Dr. Mahesh Ganesapillai is an Associate Professor in the School of Chemical Engineering at Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India. His research interests center on the closed-loop fertility cycle for sustainability in sanitation and agricultural production through the design and implementation of nutrient recovery systems for the anthropogenic solution. Ganesapillai is the author of over thirty eight manuscripts on resource recovery and management systems. He was awarded the Best Platform Presenter by International Water Association (Poland) in 2017, Outstanding Young Chemical Engineer from Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, the prestigious Senior Research Fellowship award from Defense R&D Organization, Government of India. In 2012 he received the Best Mineral Engineer Award for the development of an outstanding strategy and concept for sustainable agricultural productivity using low grade rock phosphate tailing. Currently, he is working on an international project on solid waste management in partnership with UoManchester and UoLeeds with a sanctioned fund worth 200,000 GBP.

Professor Ganesapillai is also a Fellow of the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, Indian Society for Technical Education, All India Council for Technical Education and the Indian Mineral Engineering Association.