Ph.D. (Solid State Physics), Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 1978
M.Sc. (Physics), Andhra University, Waltair (India) 1973
B.Sc. (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics), Andhra University, Waltair (India) 1971

Dr. Rao is the founder and managing partner of Smartek. He held positions as senior scientific officer at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (1980-83) and as research associate at Syracuse University (1983-88). At both the institutions, he worked as a specialist in the areas of thin films, coatings, and materials characterization. He has more than twenty years of experience in thin film preparation, characterization of thin films, surface preparation, high vacuum technology, instrumentation, and surface analysis. He has direct hands-on experience related to a number of thin film processes like evaporation, sputtering, electroless deposition, electroplating, dip coating, and spin coating. Dr. Rao has published more than twenty research papers in peer reviewed journals related to thin films, surface analysis, and instrumentation. He is a member of the American Vacuum Society and American Physical Society.