Deepak B. Phatak is an Indian computer scientist and academic, and a recipient of the Padma Shri Award for his contribution in science and technology in 2013. He is known for his notable work for upgrading Aakash, advertised by its manufacturer as the 'world's cheapest tablet'. In 2009, he was ranked one of the 50 most powerful people in India. He was born on April 2, 1948 in Pune. Phatak obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from SGSITS Indore in 1969, and his M Tech and Ph D from IIT Bombay. He has been serving with IIT Bombay since 1971. His research interests are in the areas of data bases and information systems, software engineering, system performance evaluation, IT enabled education and IT strategy planning. His primary research inclinations are in technology application and deployment.

He has guided 7 PhD and over 170 MTech students, and has authored over 50 publications. In the Kanwal Rekhi School of IT at IIT Bombay, which he set up in 1998 (now merged with the Department of CSE), he created a focus on applied research. He started an IT incubator to foster innovation through start-up companies. It has now flourished as IIT Bombay’s Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), and is considered the best incubator in India. He also started the country’s first interactive distance learning program using VSATs. This initiative has now blossomed into the Centre for Distance Engineering Education (CDEEP). He is a fellow of CSI, and of IETE. He continues to work on many Government, AICTE and NASSCOM Committees.