Ashutosh Sharma is Institute Chair Professor at IIT Kanpur, President of the Indian National Science Academy (2023-). He served as Co-chair of S20/G20 (2023) and a former Secretary to the Government of India heading its Department of Science and Technology (2015- 2021). He was a Professor and the Head (2003-05) of Chemical Engineering, and the founding Coordinator of Nanosciences Center and Advanced Imaging Center at the Indian Institute of Technology at Kanpur.

His research contributions are highly interdisciplinary, spanning a wide range in nanotechnology; thin polymer films; nanocomposites and devices in energy, health and environment; functional interfaces; micro/nano-mechanics of soft matter; nano-patterning and nanofabrication; colloid and interfacial engineering; biomaterials & biosurfaces; wetting and adhesion. He has published over 350 peer reviewed papers, filed over 15 patents.

He is an elected Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, the Indian Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences, India and Indian National Academy of Engineering, The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) and the Asia-Pacific Academy of Materials.