Director, CSIR-Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), Dehradun, Dr. M.O. Garg, has assumed charge as the Director General of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR). Dr. Garg, an outstanding chemical engineer, has contributed significantly in bringing together CSIR and the petroleum industry with a focus on indigenization of core technologies in this area of strategic importance to the country. His recent success in spearheading commercialization of technology for recovery of pure benzene from FCC gasoline in a large private refinery in India against all odds including severe international competition is seen as an example for others to follow.
Born on 17th September, 1954, Dr Garg is gold medalist of Nagpur University in B.Tech (Chemical Engineering). He is M.Tech from IIT Kanpur. He completed his Ph.D. from University of Melbourne, Australia, in the area of solvent extraction. On returning to India, he joined Engineers India Limited where he used his expertise to develop and commercialize large number of technologies related to solvent extraction in the refining and petrochemical industry.