Innovation often begins with a question—a spark of curiosity that refuses to die. For Pushkar Tandon, the Corporate Fellow at Corning Incorporated and the pioneering mind behind ClearCurve® bend-insensitive optical fiber, that spark began decades ago in New Delhi, India. It grew into a career that reshaped the way humanity communicates, learns, heals, and connects.
Today, Pushkar Tandon ClearCurve Optical Fiber stands as more than an invention. It is a revolution—a leap that transformed fiber-to-the-home technologies, empowered modern data centers, and enabled cloud computing, telemedicine, online education, smart cities, and the global digital ecosystem.
Pushkar Tandon: A Childhood Guided by Freedom, Curiosity, and Courage
Born in 1967 in New Delhi, Pushkar Tandon grew up in a home where guidance was gentle and support was unwavering. In interviews, he reflects on his father’s influence—not as someone who dictated his path, but someone who reminded him that exploring the unknown is not only acceptable, but essential.
“He had my back,” Tandon shared. “When you have that, you are willing to take risks.”
This early foundation planted the mindset that would one day fuel one of the most important technological breakthroughs of the century.
From IIT Delhi to Yale: A Journey Shaped by Excellence
Tandon’s academic journey stands as a testament to his brilliance and discipline. Out of nearly 500,000 high-school applicants, he became one of the 2,000 students selected to attend IIT Delhi, where he earned his Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engineering in 1990. His intellectual curiosity soon carried him across the globe to Yale University, where he completed his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in 1995.
He followed this with postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania Institute of Medicine and Engineering—an experience that strengthened his understanding of materials, chemistry, and scientific problem-solving.
Pushkar Tandon: Joining Corning: The Beginning of a Lifelong Legacy
In 1998, Pushkar Tandon joined Corning Incorporated—a company known for world-changing innovations such as Gorilla Glass and optical fiber. It was here that he met long-time friends and future collaborators Dana Bookbinder and Ming-Jun Li. Their different worldviews, backgrounds, and scientific approaches created the perfect chemistry for invention.
Together, they embarked on a mission:
How do you make fiber optics work around the tight corners of everyday buildings?
At the time, optical fiber was highly effective for long distances but suffered from severe signal loss when bent. This made it impractical for running inside homes, offices, or through complex architectural layouts. The dream of true “fiber-to-the-home” remained out of reach.
Corning wanted a breakthrough.
Tandon and his team wanted to change the world.
The Birth of ClearCurve®: When Light Learned to Bend
Years of rigorous research, experiments, setbacks, and breakthroughs culminated in a discovery that would rewrite the rules of optical communication.
In 2004, Tandon, Bookbinder, and Li discovered that specific structural approaches allowed light to travel efficiently even when the fiber was tightly bent.
This insight formed the backbone of ClearCurve®—a bend-insensitive optical fiber that maintains signal strength even around corners, edges, and tight spaces.
By 2007, Corning introduced ClearCurve to the world.
The impact was immediate and immense:
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Fiber-to-the-home became practical, scalable, and affordable.
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Data centers gained unprecedented flexibility and efficiency.
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Cloud computing infrastructure expanded rapidly.
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Smart cities, telemedicine, video streaming, and online gaming surged forward.
Today, when billions of people stream movies, consult doctors online, work remotely, or store data in the cloud, they rely—even unknowingly—on the technology that Tandon helped bring to life.
ClearCurve proved one thing loud and clear:
Innovation is not just solving a problem. Innovation is unlocking possibility.
Awards, Honors, and a Legacy of Global Impact
The world recognized the magnitude of Pushkar Tandon ClearCurve Optical Fiber innovation. His contributions led to:
Major Honors
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Induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame (2022)
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American Chemical Society “Heroes of Chemistry” Award (2017)
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ACS Industrial Innovation Award
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R&D 100 Award
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IIT Delhi Distinguished Alumni Award (2022)
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Corning Development Excellence Award
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IEEE Corporate Innovation Award
Products resulting from his work have also been named among Time Magazine’s Best Inventions of the Year.