PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

The Polymer Processing Academy (PPA) has completed six years and during this period it has made a difference by organizing a number of exciting events. It has gained international recognition and now is an integral part of the "Asian Workshop in Polymer Processing" formed by the Polymer Processing Societies in Asian countries with membership consisting of academics and the industrial fraternity.

Within India it has become a vibrant society with a very strong relationship between industry and academia thus adding a new dimension to the national Polymer related activities. The seed for the formation of PPA was sown during the 25th Annual meeting of the Polymer Processing Society (PPS) hosted by India at Goa in March 2009. PPA was then launched at an excellent function at Mumbai in March 2011. Today PPA has active participation from its members representing academia, industry and research institutions in all its activates. Further, we are proud to have several distinguished researchers in the area of polymers from abroad as Honorary PPA Fellows. Our members take active part in the meetings of PPS and AWPP. PPA was organized the AWPP annual meeting and the PPS Regional meeting in 2013. PPA has emerged as an international body dedicated to the activities related to innovative scientific development and ideas that will enhance India's role in finding solution for global issues, by utilizing the best and bright minds. PPA continues to develop a synergistic association with the rest of the scientific world by bringing together science and technology to the forefront in the global arena.

PPA has kept the tradition of organizing a Foundation lecture every year. The first PPA Foundation lecture was held along with its 2011 launch in Mumbai. The subsequent lectures were held in Pune – 2012, in Goa – 2013, in New Delhi – 2015, in Bangalore – 2016 and in Mumbai-2017. The seventh Foundation Day event on March 8, 2019, is jointly organized with Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bengaluru. We are grateful to Dr. Roddam Narasimha, DST Year-of-Science Professor at JNCASR for being the Chief Guest and to Dr. K Radhakrishnan, Honorary Distinguished Advisor DOS/ISRO, Former Chairman ISRO, Department of Space, for agreeing to deliver the seventh Foundation Day lecture.