Dr. K. Sudheendra Rao

Associate Professor

Dr. K. Sudheendra Rao is currently serving as Associate Professor in the Multidisciplinary Research Center, Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering, School of Engineering at Dayananda Sagar University, Bengaluru, India.

Dr. Rao obtained his doctoral degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, where he carried out extensive research on organic semiconductors, thin-film device fabrication, and degradation studies of optoelectronic materials. He has over ten years of combined experience in research, teaching, and industry across premier institutions and technology ventures. His research interests include printed and flexible electronics, functional inks, biosensors, device reliability and degradation, electrochemical instrumentation, and energy devices.

Before joining DSU, Dr. Rao served as Founder and Managing Director of a startup incubated at SIIC, IIT Kanpur, where he secured grants under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) and MEITY TIDE 2.0 programs. He led product development in functional inks, printed biosensors, and educational innovation kits. He has also worked as Project Executive Officer at the National Centre for Flexible Electronics (NCFlexE), IIT Kanpur, contributing to ink formulation and prototype device development, and as Chief Scientific Officer at Bhat Biotech India Pvt. Ltd., leading multiple biosensor and diagnostic projects.

He has been associated with several collaborative and industry-funded initiatives, including the Indo-UK GITA Project on Biosensors and an industry-funded R&D project on Polyphenol Biosensors, as well as national programs promoting translational research in healthcare technologies.

Dr. Rao holds a granted Indian Patent (No. 554808) titled “Device for Integrating Electronic Components with Flexible Circuits by Magnetic Connector Mechanism and Method Thereof.” He has authored and co-authored several peer-reviewed journal publications and successfully managed government-funded projects in the domains of biosensing and printed electronics.

In academics, he has served as a Teaching Assistant for both undergraduate and postgraduate courses at IIT Kanpur, mentored numerous student projects and theses, and designed a tinkering and STEM innovation curriculum that has benefitted over 3,000 students.

Dr. Rao is skilled in establishing Printed Electronics and Sensor Laboratories, encompassing ink formulation, device fabrication, and characterization facilities for interdisciplinary research. His current focus is on fostering innovation-driven education and building research collaborations in flexible electronics, medical instrumentation, and energy systems.