Keynote Speakers

Date: 26th November 2024
Time: 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Venue: IIT Dharwad

Bio: Dr Renu M. Rameshan is a lead research scientist at Vehant Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Noida. She has a PhD in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay and MSc (Engg) from IISc. Prior to joining Vehant she was a faculty at Indian Institute of Technology Mandi.

Title: Revolutionizing Physical Security with AI

Abstract: In this talk I will talk about the physical security products that Vehant manufactures and how we use AI to achieve performances that were unattainable a few years back. An overview of the state-of-the-art in generative models will also be touched upon.

Date: 26th November 2024
Time: 02:00 PM – 03:00 PM
Venue: IIT Dharwad

Bio: Dr C.P. Ravikumar is an Adjunct Faculty at IIIT Dharwad. He obtained a Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from the University of Southern California, an M.E. in Computer Science from the Indian Institute of Science with highest scores, and a B.E. in Electronics Engineering with a Gold Medal for topping the Bangalore University. He worked as a Professor of Electrical Engineering at IIT Delhi for 10 years before moving to Texas Instruments, where he spent 23 years in various roles such as Senior Consultant in VLSI Test, Director of University Relations and Director of Technical Talent Development. Dr. Ravikumar has published over 250 research papers and is the author/coauthor of over 15 books. He has 4 US patents in the area of VLSI Test. He is a Senior Member of IEEE and a Fellow of INAE. He started the VLSI Design and Test Symposium (VDAT) in 1996 and nurtured it for 16 years as its General Chair. He was the honorary secretary of VLSI Society of India for 8 years. He started the Bangalore Chapter of IEEE Circuits and Systems Society and was its Honorary Secretary for 8 years. Ravikkumar has received 5 Best Paper awards and has been recognized by Zinnov Foundation and the India Semiconductor Association for his work in Semiconductor Ecosystem Development.

Title: Applying Informatics in Engineering Education

Abstract: The number of institutions which offer engineering education has grown significantly in the last two decades. At the same time, the reality is that a significant number of engineering seats in colleges go vacant year after year. We are also witnessing increased absenteeism in classes and an increase in dropouts. The quality of education offered many institutions is questionable and ranking systems have been evolved to separate institutions on the basis of their merit. Even these ranking systems have come under criticism due to their bias. We constantly hear about the lack of employability of graduating engineering students and the solutions proposed for improving this elusive metric are not backed by data. Engineering Informatics can greatly enhance engineering education by leveraging data analytics, digital tools, and automation to improve learning outcomes, curriculum development, and student engagement. In this talk, I will consider an example of using data analytics to student performance prediction. I will also share my thoughts on where data analytics and Generative AI may play a meaningful role in engineering education.

Date: 27th November 2024
Time: 09:30 AM – 10:30 AM
Venue: KLE Technological University

Bio: Dr Aravind Chinchure holds a PhD in Physics and has a rich 30-year background spanning R&D, technology, innovation, intellectual property, startups, business strategy, and policy. He is the Founder & CEO of QLeap Academy, focused on cultivating 21st-century professionals and leaders specialized in Industry 4.0. He currently serves on the Board of Management of Manipal University, Jaipur. He has worked previously in academic organizations including Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (Mumbai), Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory (Leiden, Netherlands) and Symbiosis International University (Pune, India). His professional journey encompasses working with prominent multinational and Indian corporations, including GE Global Research, Honeywell Technology Solutions, Reliance Innovation Leadership Centre. He has authored a national strategic policy paper titled “Industry 4.0: A Roadmap for India’s Global Leadership,” published by the Pune International Centre (PIC). He is author of a book, “The New Age Organisation,” introduces a ground-breaking framework to help organizations navigate rapid disruptions and assume leadership in the fourth industrial revolution (https://www.thenewageorganisation.com).

Dr Chinchure is actively engaged with several national and international organizations including:

Member of Technical Advisory Committee of United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and Department of Science & Technology (DST) project on Indian Innovation Systems Study
Member of the International Committee constituted by the World Bank to develop research and innovation programs for Higher Education Acceleration & Transformation (HEAT) for South Asian countries
Member of International Advisory Board of Intellectual Property Models for Accelerating Sustainability Transitions (IPACST). The project is executed by the team of researchers at the University Cambridge, UK, Lund University, Sweden, Freie University, Germany, HTW University, Berlin and IISc, India.
Senior Fellow at the Pune International Centre (PIC), Pune. Leading policy research in the areas of Industry 4.0 and Innovation
Member of Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and Advanced Materials, Hyderabad, India
Member of Scientific Advisory of Centre for Translational Cancer Research, IISER, Pune
Research collaborator of Centre for Frugal Innovation, Hamburg Technical University, Hamburg, Germany
Member of Scientific Advisory of Prashanti Cancer Care Mission
Board member of Gyanome focused on education for all
Board member at Manipal University, Jaipur
Board member to Swayan Sikshan Prayog
Served as International Expert (IP & Innovation) for World Bank funded project in South Asia.
Jury to several corporate and social innovation awards including Mahindra Group Innovation Awards, Tata Group Innovista Awards, Tata Motor’s Imagineering and other.
Served as a member of national committees for innovation and entrepreneurship of India’s largest industry association – Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) for four years,
Served as a member of Sectoral Innovation Council for Ministry of Trade and Commerce, Government of India, and State Innovation Council of Government of Gujarat

Dr Chinchure is recipient of several fellowships and awards from India and abroad, including.

European Union Fellowship to work at the Kamerlingh Onnes Laboratory, Leiden, The Netherlands
Dutch Academy of Science (NWO) Fellowship to work at University of Leiden, The Netherlands
Postdoctoral Fellowship to work at Max-Plank Institute, Dresden, Germany
Dorabji Tata Trust scholarship for attending summer schools at University of Oxford, UK and Paul Scherer Institute, Zurich, Switzerland
Elected as a Fellow of Society for Technology Management (STEM) for the scholarly engagement, experience and contributions in the field of Technology Management
“Excellence in Innovation” Award from Indira Group of Institutions at their Innovation Summit
“Exceptional Leaders of Excellence” award from Women Economic Forum (WEF)
“IP Professional of the Year” Award from LegalEra
GE Management Award for the outstanding contribution in the technology development project
GE-Inventors Bonus Award for creating intellectual property
“Partner Award” from Honeywell Global for identifying technology enforcement opportunity for business

Dr Chinchure has authored 28 research articles published in international journals in the area of condensed matter physics and has filed 4 patents as lead and co-inventor in different geographies including US, Europe, Japan in the area of fuel cells.

Title: Engineering the Future: How Industry 4.0 Innovations Fuel the Next Wave of Disruption

Abstract: In an era of rapid technological evolution, Industry 4.0 stands as a transformative force reshaping industries and redefining what’s possible. This keynote will explore the trajectory of Industry 4.0—from its foundational technologies to its emerging potential to revolutionize the way industries operate, create value, and respond to global challenges. The talk will examine the future of intelligent manufacturing, predictive maintenance, and the integration of cyber-physical systems, illuminating how these advances are not only engineering the future but setting the stage for a new era of disruptive possibilities. The goal will be to inspire and equip researchers, engineers, and industry professionals to envision and actively shape the next wave of technological disruption, building a resilient and dynamic future.

Date: 26th November 2024
Time: 02:00 PM – 03:00 PM
Venue: IIT Dharwad

Bio: Dr. Venkata Santosh Kumar Delhi is an Associate Professor at Civil Engineering Department at IIT Bombay. He has obtained his PhD in Construction Management from Department of Civil Engineering, IIT Madras. He is also an alumni of IIT Madras having graduated with a Bachelor’s of Technology in Civil Engineering as topper of the batch. He was also a Fulbright Nehru Doctoral and Professional Research Fellow at Global Projects Center, Stanford University, USA in 2012.
Currently, he is part of the Construction Technology and Management Specialization in Civil Engineering Department, IIT Bombay. His research interests include Information Management on Large Engineering Projects. Particularly, he works on Building Information Modelling (BIM), AI/ML applications in Construction Management, Construction Contract Management, AR/VR/MR applications to Construction Safety and Planning. He is also actively involved in a number of projects that aim at providing policy and strategy guidance to various governmental agencies and private companies.
More information at https://www.civil.iitb.ac.in/~venkatad/

Title: Digital Construction for Infrastructure Delivery