Purushottam Kashinath Kelkar was an Indian Scientist who is best remembered for being the founding director of the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, which was established in 1959. He was also involved in the planning process for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay and served as its third director, for a period of 4 years. Kelkar was instrumental in securing USA's technical collaboration in the establishment of IIT Kanpur, by persuading the then USA ambassador, John Kenneth Galbraith to locate the fledgeling institution on the outskirts of Kanpur, in North India.