ICAR-CIRCOT Scientist Dr N Vigneshwaran Named ICAC Researcher of the Year 2026
ICAR-CIRCOT scientist recognized for contributions to cotton nanotechnology, biomass utilization and textile innovation
The International Cotton Advisory Committee (ICAC) has selected Dr N Vigneshwaran, Principal Scientist and Head of the Chemical and Biochemical Processing Division at the ICAR–Central Institute for Research on Cotton Technology (ICAR-CIRCOT), Mumbai, India, as the ICAC Researcher of the Year 2026.
Dr Vigneshwaran holds academic qualifications in Agriculture, Agricultural Microbiology, Biomedical Engineering and Operations Management. His research activities have focused on nanotechnological applications in cotton cultivation, processing, textiles and biomass utilization.
His work includes research on nanocellulose derived from cotton linters and stalks, nanofinishing of cotton textiles, nanofertilizers, biohydrogen production from cotton biomass and value-added applications of cotton residues.
Over the last two decades, Dr Vigneshwaran has been involved in the development of technologies for cotton-based materials and processing. His nano-silver and nano-zinc oxide finishing technologies for cotton fabrics provide more than 99% antibacterial activity and UPF 50+ ultraviolet protection with wash durability of up to 20 cycles and have been licensed for commercial production.
He also led the development of nanocellulose production technologies from cotton linters and comber noil, reducing energy consumption by more than 50%. Under his leadership, India’s first pilot plant for nanocellulose production from cotton biomass, with a capacity of 10 kg per 8-hour shift, has been operational since 2015.
Additional developments include specialty-grade paper production using cotton comber noil blended with banana fibre and antimicrobial technologies licensed to the Bank Note Paper Mill, Mysuru, India.
Dr Vigneshwaran has authored more than 35 cotton-related research papers published in international journals. Several of these publications have received more than 700, 650, 360, 340 and 250 citations respectively. He has also authored or co-authored 11 books and book chapters published by Elsevier, Springer, CRC Press, Wiley-VCH, Woodhead Publishing and Nova Science Publishers.
His research portfolio includes four granted Indian patents covering microbial synthesis of silver nanoparticles, production of cellulose nanoparticles, nanocellulose manufacturing technologies and nanosulphur production methods.
Among his professional recognitions, Dr Vigneshwaran is a Fellow of the National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS) and a Fellow of the Textile Association (India). His awards include the Sajjan Gupta-Konark Memorial Award, AMI Young Scientist Award, MRSI Prize, DOGRA Educational Endowment Award and several technology commercialization awards.
Internationally, he has received the ICRA-Asia Young Scientist Innovation Award (2019), the NASI-Scopus Young Scientist Award (2014), recognition for a Top-Cited Elsevier Paper, and has been listed among Stanford University and Elsevier’s World’s Top 2% Scientists from 2020 to 2025.
According to ICAC, the Researcher of the Year Award recognizes scientists whose work has contributed to cotton science, technology, sustainability, productivity and value addition. The award is regarded as one of the international recognitions in cotton research.