Prof. Pradip Kumar Sarkar is a renowned transportation planner, academician, and researcher with over 44 years of professional experience in the fields of transportation planning, intelligent transport systems, traffic engineering, road safety, transport economics, and urban planning.

He began his academic career as a Research Associate at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), New Delhi (1977–78), and later served as Scientist at the Central Road Research Institute (CRRI) and Deputy General Manager at RITES. His distinguished career at SPA New Delhi spanned nearly three decades, where he worked as Assistant Professor (1993–2001), Professor, and Head of the Department of Transport Planning (2006–2009; 2014–2017). He also served as Director of Transportation at the Asian Institute of Transport Development.

Since 2019, Prof. Sarkar has been a Visiting Professor at SPA New Delhi and SPA Vijayawada, while also contributing to consultancy, capacity building, and World Bank-funded projects on road safety, bus modernization, GIS-based master plans, and transport economics. He has also worked with Town & Country Planning Department (Pondicherry), Naveen Consultants, Deloitte, and NICDC, and remains active as a technical committee member in NICDC, BIS, ISO, MoHUA, and IRC (Convenor, G7 ITS Committee).

Research & Publications

Prof. Sarkar is the author of six seminal books in the field of transportation:

1. Sustainable Transport System in the Context of Indian Cities (Lambert, Germany)

2. Transportation Planning: Principles, Practices and Policies (PHI Learning, India)

3. Theory and Applications of Transport Economics in Highway and Transport Planning (Standard Publisher, Delhi)

4. Intelligent Transport Systems (PHI, 2017)

5. Computer Aided Highway Engineering Design (Francis & Taylor, UK, 2021)

6. Traffic Engineering & Road Safety (forthcoming, Pearson, 2025)

• He has published over 100 research and technical papers in reputed national and international journals, conferences, and workshops.

• Authored 65+ peer-reviewed publications, presented 50 papers at international and national conferences, and contributed to manuals and toolkits for the Indian Roads Congress, Institute of Urban Transport, and Asian Development Bank.

• Holds a Patent Certificate on System and Method to Formulate the Composite Level of Service (2018).

• Played a leading role in developing the INDO Highway Capacity Manual, a prestigious national-level milestone project.

Consultancy & Key Professional Experience

Prof. Sarkar has contributed to dozens of consultancy projects funded by the World Bank, ADB, MoHUA, NTPC, IRC, and international agencies. His expertise covers:

• Road Safety & ITS: Development of the National Centre of Road Safety (MoRTH, World Bank project); RFID-based school bus safety system (BIS, 2024); Road Safety Audit & crash data management.

• Public Transport & ITS: World Bank Bus Modernization Plan for Chandigarh; ITS Toolkit for Traffic Management (IUT, MoUD); Smart City mobility planning.

• Urban Planning: GIS-based Master Plans for towns in Pondicherry; Comprehensive Mobility Plans for Mysore, Mangalore, Thimphu, and Phuentsholing.

• Capacity Building: Trained nearly 3,000 engineers in road safety, including 500 road safety auditors.

• Advisory Roles: Consultant to ADB, Padeco (Japan), Wilber Smith Associates, NCRPB, and multiple government bodies.

Awards & Recognitions

Prof. Sarkar’s outstanding contributions to transportation research and education have earned him numerous accolades:

• Rashtriya Gaurav Award

• Best Citizens of India Award

• Indira Gandhi Achiever Award

• Commonwealth Fellowship Award (UK, twice)

• Several IRC Awards for best research publications

His works are widely referred to as textbooks in Bachelor’s and Master’s programs in universities across India and abroad.

Eligibility for Distinguished Researcher Award

With over four decades of pioneering research, six authoritative books, more than 100 scientific publications, leadership in national and international transport projects, patents, and global recognition, Prof. Pradip Kumar Sarkar has made an enduring impact on the field of transportation planning and intelligent transport systems.

His multi-disciplinary approach, global academic collaborations, innovative contributions to road safety and sustainable mobility, and role in capacity building make him eminently eligible for the Distinguished Researcher Award in Scientific Laurels.