Kumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
The Lord Bhattacharyya
CBE FRS FREng FIMechE, Padma Bhushan
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Official portrait, March 2018
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| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal |
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| In office 3 June 2004 – 1 March 2019 Life peerage |
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| Personal details | |
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Sushanta Kumar Bhattacharyya
6 June 1940 Bangalore, Kingdom of Mysore, Madras Presidency, British India |
| Died | (aged 78) Birmingham, United Kingdom |
| Political party | Labour |
| Alma mater | Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur (BTech) University of Birmingham (MS, PhD) |
| Known for | Founder of WMG, University of Warwick |
| Website | WMG's Founder Page |
Sushanta Kumar Bhattacharyya, Baron Bhattacharyya (born 6 June 1940 – died 1 March 2019) was an important engineer, teacher, and government advisor. He was born in India and later became a British citizen. In 1980, he started the Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick. This group became famous for its work with industries. In 2004, he became a Life Peer, which meant he could join the House of Lords, a part of the UK Parliament.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kumar Bhattacharyya was born in Bangalore, India. His father was a respected professor of physical chemistry. The family moved to Kharagpur when his father became a department head at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur.
Bhattacharyya studied Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He earned his Bachelor of Technology (BTech) degree in 1960. The next year, he moved to Britain. He worked for six years at Lucas Industries, a big British manufacturing company.
While working, he also studied at the University of Birmingham. He earned a Master of Science (MSc) degree in engineering. Later, he completed his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in engineering in 1970. He also started teaching and creating new manufacturing programs for industries there.
Career and Research Achievements
In 1980, Kumar Bhattacharyya moved to the University of Warwick. With support from the Vice-Chancellor, he founded the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG). He led WMG until his death. WMG grew into one of the university's largest departments. It is known for working with industries on research and education.
Lord Bhattacharyya helped create big partnerships for UK manufacturing. For example, he played a key role in Tata Motors buying Jaguar Land Rover in 2008. He also helped with the investment in the National Automotive Innovation Centre at the University of Warwick.
Many UK Prime Ministers visited WMG because of his work. Margaret Thatcher called him "a true pioneer" in 1990. Tony Blair said WMG was "an outstanding example" of combining academic excellence with industrial needs. Gordon Brown noted that WMG showed how university knowledge could help the real world. In 2016, Theresa May also visited WMG to discuss the UK's industrial strategy.
In 1997, he received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) award. He was also knighted in 2003. This meant he could use "Sir" before his name. On 3 June 2004, he became a life peer as Baron Bhattacharyya. He joined the House of Lords as a member of the Labour group.
In 2014, he became a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a very high honor for scientists. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and other professional groups. He advised the UK government on science and technology. He also advised the government of South Africa.
Work in the House of Lords
In the House of Lords, Kumar Bhattacharyya focused on business, industry, and education. He was a strong supporter of engineering innovation. He also worked to help British industry grow. Lord Baker praised his "remarkable" contribution to technical education in the UK.
Books About His Life
In 2002, a book called Kumar Bhattacharyya: The Unsung Guru was written by Andrew Lorenz. It tells the story of Bhattacharyya's career and how WMG grew.
Key Awards and Honours
Lord Bhattacharyya received many awards for his work. Here are some of the most important ones:
- 1997: Awarded CBE for his services to industry and technology.
- 2002: Received the Padma Bhushan from the President of India. This is one of India's highest civilian awards.
- 2003: Knighthood for his services to higher education and industry.
- 2004: Became a Life Peer as Baron Bhattacharyya.
- 2014: Elected as a Fellow of The Royal Society for his engineering research and education.
- 2015: Made an Honorary Freeman of the City of Coventry.
- 2016: WMG was awarded a Regius Professorship. Lord Bhattacharyya became the Regius Professor of Manufacturing (Engineering).
- 2017: Received the Great Wall Friendship Award and the China Friendship Award. These are high honors for foreign experts in China.
His nomination for the Royal Society highlighted his work. It noted that he founded and led the Warwick Manufacturing Group (WMG). WMG helps industries become more competitive through research and education. It has a global reputation in areas like automotive research and digital technology. He also created important education programs that helped many students and companies.
Named After Lord Bhattacharyya
In November 2018, Coventry City Council decided to rename part of University Road as Lord Bhattacharyya Way. The University of Warwick also announced that the new National Automotive Innovation Centre building would be named The Lord Bhattacharyya building.
Personal Life
Lord Bhattacharyya was married to Bridget, and they had three daughters: Anita, Tina, and Malini. Besides English, he could speak or understand Bengali, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu. He also wrote a regular column for the Birmingham Post newspaper.
Death
Professor Lord Bhattacharyya passed away on 1 March 2019, after a short illness.
