P.V.M. Rao is presently the head of Department of Design. As a coordinator of IIT Delhi Innovation Center, he is responsible for initiating and driving multiple programs in Innovation & Entrepreneurship for faculty and students.
His teaching and research interests are in product design and manufacturing. He and his team has successively translated multiple products/solutions In the space of medical and assistive technologies from lab to market. He serves in multiple roles as chairman, part-time director and scientific advisor to many new start-up companies.
He was a guest researcher to US Government's National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST), Maryland multiple times. He was visiting scientist to MIT during summer 2005 and visiting faculty to Stanford University during 2012.
He is a Fellow of ASME and Abdul Kalam Technology Innovation National Fellow of INAE (Indian National Academy of Engineering). He is also recipient of IIT Delhi’s K. L. Chopra Faculty Research Award, Vasvik Industrial Research Award and national award by Department of Science & Technology to scientists working on improving accessibility for the disabled.