2008/B.Tech/CS Co-Founder, Forward Networks, California, USA
Dr. Nikhil Handigol is a highly accomplished individual who has made significant contributions to the field of computer science and networking. He is currently the Co-Founder of Forward Networks, a company that has developed an innovative platform for network visibility, policy verification, and change modelling. With Fortune 100 financial institutions, telcos, and service providers as clients, Forward Networks helps organisations eliminate costly network outages and enhance operational efficiency.
Alongside his role at Forward Networks, Dr. Nikhil has held various positions throughout his career. He served as the Director of Course Content and Instruction at SDN Academy, where he played a key role in creating and instructing comprehensive training and certification programs for networking professionals and companies. He also worked as a Research Assistant at Stanford University and held visiting positions at Cisco Systems and Carnegie Mellon University. Additionally, he was a member of the Technical Staff at Open Networking Lab.
Dr. Nikhil’s educational background includes a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stanford University and a B.Tech. in Computer Science and Engineering from IIT Madras. His research and publications have focused on topics such as network troubleshooting, software-defined networking (SDN), network emulation, and network optimization. His contributions have been recognized with several awards and honours, including being named one of AsiaOne’s Most Influential Young Leaders and SiliconIndia’s list of Most Promising Technology Companies Founded and Managed by Indians in the U.S. He has also received an NSF EAGER Research Grant.
Dr. Nikhil Handigol has shared his expertise through invited talks at prestigious organisations such as Insieme (Cisco), NTT MCL, Facebook, Google, Netflix, Amazon Web Services, and the University of Washington. His presentations have covered topics like troubleshooting networks with packet histories, load balancing, and the enabling technology of OpenFlow. His accomplishments, expertise, and dedication to advancing networking technologies have made him a highly respected figure in the field, and his contributions continue to shape the industry.
For his achievements and contributions towards scientific innovation, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras and its alumni are proud to confer Dr. Nikhil Handigol with the Young Alumni Achiever Award for the year 2022.
