Madhav Umbharatwala is a dynamic early-career researcher specializing in composite systems for ballistic shielding. After completing his Bachelor's in Civil Engineering (2019), he pursued a Master's in Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering from Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology (VNIT) in 2022. Currently, he is a PhD candidate at VNIT under the mentorship of Dr. Manmohan Dass Goel, with a focus on the experimental and numerical evaluation and testing of composite armor panels for ballistic threats. In 2024, Madhav was awarded the prestigious DAAD Bi-nationally Supervised Doctoral Degree Scholarship, allowing him to conduct his research at the Technical University of Munich under the joint supervision of Dr. M.D. Goel and Prof. Steffen Marburg.

Madhav has contributed to six published journal papers, including three SCI-indexed, and more than ten international conference papers. Additionally, he has filed six patents in collaboration with Dr. Goel, currently under review. His research involves the design, fabrication, and rigorous testing of high-strength polymer fabric and ballistic-grade ceramic shields to protect against small and medium-caliber ballistic threats. He aims to complete his PhD by September 2026.