Prof. Bhalchandra Mahadeo Bhanage is an eminent chemist, academic leader, and researcher in the field of catalysis and green chemistry. He is currently the Vice-Chancellor of The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda (MSU), Vadodara.
He obtained his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Pune and National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, and pursued postdoctoral research in Japan at Tohoku University and Hokkaido University.
Prof. Bhanage has made pioneering contributions in homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis, green synthesis, CO₂ utilization, organometallic chemistry, and ionic liquids. He has published over 490 research papers, authored books and book chapters, and holds more than 30 patents. His research has received over 28,000 citations with an h-index above 70.
He has guided more than 55 Ph.D. students and has been consistently ranked among the top 2% scientists globally (Stanford University analysis). He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC, UK), the Indian Chemical Society, and the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences.
At the Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai, he served as Professor of Chemistry, Head of Department, and Dean of Infrastructure and Campus Development, before taking charge as Vice-Chancellor of MSU Baroda.
Prof. Bhanage continues to actively contribute to research, academic leadership, and science outreach, while promoting sustainable and innovative approaches in chemistry.

Prof. Ashutosh Bedekar obtained his MSc in Organic Chemistry (1987) from the Department of Chemistry, Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, and PhD in Chemistry (1994), from Malti-Chem Research Center and Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. He cleared his CSIR-NET in 1989 in Chemical Sciences. He was awarded Monbusho Fellowship in 1994 (Kyoto University) and JSPS in 2000 (University of Shizuoka) by the Government of Japan for his postdoctoral studies. He also worked in Uppsala University, Sweden in 1995-96 for postdoctoral assignments. He was CSIR Pool Office (1996-99, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune) and Scientist Fellow (2002-03, CSMCRI, Bhavnagar). Prof Bedekar was a Visiting Scientist at Takasago Corporation, Hiratsuka (Tokyo) for two years in 2003-05.
His area of research is asymmetric synthesis, helically chiral molecules, catalysis, molecular recognition of chiral compounds etc. He has guided 13 PhDs, published 116 papers and 5 patents. He received Bronze Medal from Chemical Research Society of India in 2019. He has worked in the present institution as reader/associate professor from 2005, Professor since 2011 and as Head of the Department of Chemistry from October 2021. He served on the Senate of Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda from professor's constituency (2017-22) and as Director of Research and Development Cell of the university (2018-2025).