Bombay alumnus and former Prasar Bharati CEO

Shashi Shekhar Vempati is set to be conferred the Padma Shri today, a recognition that crowns a career spanning technology, public broadcasting, and national institution-building. The civilian honour acknowledges his sustained contributions to public service at a moment when he is also stepping into a pivotal role in India’s sovereign Artificial Intelligence ambitions.An alumnus of IIT Bombay, Vempati’s academic foundation at one of India’s premier engineering institutes has been his grounding point throughout his professional journey. His journey from college hallways to government hallways is a testament to the fact that a technical education, if combined with a public purpose, can have an impact on outcomes at a national level.

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From IIT Bombay to national institutions

At IIT Bombay, Vempati got a foundational training in engineering that eventually paved the way for a career combining technology and governance. He was one of the leading figures in the institutional reform movement, turning visibly so during his term as Chief Executive Officer of Prasar Bharati. It was under his leadership that Doordarshan and All India Radio were modernized and Rajya Sabha TV was overseen.His interventions have always been at the nexus of education and public communication. The Committee for Science & Technology Communication at the Department of Science and Technology is currently under his chairmanship, and he is also the head of the Educational Media Experts Committee of the University Grants Commission. In addition, he is a member of the governing boards of the Indian Institute of Mass Communications and the Broadcast Audience Research Council, among other organizations, positions that uniquely enable him to impact media literacy, academic outreach, and policy.Vempati, who is also a writer, composed a book entitled Collective Spirit Concrete Action: Mann ki Baat and its Influence on India, a work that reflects his involvement with national discourse and public communication.

A strategic role in BharatGen’s AI roadmap

Alongside the Padma Shri recognition, Vempati has recently been appointed Independent Director on the board of BharatGen Technology Foundation, a Section 8 company established to develop India’s foundational AI models. Headquartered at IIT Bombay, the initiative is backed by more than ₹900 crore under the IndiaAI Mission of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology.His induction is widely seen as a strategic move, bringing together technology education, governance experience, and media leadership at a time when India is accelerating efforts to build secure, inclusive, and indigenous AI infrastructure. Vempati is also co-founder of the DeepTech for Bharat Foundation (AI4India.org), which focuses on nurturing India-centric deep technology ecosystems and promoting accessible AI development.At BharatGen, he joins a board that includes senior IIT Bombay leadership, reinforcing the project’s academic and technical spine while adding his perspective on scaling national institutions.

Padma Shri recognition and what lies ahead

The Padma Shri honours Vempati’s leadership across public broadcasting, education governance, and technology advocacy. Yet, the award comes at a time when he is also taking on new responsibility in defining India’s sovereign AI architecture nexus that mirrors his professional life, mingling education, policy, and innovation.His transition from a student at the IIT Bombay to leading various public sector organizations and now working on the development of foundational AI models in the country clearly shows how a solid academic base can grow into a nation, building. As India moves ahead with Atmanirbhar Bharat in frontier technologies, his story is a beacon that the educational institution is merely the first step in a nation-shaping journey.