India, Jan. 26 -- Director of IIT-Madras, V Kamakoti was conferred the Padma Shri award in the science and engineering category known for his work in computer architecture research and national security.

"The Padma Shri Award means only one thing to me. That I will put all my best efforts towards Viksit Bharat 2047," Kamakoti said in a video statement from inside his car late Sunday evening after the awards were announced. "Whatever I have achieved is all because of collective effort and I dedicate this award to everyone who has been a part of this journey."

Kamakoti Veezhinathan received his M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Computer Science and Engineering from IT Madras. He joined the faculty of IIT Madras in 2001 and took over as its Direct...