Dr. Mishra received a Bachelor's degree from Fakir Mohan University in Balasore, Orissa in 1957, a Master's degree in Chemistry from Ravenshaw College in 1959 and a PhD from the University of Southern California under the renowned Prof. Anton Burg in 1971.

Indu was a technical master of boron hydrides. He became a professor of Chemistry spanning three continents: Asia (India, Ravenshaw College), South America (Brazil, University of Brasilia) and North America (USA, Howard University, University of Nevada-Reno, South Dakota School of Mines and Arizona State University).

He trained and inspired thousands on the beauty and wonder of chemistry. His teaching style was infectious – often using storytelling to explain complex concepts to engage students. He was the foremost teacher of chemistry to many of the original Oriyas immigrating to the United States. Because of this, he was revered in his community. Indu's research led to trail-blazing innovations that benefited society.

He has numerous publications and patents on this topic.  One of the best examples was the perfection of the airbag. Indu holds the early patent on the propellant used in the Azide Airbag deployed widely in automobiles today. Because of Indu, billions of people feel safe driving a motor vehicle as the airbag is its primary safety feature.

In a twist, he used an explosive to save countless lives. Furthermore, he proposed that NASA use airbags in human capsules for deployment in case of impending shuttle disasters. The airbag was used subsequently to drop payloads on Mars and has been successfully field tested by dropping human capsules from 100,000 ft to assure a soft landing. He also suggested that the Navy equip submarines with airbags to avoid sinking – as the buoyancy post airbag deployment could prevent disaster. His genius spread beyond airbags. Indu invented a first-of-its-kind sound wall (known as Kanwall) made from recycled tires and corrugated steel – a way to simultaneously absorb sound and recycle tires from polluting the environment. The sound walls are multifunctional: they are sound barriers, can protect people from free radicals emitted by power plants, and can be used in construction. His more recent work focused on the development of titania nanotubes for the detection of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) to aid and protect soldiers in the field. His final aspiration was to create a 100-year battery. Indeed, Indu's whole career was focused on thinking big – without boundaries – being fearless, forever anchored in enabling humanity.

Celebration of Life Events are being planned in disparate locations.  In lieu of flowers, donations to Habitat for Humanity and Amnesty International are appreciated.