1968 - B.Tech - Chemical Engineering Chairman and Managing Director @ J Mitra & Co, Pvt Ltd
Shri Lalit Mahajan graduated with a B. Tech. in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras in 1968, and is currently the Chairman and Managing Director of J Mitra & Co. Pvt. Ltd. He is credited with the phenomenal growth of the company. He is recognized as both an inventor and an entrepreneur, motivated by his strong vision to see India become self-sufficient in medical diagnostics through indigenous products. He has rendered his philosophy of preserving the life of the critically unwell into a practical realization through the innovative products created and successfully marketed by J Mitra & Co.
Shri Mahajan has demonstrated how a technology company can be built in a globally competitive space through integrated efforts of R&D, innovation and entrepreneurship. His strong focus on innovating for the country is illustrated by the success of products such as diagnostic kits for infectious, and even life-threatening, diseases. While a sustained focus on R&D has allowed Shri Mahajan to develop these novel products, indigenous production, with innovative procurement and marketing strategies, has enabled him to make these products affordable to the Indian healthcare system and patients. The products developed under the leadership of Shri Mahajan are among the rare successes of indigenous diagnostic kits in the country, making India self-reliant in these areas and reducing the need for imports. His focus on delivering quality products is underlined by the credit given by the World Health Organization for quality and sensitivity of the test kits for HIV, Dengue NS1 and Hepatitis. With 23 patents granted in the five years from 2007-2011, Shri Mahajan was recognized by the Indian Intellectual Property Office as India’s leading individual inventor on World IP Day in 2011. He currently holds 26 patents to his name.
Shri Mahajan is also the Chairman of two running Hydro-Power projects located in Kulu, Himachal Pradesh. The electricity generated is being distributed to the town of Manali, HP. He is a Member of the Board of Directors of Biotech Consortium India Ltd., Government of India, and is a Member of the Taskforce formed by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, GoI, for framing guidelines for WHO-GMP norms for Medical Diagnostic Kits and Devices.
In recognition of Shri Lalit Mahajan’s innovative contributions to the field of indigenous medical diagnostics, IIT Madras and its alumni are proud to confer upon him this award.
