Dr.Rm.AlagappaChettiar (Founder) and Dr.SirA.LakshmanaswamiMudaliyar (Vice-Chancellor of University of Madras) invited Dr.M.A.Govinda Rau to set up the Department of Chemical Engineering in Guindy Campus. Dr. M. A. Govinda Rau, the first Director of Department of Chemical Engineering was handpicked by Sir. J.C. Ghosh to establish Chemical Engineering in IISc for Post-graduation studies. He was the founder member of the Indian Institute of Chemical engineers in 1947.

Dr. M. A. Govinda Rau, Born on 26th August 1901 in a village near Musiri, Trichy District of Tamil Nadu. He obtained his Ph.D. degree in 1928 under the Professor Donnon at the University College, London. Later he attended the Chemical Engineering courses in Battersea Polytechnic in London. He worked in the research group of Sir. C.V. Raman during the year 1929. Dr. M. A. Govinda Rau was the forerunner on framing regulation and syllabus for B.Sc (Tech.) in chemical and same was adopted in the year 1944 which later confined to Chemical Engineering.