Nano find lands Chennai scholar big bucks job in US

A Chennai scholar has set an example for students who prefer lucrative managerial jobs to arduous research.

R Shivaraman, 24, a research  scholar with SRM University, has landed a Rs1.4-crore-a-year job with an American firm for his work in increasing the capacity of computer hard drives. He holds a joint patent with another Indian for the innovation, that enables a hard drive to store 30 terabyte as against the current 500 gigabyte.

Shivaraman, who works at the Nanotechnology Research Centre of SRM, used to earn Rs12,000 per month before he was signed up by US-based Seagate Technologies as an associate scientist.
He will work on developing ultra high-density storage devices for magnetic recording after he takes up his new assignment in December. He is currently working to complete his PhD here.

His mentor and director of the Nanotechnology Research Centre, C Gopalakrishnan, said Shivaraman had been working on the development of new generation storage devices with far higher storage capacity than available today.

Gopalakrishnan said Shivaraman’s research would help Seagate Technologies use polymer templated technology to increase hard disc capacity.

“I dedicate the honour to SRM University which encouraged me at every stage since my journey in nanotechnology began six years ago. I will come back and associate with SRM,” Shivaraman said. He has sought a two-year assignment with Seagate.

Shivaraman was also invited to the IEEE International Magnetics Summer School in Nanjing University, China, in September 2009. The Chinese sent the invitation after his presentations at the 10th International Magnetics Conference in the US in May 2009. He has presented several papers in Egypt, Australia, US and Spain.