Nilgiris-born Dr Ashok Kumar features in 2026 global top-cited scientists database

Dr Ashokkumar Veeramuthu, born in Uppatty near Gudalur, has appeared in the 2026 global top-cited scientists database for a fourth consecutive year.

Gudalur | October 22, 2026

Professor Dr Ashokkumar Veeramuthu, a native of Uppatty village near Gudalur in the Nilgiris, has been included in the global top-cited scientists database released in 2026. The New Indian Express reported on October 21 that this is his fourth consecutive appearance, covering 2023 to 2026.

The son of tea-estate workers P Veeramuthu and P Ramayi, he studied in government schools. He now serves as professor and head of the Centre for Waste Management and Renewable Energy at SIMATS University in Chennai.

Research areas

Waste management and plastic-pollution control
Waste-to-value technologies
Biofuel production and renewable energy
More than 120 international research papers, according to the news report

What the 2026 database measures

Version 9 of the science-wide author database, contributed by John P.A. Ioannidis and published through Elsevier Data Repository on October 7, 2026, uses an August 1, 2026 Scopus snapshot and citation data through the end of 2025. Selection is based on the top 100,000 researchers by composite citation score, with and without self-citations, or a percentile rank of 2% or higher within a subfield.

The repository itself cautions that citation metrics have limitations. Inclusion measures citation impact and should not be treated as a complete or absolute judgment of a scientist’s overall excellence.

Image disclosure: The featured image is an AI-generated representative illustration. It is not a photograph of Dr Ashok Kumar or documentary imagery of a specific event.