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Sir Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar (1894–1955) was a pioneering Indian physical chemist and visionary scientific administrator, often hailed as the “Father of Research Laboratories in India.” Educated in India and at University College London, he made notable contributions to colloid and magneto-chemistry, including the co-invention of the Bhatnagar–Mathur Magnetic Interference Balance. In 1940, he became the first Director-General of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and was instrumental in establishing twelve national laboratories across India. He also served as the first Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and held key positions in the Atomic Energy Commission and the Ministry of Education. Beyond science, Bhatnagar was a poet, dramatist, and writer at the Banaras Hindu University. His achievements earned him honors such as OBE, knighthood, Fellowship of the Royal Society, and the Padma Bhushan. After his death, the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology was instituted in his memory, cementing his legacy in India’s scientific growth.