Dr. Ravi Bhatkal, Vice President, Strategy, India, at MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, has been honored for his contributions to establishing a production-grade surface mount technology (SMT) facility at Kongu Engineering College in Tamil Nadu, India, advancing hands-on technical education and workforce development.
The award was presented by Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, Vice President of India, during the Kongu Vellalar Institute of Technology Trust Founders’ Day celebrations in Perundurai, Erode, Tamil Nadu, on August 29, 2026.
The planned production-grade SMT line will serve as the foundation for the Center for Advanced Electronics Manufacturing and Skills Development at Kongu Engineering College, building on a model established through a related center supported by MacDermid Alpha at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras in Chennai.
Designed to prepare technicians and engineers for careers in electronics manufacturing, the Center is also expected to provide startups and regional manufacturers with access to facilities while serving as a test bed for interdisciplinary research, development, and innovation.
By connecting industry expertise, academic research, and practical skills development, the initiative aims to strengthen India’s expanding electronics manufacturing ecosystem. MacDermid Alpha’s involvement underscores its commitment to fostering industry-academia partnerships that build technical capabilities and accelerate manufacturing readiness.
“I am deeply humbled by this recognition. It reflects the importance of collaboration between industry and academia in developing the skills, technical capabilities, and ecosystem needed to support India’s growing electronics manufacturing sector. This production-grade SMT line will provide the foundation for a larger Center for Advanced Electronics Manufacturing and Skills Development within the planned Arivukoodam Research Park. It will give students, engineers, startups, and manufacturers access to practical experience that can help translate research and ideas into commercial technologies and products.” said Dr. Bhatkal.
The broader Arivukoodam Research Park was formally inaugurated during the Founders’ Day celebrations and is expected to become operational in 2028. It will bring together multidisciplinary Centers of Excellence, industry-led satellite R&D centers, startup facilities, and research resources to foster innovation and strengthen connections between academia and industry.
About MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions
MacDermid Alpha Electronics Solutions, a business unit of Element Solutions Inc, is a global leader in high-performance specialty chemicals, materials, and process technologies for every stage of the electronics manufacturing process. With expertise spanning circuitry formation, wafer-level packaging, circuit board assembly, semiconductor assembly, and film and smart surfaces, MacDermid Alpha delivers advanced, sustainable, and integrated solutions that drive innovation and reliability across the electronics supply chain. Operating worldwide and backed by more than a century of innovation, the organization supports a broad range of industries including automotive, consumer electronics, data infrastructure, high-performance computing, and telecommunications enabling next-generation electronics.
