Who Was Saketh Sreenivasaiah, IIT Madras Graduate Found Dead in US?

A 22-year-old Indian student, Saketh Sreenivasaiah, was found dead in California nearly six days after he was reported missing. Saketh, a master’s student at the University of California, Berkeley, had disappeared on February 9.

Local authorities later recovered his body, a development confirmed by the Indian Consulate in San Francisco. The consulate expressed condolences to his family and assured full assistance in repatriating his mortal remains to India.

Originally from Karnataka, Saketh was pursuing a Master of Science (MS) in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering under the Product Development Programme at UC Berkeley from August 2025 to May 2026. Prior to this, he completed his BTech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Madras between October 2021 and June 2025.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Saketh was passionate about deep-tech innovation, particularly in soft and active materials, semiconductors, and advanced materials research.

Before moving to the United States, he worked extensively at IIT Madras, including roles at the Polymer Engineering and Colloid Science Lab as a Young Research Fellow and later as an Undergraduate Researcher. He also gained industry exposure through internships and research positions at Unilever and Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories in Hyderabad.

Beyond academics, Saketh held multiple leadership roles at E-Cell IIT Madras, serving as Head of Growth & Strategic Initiatives and Executive for Development & Associations. He was also a Legislator in the Department of Chemical Engineering.

Following his disappearance, authorities launched a search operation around Lake Anza and the Berkeley Hills. He was last seen approximately one kilometre from campus. A backpack containing his passport and laptop was later found near a residence close to Tilden Regional Park.

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding his death is ongoing.