Prof. K. Prasad Rao has been conferred the first "Prof. D.R.G. Achar Distinguished Academician Award" by the Indian Welding Society. The award lecture was delivered by him during the International Conference on Advances in Cutting, Welding and Surfacing (CWS 2011) during January 22 - 23, 2011 held at Coimbatore. Indian Welding Society instituted this award in the memory of Prof. D.R.G. Achar who was a patron of the Chennai Center of the society and a pioneer in the area of welding.