[2] He holds an impeccable record of having 136 patents, over 570 peer-reviewed papers, supervision of 260 graduate students, numerous industrial consultations, and technology transfers.

[5] He remains deeply engaged with Sanskrit, the Vedas, philosophy, scriptures, Marathi and English literature, and etymology, blending ancient wisdom with modern science.

His legacy is well-documented through lectures, panel discussions, and interviews featured in print and electronic media, along with documentaries on YouTube that highlight his life and contributions.

In 2016, Yadav was conferred the Padma Shri, the country’s fourth-highest civilian honor, by the President of India for his exceptional contributions to science and engineering.

[11] This is a rare and prestigious honor awarded to superannuated scientists who continue to make significant contributions to research, technology development, and innovation.

In January 2025, he was conferred the prestigious Bhatnagar Fellowship[12] by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) [13] in recognition of his outstanding contributions to sustainable technologies.

This lifetime honor celebrates his pioneering advancements in energy transition, net-negative technologies, green hydrogen, decarbonization, climate resilience, and the circular economy.

His visionary research continues to shape strategies for a sustainable future, addressing critical challenges in global energy and environmental systems.

His extensive engagements span academic institutions, industry associations, professional societies, leading academies worldwide, and policymaking bodies at both the State and Central Government levels.

He is a key figure in India’s drive toward global environmental leadership, working to achieve net-zero goals and foster climate resilience.

Through his exceptional leadership in higher education, he has played a vital role in preparing India’s technological workforce for a knowledge-driven, green economy.

Remarkably, he has been recognized as the number one scientist in India in the Physical Chemistry category and ranked among the top 70 globally for five consecutive years, underscoring his enduring influence.

[28] He still remains actively engaged in mentoring doctoral students, securing patents, publishing research, providing consultancy, and transferring technologies to industry, backed by several industry-sponsored projects and above all as a policy maker in many government committees .

Known as Yogesh among close friends, he rose to prominence through diligence, creativity, and self-belief, despite a humble rural background and schooling in a vernacular Marathi medium.

After topping the district in the vernacular final exam, Yadav joined Swami Vivekanand High School in Shelewadi, walking barefoot 5 km daily.

He later transferred to Private High School, Kolhapur, where he excelled under the mentorship of Mr. Digambar Ganesh Gangatirkar, who encouraged him to attempt the IIT entrance exam.

An athlete and scholar, Yadav excelled in wrestling, volleyball, kabaddi, and kho-kho, as cricket, "the national religion of India," was unaffordable to villagers and lacked coaches.

At UDCT, he was inspired by the legendary Prof. Man Mohan Sharma,[35] a Cambridge University Ph.D. and Fellow of the Royal Society, London [36], and a revered academic, policymaker, and consultant.

[31] To broaden his research scope, he ventured into new areas, working on oil blob mechanics in porous media with Geoffrey Mason and binary chromatography with Bryan A. Buffham.

Since returning to India as a Reader (somewhat equivalent to Associate Professor) at UDCT in 1986, Yadav has made transformative contributions to catalytic science, green chemistry, biotechnology, and energy engineering.

Yadav’s innovations span enhanced oil recovery, coal gasification, net-zero technologies, circular economies, green hydrogen, CO2 refineries, and biomass valorization.

Notably, with financial support from the ONGC Energy Centre, [33] he conceptualized a thermochemical Cu-Cl water-splitting process to produce hydrogen at less than $1/kg for 100 TPD, a groundbreaking achievement that preceded many similar claims.

Yadav’s strategic alliance with Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. (IOCL) secured INR 500 crore under its CSR initiative to establish ICT-IOC in Bhubaneswar.

Similarly, on May 4, 2018, the foundation stone for ICT-MARJ was laid in Siraswadi, Jalna, on a 203-acre site, with a sanctioned budget of INR 397 crore from the Maharashtra State Cabinet.

The program features 15 trimesters (9 on campus and 6 in industry) and provides students with interdisciplinary expertise, offering a major in Chemical Engineering and minors in areas like Petrochemicals, Polymers, Pharmaceuticals, and Biotechnology.

At the time, IIChE was facing numerous challenges, including financial difficulties, lack of effective leadership, and staff working on minimal salaries.

One notable feature of CHEMCON is the celebration of Dhirubhai Ambani Commemoration Day on December 28, which Yadav initiated in 2004 with full support from Reliance Industries Ltd.

To commemorate this milestone, the Society has organized a series of events nationwide, culminating in a grand celebration in Mumbai on January 28–29, 2025, where distinguished industry leaders were honored.

Yadav's numerous fellowships and leadership roles highlight his sustained contributions to advancing science, technology, and education on both national and international platforms.

His eldest son, Vikramaditya Yadav, earned a Chemical Engineering degree from the University of Waterloo, a Ph.D. from MIT under Greg Stephanopoulos, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard with George Whitesides.