Prof. Dr. Naresh Kumar is an accomplished scientist, academician, researcher, and technology-development professional with an extensive career in food safety, dairy microbiology, diagnostics, quality assurance, technology commercialization, and antimicrobial resistance. He served as Principal Scientist at ICAR–National Dairy Research Institute (NDRI), Karnal, where he was involved in research management, teaching, training, technology development, licensing and intellectual property, commercialization, consultancy, and institutional development.

He served as Principal Scientist from January 2009 to May 2023, following several years as Senior Scientist from 2002-2009 at ICAR-NDRI. His overall professional experience reflects long-standing contributions to dairy microbiology and food safety research.

He has given the contribution of patents grant and their commercialization to different stakeholder and establishment of infrastructure facility on National Referral Centre for Milk Quality & Safety with fund provision of 17.5 crores under NAIP. He is currently working as ANRF Prime Minister Professor on research project entitled "One Health Diagnostic Solution for Rapid Detection of Emerging Pathogens in Dairy Foods and their Antimicrobial Resistance using Artificial Intelligence (AI) Powered Optical Imaging and Micro Raman Spectroscopy" for 5 years with research funding of 2.75 crores.

Research & Scientific Contributions

Prof. Kumar has developed a substantial research portfolio comprising approximately 60 full-length papers in refereed journals, 75 papers in conference proceedings/book chapters, 35 popular articles and short communications, 15 manuals/teaching aids, 10 research and extension bulletins, and additional scientific publications.

His research and technology-development activities have particularly focused on:

Food safety and quality assurance
Dairy microbiology
Rapid diagnostic technologies
Detection of antibiotic residues in milk
Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
Microbial detection and enumeration
Point-of-care and enzyme-based diagnostic approaches
Technology licensing and commercialization
Food borne hazards and microbiological standards

His work demonstrates a strong combination of fundamental research, applied diagnostics, technology development, and translation of scientific innovations toward food-safety applications.

Major Awards & Fellowships

Prof. Dr. Naresh Kumar has received several prestigious recognitions during his scientific career. Notable distinctions include:

NAAS Fellowship, 2020 – National Academy of Agricultural Sciences
Biotech Product and Process Development & Commercialization Award, 2020 – Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India
Fellowship of the National Academy of Dairy Sciences, India (NADSI), 2014
Eminent Scientist Award, 2017 – for outstanding contribution to agriculture
Best Paper Award, 2015 – Indian Dairy Association
First Poster Award, 2012 – ICFOST
Best/Second Best Poster Awards at national scientific and agricultural conferences
CSIR Associateship, 1994–95
German DAAD Fellowship, 1993–94

These recognitions illustrate sustained excellence in scientific research, dairy science, biotechnology, and technology development.

Research Leadership & Institutional Contributions

A significant aspect of Prof. Kumar career has been his contribution to research programme management and institutional capacity building. His efforts were recognized by the Board of Management of ICAR-NDRI for contributing to the successful acquisition of five NAIP projects worth approximately ₹12.60 crore.

He has also contributed to research, training, technology development, consultancy, infrastructure development, intellectual property, and revenue-generation initiatives at the institutional level.

National & International Scientific Engagement

Prof. Kumar has made substantial contributions to national and international food-safety initiatives. He was associated with the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) and contributed to the development of microbiological standards for milk and milk products as a member of the Scientific Panel on Biological Hazards.

He also served in Codex-related activities, providing scientific inputs for the formulation of Indian positions on international food standards. He was nominated as a member of the Indian delegation to the Codex Committee on Residues of Veterinary Drugs in Foods (CCRVDF).

His international engagement included collaboration with the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and participation in an ICAR–ILRI research collaborative workshop in Nairobi, Kenya. His work on antimicrobial residues and antimicrobial resistance in dairy animals and food systems also received recognition from international and national organizations, including FAO and ILRI.

Mentorship & Academic Development

Prof. Kumar has contributed to scientific training and student development through teaching, supervision, workshops, and academic programmes. His research mentorship has resulted in recognition for students, including Best M.Sc. Thesis Awards for research projects involving rapid detection of E. coli in milk and paper-strip sensors for antibiotic detection.

He has organized 11 and attended 46 summer/winter schools, courses, seminars, symposia, workshops, and training programmes, demonstrating sustained engagement in professional development and knowledge dissemination.

Technology Development & Innovation

A distinctive feature of Prof. Kumar's scientific career is his emphasis on converting research findings into practical diagnostic and food-safety technologies. His work

has included development of spore-based and enzyme-based assays for detecting antibiotic residues in milk, microbial detection technologies, and other diagnostic approaches.

His contributions extend beyond publication of research findings to technology development, intellectual property, licensing, commercialization, and industry-oriented applications, strengthening the practical impact of his scientific work.

Antimicrobial Resistance & Food Safety

Prof. Kumar has played an important role in advancing scientific understanding of antimicrobial resistance in food and animal systems. His engagement with FAO, ILRI, FSSAI, CSE, ICAR, and Codex-related initiatives reflects his contribution to developing scientific and strategic approaches for addressing AMR in food, animals, and the environment.

His expertise has therefore contributed not only to academic research but also to food-safety policy, regulatory standards, scientific guidance, and national-level strategic initiatives.

Overall Research Impact

With a long-standing scientific career, extensive publication record, numerous awards and fellowships, research leadership, technology-development activities, national policy contributions, international collaborations, and mentorship of young researchers, Prof. Dr. Naresh Kumar has established a significant professional legacy in food safety, dairy microbiology, diagnostics, quality assurance, and antimicrobial resistance.

Eligibility for Lifetime Achievement Award

Prof. Dr. Naresh Kumar is highly eligible for the Lifetime Achievement Award in Scientific Laurels. His eligibility is supported by his decades-long scientific career, senior leadership at ICAR-NDRI, approximately 60 refereed journal publications , 8 patent granted and extensive additional scholarly output, prestigious NAAS and NADSI Fellowships, the 2020 DBT Biotech Product and Process Development & Commercialization Award, international DAAD Fellowship and CSIR Associateship, technology-development and commercialization achievements, revenue generation and sustained contributions to food safety and dairy microbiology.

His involvement with FSSAI, Codex, FAO, ILRI and other national and international scientific initiatives, together with his contributions to antimicrobial-resistance research, food-safety standards, diagnostic technologies, research funding, institutional development, and scientific mentorship, demonstrates a long-term and multidimensional impact on science and society. Collectively, these achievements provide a strong basis for recognizing him with the Lifetime Achievement Award in Scientific Laurels.