Kannadiga Dr Arun Netravali, HDTV tech pioneer, wins Marconi award

Dr Arun Netravali is selected for the Marconi Prize 2017 by US-based Marconi Society for advances in communications and information technology for the betterment of humanity  He brought in a digital video revolution pioneering key base technology for MPEG 1, 2 and 4 now commonly used in all TV and mobile phones The award will be presented at a function in New Jersey on August 3. Third Indian to get the Marconi Prize

Kannadiga Dr Arun Netravali, former president of Bell Labs (now Nokia Bell Labs) and pioneer of key base technology for MPEG 1, 2 and 4 that ushered in digital video revolution in TV and mobile and streaming video has been selected for the prestigious Marconi Prize for 2017. The Prize instituted in honor of radio inventor Guglielmo Marconi consisting $100,000 - Rs 65 lakhs- is awarded to scientists who pursue advances in communications and information technology for the development of humanity. The award will be presented in New Jersey on August 3.

Dr Arun Netravali, born in Ankola, had his initial education in King George High School and Elphinstone College, Mumbai. He got his B Tech in Electrical Engineering in IIT Mumbai and later did his doctorate in Rice University, US, with full scholarship.  He was the president of Bell Labs (now Nokia Bell Labs). He was also a member of global board of advisers for telecom initiative for Indian Government. The MPEG 1, 2 and 4 technology that he pioneered brought in a digital revolution worldwide, reports Kannada Prabha.

The other two previous Indian awardees of Marconi Prize are Prof Yash Pal, who received in 1980, former UGC chairman and Dr Arogyaswami Paulraj in 2014, Professor emeritus, Stanford University.