Dr. Rakesh Kumar was Director of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI), part of CSIR (Council and Scientific and Industrial Research) and now at CSIR Delhi. He completed his M.Tech in Environmental Science & Engineering from IIT Bombay in 1987 and later got Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering. He was visiting adjunct Professor at CESE, IIT Bombay besides visiting faculty to Drexel University under Obama-Singh Education Initiative.

His main area of expertise is in development of appropriate technology for environmental quality improvement encompassing the field of air pollution, particularly vehicle pollution, hazardous waste management, wastewater treatment and disposal besides Climate Change and Health related subjects. Urban environment management is an another area where numerous works related to carrying capacity, urban heat island effect, waste management and water sector analysis have been carried out.

Some of the notable awards conferred on him are “Environmental Leadership Award” by US Asia Environmental Partnership and US-AID for the year 2005 for outstanding contribution in improving quality of life for the population of Asia. He has been given VASVIK award for 2012 for his exemplary work for urban environment improvement and sustainable technology "Phytorid" for sewage treatment for better environment.

He has been awarded "Hiyoshi Think of Ecology Award" in September 2015 for his work on use of ecology in solving environmental engineering problems. He was also given awarded by Trans Asia Chamber of Commerce for Industries (TACCI) for Environment Protection,2017; Mumbai Green Hero, 2019 and IDAC Award for Best Environmental Institution for exemplary environment protection work, 2020 and CSIR Technology Merit Award for RENEU, a unique technology for in-situ drain treatment and recently CSIR Technology Award for Green Crackers development.

He has twelve patents on pollution control devices, of these two international patents, 6 knowhows, besides more than 160 papers in national and international Journals.