Dr. Ajay Chourasia

Chief Scientist & Prof. (AcSIR)

Dr Ajay Chourasia is a distinguished structural engineer, academic leader, and nationally acknowledged authority in earthquake engineering and resilient construction technologies, with over three decades of experience spanning research, large-scale implementation, policy advisory, and institution building.
He earned his Ph.D. in Structural Engineering from IIT Roorkee, specializing in the seismic performance of confined masonry buildings, a domain in which he is regarded as one of India’s leading experts. His expertise covers earthquake-resistant design, confined masonry, precast and prefabricated construction, structural dynamics and health monitoring, heritage structures, and emerging technologies including 3D Concrete Printing.
Dr Chourasia has authored 200+ technical publications, 175+ institutional reports, and 15 books, and holds six patents with six technologies successfully transferred to industry, reflecting his ability to translate advanced research into deployable engineering solutions.
A pioneer in confined masonry and industrialized construction systems, he has provided technical leadership for 40,000+ confined masonry buildings, seismic retrofitting of 300+ critical structures, and over 2.5 million housing units constructed using precast and monolithic technologies, including flagship national initiatives such as Light House Projects, PMAY-G, and Mass Housing for All. He has also led post-earthquake reconstruction and resilience programmes in Nepal and the Himalayan region.
He has supervised six Ph.D. scholars (with eight ongoing) and mentored a large number of postgraduate and undergraduate students, contributing significantly to national capacity building in structural and earthquake engineering.
Dr Chourasia played a foundational role in establishing nationally significant research infrastructure, including the Building Dynamics Laboratory, Construction Technology Demonstration Park, and India’s National Earthquake Engineering Test Facility (NEETF) for full-scale building testing—now a national reference facility.
His work has been supported by premier organizations including IGCAR, BARC, NTPC, NDMA, Airports Authority of India, and the Ministry of External Affairs. He actively contributes to national policy, standards, and disaster governance through roles in BIS committees, NDMA expert groups, and professional bodies such as ISET, ICI, and the Institution of Engineers (India).
Dr Chourasia has represented India in international research collaborations and technical missions across Europe, East Asia, Southeast Asia, and South Asia, and has received multiple prestigious honours including the Disaster Risk Reduction Award, IAStructE Engineers Award, Best Engineer Award, and Vishvakarma Award.
Widely respected for his scientific depth, leadership, and societal impact, Dr Ajay Chourasia continues to advance safe, resilient, and future-ready infrastructure through engineering excellence and national service.