Dr Asit Baran Mandal was the Director of Central Leather Research Institute since 1st July 2006 to 31st March 2015. Presently, he is the Outstanding Scientist (Director’s Grade) at CSIR-CLRI. He has had a distinguished career, starting with a Bachelor’s degree in Science with Chemistry Honours from University of Burdwan and Master’s and Doctoral degrees in Chemistry with Physical Chemistry as specialization from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. He carried out Post-Doctoral Research at the Chemistry department of University of Saskatchewn, Canada. He has represented Indian Science Community in a host of countries including Canada, USA, UK, Germany, Singapore, Italy, China, Spain, Japan, Australia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Turkey, Czech Republic and Mexico. He has served the Oil and Natural Gas Commission as a Chemist, prior to joining CLRI as a Scientist.

He has made several important contributions to the understanding of micellar systems. He has modified Huggins-Thomas equation by including a parameter based on both experimental and theoretical investigations leading to Huggins-Thomas-Mandal equation. His contributions has pertained to development of new experimental methodologies for characterization of micellar, monolayer and reverse micellar systems involving collagens, peptides, drugs, tanning materials, ionic liquids, nanomaterials, macromonomers and polymeric systems. He has developed an innovative design rationale for synthesis of mono-disperse polymers by assembling the macromonomers into a micellar system and initiating polymerization within the micellar cage. He has made quantification of several parameters in micellar chemistry feasible through applications of rigorous techniques viz. self-diffusion measurements by Cyclic voltammetry, Chronocoulometry, Square-wave voltammetry, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and Fourier transform pulsed gradient spin echo nuclear magnetic resonance (FT-PGSE NMR) techniques.

He has a broad range of scientific interest right from R&D and Industrial Developments. He is a productive scientist, who has contributed significantly to capacity building in the area of his specialization and in understanding self- assembly processes. His path-breaking contributions to surface and colloid sciences are valuable and noteworthy. He is a member of several professional, scientific and academic bodies in India and abroad. He is an Honorary Professor of Leather Technology at the Anna University, Chennai. He is one of the Editorial Board Members of International Journal of Surface Science & Technology and Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Sciences (Chemical Sciences). He has supervised 14 doctoral students, 4 M.Phil. and several M.Sc./M.Tech. students.

He is a recipient of several awards including the Rev. Fr. LM Yeddanapally Memorial Award for the year 1993, Tamil Nadu Scientists Award (1994), Dr. BC Deb Memorial Award (1996), Bhartiya Shiksha Ratan Award (2007) and Prof BN Ghosh Memorial Lecture Award (2007), Team Member of the CSIR First Award for S&T Innovation for Rural Development (2006) and CSIR Technology Prize for Business Development and Technology Marketing (2006), Team member of the CSIR Technology Prize 2007 in Physical Sciences including Engineering for developing Chemo Autotrophic Activated Carbon Oxidation (CAACO) Technology for the Treatment of Waste Water. Received Prof.B.M.Das Memorial Lecture Award given by Indian Leather Technologists Association in August 2007. Dr Mandal has been honoured by Indian Shoe Federation in August 2008 for his significant contributions to the leather industry, "Naser Technology Excellence Award-2009” by the Indian Finished Leather Manufacturers and Exporters Association (IFLMEA), Dr M A Govinda Rau Memorial Lecture Award (2009), Asian Paints Value Engineering Award (2009), National Safety Council (Tamil Nadu Chapter) to CLRI for continued patronage (2010), Prof. M Viswanathan Excellence Award for Diabetic Footwear (2011), Green Technology Award by AISHTMA (2011) and CSIR’s Technology Award for Innovation (2011) for CLRI’s salt free tanning technology innovation and successful implementation in various tanning industries in India and abroad. He is an elected Fellow of the Indian Academy of Sciences (1995), Bangalore, Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (1996), UK; Fellow of the Madras Science Foundation, CSIR Innovation Technology Award (2011) for developing salt free tanning technology; and Fellow of Indian National Academy of Engineering (2013). Awarded Honorary Fellowship by Society for Applied Biotechnology (2013). Recipient of Meritorious Invention Award for “A Novel Composition for Eco-benign Tanning” by NRDC (2013). Recipient of prestigious BD Tilak Memorial Award (2014) by Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai. Awarded 3-year Membership by American Chemical Society (2015), in recognition of engagement with ACS’s mission of service to the global community of Chemists.

Author of over 355 publications in refereed journals, which have attracted a large number of citations as well. Has about 38 patents to his credit.