Born on September 14, 1952, into a humble family in the small village of Arjunwada, Kolhapur district, Maharashtra, Prof. Yadav's early education took place under highly restrictive conditions, even attending classes held in village temples. His sheer resolve led him to walk miles barefoot daily to reach secondary schooling.
In 1970, he earned entry to the world-renowned University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT) at Bombay University, securing his Bachelor of Chemical Engineering in 1974. He went on to pursue a Ph.D. under the mentorship of legendary academician Professor Man Mohan Sharma, completing it in 1980.
Prof. Yadav started his career directly inside the faculty ranks of UDCT before a productive post-doctoral stint at the University of Waterloo, Canada, working on advanced multiphase flow visualization and enhanced oil recovery models. All his research work since 1986 has been proudly anchored within India.
From 2009 to 2019, he steered ICT Mumbai through an era of exponential growth as Vice Chancellor. Today, he acts as a crucial link between national academia and heavy corporate strategy. He serves as an Independent Director on several corporate boards including Godrej Industries, Clean Science & Technology, Meghmani Organics, and Astec Lifesciences.
He enjoys the rare distinction of being an elected Fellow of all national science and engineering academies across India: