Who Was Saketh Sreenivasaiah, IIT Madras Graduate Found Dead In California

A 22-year-old Indian student Saketh Sreenivasaiah, was found dead in California six days after he went missing. Saketh, who was pursuing his master's degree at the University of California, Berkeley, had disappeared on February 9. 

His body was later recovered by the police, the Indian Consulate in San Francisco confirmed while assuring all assistance to send his remains back to India.

Saketh Sreenivasaiah belonged to Karnataka and was enrolled in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at UC Berkeley.

His LinkedIn profile said, "I'm a Masters student in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at UC Berkeley, with an undergraduate degree from IIT Madras. I'm passionate about deep-tech innovations in soft and active materials, semiconductors, and advanced materials."

Saketh was pursuing a Master of Science (MS) under the Product Development Programme (PDP) at the University of California, Berkeley, scheduled from August 2025 to May 2026. Before this, he completed his Bachelor of Technology (BTech) in Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, where he studied from October 2021 to June 2025.

Before moving to the United States, Saketh worked with the Polymer Engineering and Colloid Science Lab at IIT Madras for nearly two years. His roles included as an Undergraduate Researcher (September 2024 - May 2025) and as a Young Research Fellow (September 2023 - August 2024).

He also worked as a Young Research Fellow at Unilever from September 2023 to June 2024.

Saketh gained industry exposure as a Research and Development Intern at Dr. Reddy's Laboratories in Hyderabad from May 2024 to July 2024.

Leadership Roles At IIT Madras

Beyond academics, Saketh was deeply involved in student initiatives at IIT Madras. Through E-Cell IIT Madras, he served in several key positions over two years:

• Head, Growth & Strategic Initiatives (June 2023 - Mar 2024)
• Executive, Development & Associations (May 2022 - May 2023)
• Associative Executive (February 2022 - April 2022)

He also worked as a Legislator in the Department of Chemical Engineering from April 2024 to May 2025.

The Indian consulate in San Francisco confirmed that police recovered his body, while assuring all necessary assistance for the repatriation of his body to India at the earliest. "We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and loved ones during this profoundly difficult time," the statement read.

A citywide search around Lake Anza and Berkeley Hills areas was launched when Sreenivasaiah went missing after being last seen around a kilometre away from the campus. Later, a backpack, containing his passport and laptop, was found near a residence close to Tilden Regional Park, also near the campus.