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A leather technologist by training, Dr KJ Sreeram specialises in sustainable manufacturing and alignment of leather industry to SDG. He is currently the Director of CSIR-CLRI and he is also theme Director of CSIR-Chemicals (including leather) and Petrochemicals.
Dr Sreeram has made important contributions to the Green Chemistry of Chromium, that has opened up new paths for better industrial management of this metal ion at the global level. These contributions have led to his becoming the first researcher with a degree in leather technology from Anna University to receive the CSIR Young Scientist Award in 2004.
Dr Sreeram has also contributed immensely to the development of environmentally benign and cool pigments from rare earth metal ions, as a replacement to the pigments based on toxic metal ions such as chromium, lead, mercury etc. He is also credited with commercially successful technologies for the avoidance of formaldehyde in tanning agents. During the last five years, in order to exploit the advantages of nanoscience for developing materials with unique applications, Dr Sreeram has developed a range of functionalized metal and metal oxide nanoparticles with potential applications in crosslinking of proteins, a work which led his being recognized by the International Union of Leather Technologists and Chemists Societies, with the International Union of Research Award.
In his role as the Director of CSIR-CLRI, he is also the Chairman of the CHD-17 of the Bureau of Indian Standards and member of the Council of Administration, SITRA Coimbatore and the Governing Council of FDDI.
