Distinguished Professor Chennupati Jagadish has been elected an Honorary Fellow of the Indian Academy of the Sciences, one of only two in 2017.

Professor Jagadish has had a successful career researching photovoltaics, nanotechnology and semiconductor optoelectronics and is involved in many programs linking Australian and Indian researchers.

"I'm humbled and grateful to receive this honour from the country I was born and educated in," said Professor Jagadish, from the ANU School of Physics and Engineering.

"It's touching that they have recognised my contributions to science."

Besides India, Professor Jagadish has strong links with many countries in Asia, Europe and America. He holds honorary positions at universities in Japan, China and India, and has convened a number of international workshops through the Australian Academy of Sciences.

"I feel it is really important to enable linkages between countries, there are a lot of opportunities," Professor Jagadish said.

"For example, in India there is a huge investment in infrastructure and there are a lot of bright young researchers with drive and intellect."

"India and Australia have many common interests: energy, health, water, environment. These are complex and challenging global issues that we need to work together on to solve."

He and his wife Vidja recently established the Chennupati and Vidya Jagadish endowment fund, which gives students and researchers from developing countries the chance to travel to ANU to pursue collaborative research for up to 12 weeks.

He was made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 2016 for his contributions to Australian science.