An Indian Agricultural Microbiologist Dr. Shrihari Chandraghatgi, President & CEO, EcoCycle Corporation, has been conferred with Ministry of Environment Award for 2017 in Japan for developing cutting edge technologies to address burning environmental problems. Dr. Shrihari is the first foreigner to be given this Ministry of Environment Award, the highest award in environmental sector in Japan.

The Ministry of Environment Award is the highest honour given in the environmental Sector every year jointly by the Ministry of Environment, Japan; National Institute for Environmental Studies (NIES), Japan and The Nikkan Kogyo Shinbun (a media group). The award was given away to Dr. Shrihari on June 08, 2017 by State Minister of the Environment, Japan Mr. SEKI Yoshihiro at a ceremony at Kasumegaseki, Tokyo in presence of dignitaries including Mr. Imizu Haruhiro, President of The Nikkan Kogyo Shinbun; Mr. Watanabe, President of NIES and some eminent scientists from Japanese universities.

Dr. Shrihari Chandraghatgi, a native Siddapura in the Uttara Kannada District of Karnataka, residing in Tokyo for almost 2 decades has done commendable work in the field of Environmental Biotechnology and has over a dozen patents against his name. An agricultural microbiologist, Dr Shrihari has developed cutting edge technologies by exploring the capabilities of natural microorganisms for environmental remediation. These patented technologies have been applied over 400 sites in Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, India, China and the US. These technologies are the cheapest available alternatives of remediation.

Mr. SEKI Yoshihiro, State Minister of the Environment, Japan, presented the award to Dr. Shrihari Chandraghatgi and stated that rapid economic development and exploding population in Asia has created severe environmental challenges. The country needs and appreciates environmental firms to develop new technologies to meet these challenges. This Minister of Environment award is being conferred in recognition of Bioremediation Technology developed by the President and CEO, EcoCycle Corporation. NIES, Nikkan Kogyo Shinbun and Ministry of environment also appreciates the exceptional effort of and results in environmental restoration and preservation by him and his team and honour with this award.

Accepting the award, Dr. Shrihari expressed that he is delighted to receive the highest award in environmental sector in Japan and this gives him the motivation to aggressively work on newer technologies that will have profound bearing on solving environmental nightmares that are only increasing at an alarming rate globally. Further, he took this opportunity to thank all Family, Teachers, Engineers & Scientists at ECO Cycle Corporation for making this journey memorable. He plans to work in India where large scale health problems are reported because of consuming toxic groundwater. “If any organization, government or NGO, wants to take up such cause with concern of public health I am ready to provide my technology and vast experience free”, he said.

Born in a humble family, Dr. Shrihari’s father was an air force officer who was involved in 1961 Goa liberation and 1971 Bangla liberation, and mother was a teacher. After schooling at his native Siddapura, in Kannada medium he graduated from University of Agricultural Sciences College, Dharwad in 1992.  Armed with a Junior Research Scholarship awarded by Indian Council of Agricultural Research, New Delhi, Shrihari completed his Masters in 1994 and PhD in Agricultural Microbiology in 1997 in the same university, both with Gold Medal. In 1998 he obtained Monbusho fellowship (Ministry of Education, Japan) and joined as a researcher at Chiba University, Japan. Subsequently in 2000 he started his professional career as Scientist at EcoCycle Corporation and in 2005 became President and CEO of EcoCycle Corporation. In April 2017, He formed a joint venture, EcoChem Environmental Technologies in Shanghai to explore Chinese environmental market. He is currently helping Ministry of Industry, Thailand in forming environmental regulations and educate with remedial technologies. In 2017 he established a NGO, Kibono Hikari literally means Ray of Hope to help under privileged children in India with educational and medical support.