Biography:
Prof. Sonde was a distinguished academician and leader in the field of electrical communication and electronics engineering. Known for his brilliance and dedication, he made impactful contributions to engineering education, research, and academic administration in India.

Prof. Sonde excelled academically throughout his studies and research at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc).He received his B.E. in Telecommunication and MSc(Engg.) with high distinction from the University of Pune in 1958 and 1959 respectively and his Ph.D. degree from IISc Bangalore in 1963. After completing his Ph.D., he joined the Department of Electrical Communication Engineering (ECE) at IISc and rose quickly to the position of full professor.

Prof. Sonde planned and setup the CEDT (Center for Electronics design and technology) at the Institute as an Indo-Swiss Project with the primary purpose of providing specialised training for engineers required in the Indian electronics industry for R&D.He served IISc in exemplary fashion until 1997, taking on several leadership roles including Chair of CEDT and ECE (1981-85), Chairman of the Electrical Sciences Division, and Dean of Engineering.

Prof Sonde has been an invited speaker at many national and international Conferences, including 1st ASEAN Conference on S&T for Development at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1986), 7th European Hybrid Microelectronics Conference at Hamburg, Germany (1989), 82nd Indian Science Congress, Calcutta (1995), and 7th Conference of Forum Engelberg, Switzerland (1996) on “Europe-Asia: Science & Technology for their Future”.

Beyond IISc, he served as the Vice Chancellor of Goa University until 2002 and continued to lead numerous national organizations, including the National Board of Accreditation (NBA). He authored ten books -- including a six-book monograph series -- that became foundational material for electronics education across India. His contributions to curriculum development, policy formulation, academic governance, and mentoring shaped generations of students and faculty.He had a significant influence on Dept. of Electronics (now MEITY), Govt. of India.

Research Areas:
• Digital and Analog Electronics
• Microprocessors and Microcontroller-Based Systems
• Instrumentation and Signal Processing
• Microelectronics
• Instrumentation

Awards and recognitions/ Positions held:
• Chairman – Department of Electronics, Working Group on Consumer Electronics, Government of India
• Chairman – National Board of Accreditation, AICTE, 1994
• Chairman – All India Board of UG Studies in Electronics & Telecommunication, AICTE
• Member – Electronics Commission, Government of India
• Visiting Professor – Stanford University, USA
• Visiting Professor – École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Switzerland
• Visiting Professor – Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Switzerland
• Visiting Professor – Chulalongkorn University, Thailand
• Dean – Faculty of Engineering, IISc Bangalore
• Chair, ECE department, IISc (1981-85)
• Vice Chancellor – Goa University
• Distinguished Fellow & Past President – Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE)
• Founder Chairman – International Society for Hybrid Microelectronics (ISHM), USA (India Chapter)
• Honorary Fellow – Indian Society for Technical Education • Ramlal Wadhwa Gold Medal, Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE)
• Jaya Jayant Award for Teaching Excellence, IISc Bangalore
• Advisor to the Govt. of India in planning and setting up of electronics design laboratory and Chulalongkorn, Bangkok, Thailand under Indo Thailand agreement 1985-1992
• Chairman of advisory committee of M/S BEL, Bangalore 1987-1989 M/S Electronics Corporation of India Ltd, Hyderabad 1993-1994 for the setting up of their central research laboratory.
• Distinguished Alumnus Award, College of Engineering Pune (COEP)
• Chapter Development Award, International Society for Hybrid Microelectronics (ISHM), USA
• Lifetime Achievement Awards from:
  – Indian Statistical Institute (ISI)
  – Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE)
  – Systems Society of India (SSI)
• Chapter Development Award of ISHM-The Microelectronics Society, USA (1996)