{"id":54,"date":"2017-01-15T16:45:30","date_gmt":"2017-01-15T16:45:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ieomsociety.org\/ieom2018\/?page_id=54"},"modified":"2021-08-19T22:35:04","modified_gmt":"2021-08-19T22:35:04","slug":"keynote","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/ieomsociety.org\/india2021\/keynote\/","title":{"rendered":"Keynote"},"content":{"rendered":"

Keynote Speakers – 2021 IEOM India Conference
\n<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n
\n

Monday, August 16, 2021<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n

Conference Welcome Keynote:<\/strong> <\/span>Monday, August 16<\/strong>, 2021, 7:45 – 8:00 am<\/span><\/p>\n

\n
\u0921\u0949. \u0928\u093e\u0917\u0939\u0928\u0941\u092e\u092f\u094d\u092f\u093e\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
\n
\u0928\u093f\u0926\u0947\u0936\u0915<\/strong><\/span>
\n\u0915\u0947\u0928\u094d\u0926\u094d\u0930\u0940\u092f \u0935\u093f\u0928\u093f\u0930\u094d\u092e\u093e\u0923\u0915\u093e\u0930\u0940 \u092a\u094d\u0930\u094c\u0926\u094d\u092f\u094b\u0917\u093f\u0915\u0940 \u0938\u0902\u0938\u094d\u0925\u093e\u0928<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
(\u092d\u093e\u0930\u0940 \u0909\u0926\u094d\u092f\u094b\u0917 \u090f\u0935\u0902 \u0932\u094b\u0915 \u0909\u0926\u094d\u092f\u092e \u092e\u0902\u0924\u094d\u0930\u093e\u0932\u092f, \u092d\u093e\u0930\u0924 \u0938\u0930\u0915\u093e\u0930 \u0915\u0947\u00a0<\/span>\u092d\u093e\u0930\u0940 \u0909\u0926\u094d\u092f\u094b\u0917 \u0935\u093f\u092d\u093e\u0917\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
\u0915\u0947 \u0905\u0927\u0940\u0928 \u0938\u094d\u0935\u093e\u092f\u0924\u094d\u0924 \u0905\u0928\u0941\u0938\u0902\u0927\u093e\u0928 \u090f\u0935\u0902 \u0935\u093f\u0915\u093e\u0938 \u0938\u0902\u0938\u094d\u0925\u093e\u0928
\n<\/strong><\/span>\u0924\u0941\u092e\u0915\u0941\u0930 \u0930\u094b\u0921\u093c, \u092c\u0947\u0902\u0917\u0932\u0941\u0930\u0941<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
\n

\"\"Dr. Nagahanumaiah\u00a0<\/strong><\/span>
\nDirector<\/strong><\/span>
\nCentral Manufacturing Technology Institute
\n<\/span>An Autonomous R&D Institute under the Department
\n<\/span>of Heavy Industry, Ministry of Heavy Industries & Public Enterprises, Govt. of India)
\n<\/span>Tumkur Road, Bengaluru <\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/div>\n
Dr Nagahanumaiah<\/strong>\u00a0has taken over charge as DIRECTOR of CENTRAL MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE (CMTI), Bengaluru, effective from 5<\/span>th<\/sup>July 2018.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
\n

Dr. Nagahanumaiah<\/strong>, distinguished scientist has served CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur as \u201cChief Scientist & Head, Micro-Nano Systems Technology Group\u201d for more than two decades.<\/p>\n

He received PhD, from Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Masters in Tool Engineering from Indo-Danish Tool Room, Bangalore and Bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from Bangalore University. He has 25 years of professional experience that includes 20 years in R&D, 3 years teaching and 2 years as a tool designer in industrial tool rooms.<\/p>\n

He was the Nodal Officer, successfully implemented three major multi institutional network projects in Micro Machines & Smart Manufacturing areas.<\/p>\n

He was also Principal Investigator in multi-institutional international projects likeIndo-EU-FP7 & Indo-US project in related areas of micro-nano manufacturing. He has published 88 research papers, filed 4 patents and successfully demonstrated working prototypes of 3 micro machines. He has guided 3 PhD and 18 M.Tech students, currently 6 PhD scholars are working with him. He is a recipient of \u2018BOYSCAST Fellowship\u2019 and \u2018Raman Research Fellowship\u2019. He is one of recipients of \u2018We Think for India\u2019 award from Prime Minister of India for the Indian Manufacturing Policy draft prepared in 2003. In 2017, he was awarded as a Distinguished Scientist by Venue International Foundation. He is a member of International Association of Engineers, UK & Member of International Institution for Micro manufacturing (I2M2), USA.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\n

Opening Keynote:<\/span> Monday, August 16<\/strong>,<\/strong> 2021<\/span>, 8:00 – 8:40 am<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Devdas Shetty Ph.D, PE<\/span>
\n<\/strong>Dean, School of Engineering and Applied Sciences<\/span><\/span>
\nUniversity of the District of Columbia<\/span>
\nWashington, DC, USA<\/span><\/h3>\n

Dr. Devdas Shetty serves as dean of the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the University of the District of Columbia, and a Professor of Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Shetty is a world renowned scholar, educator and outstanding academic administration leader whose career spanned over 35 years in several countries. He previously served as Dean of Engineering at Lawrence Technological University, Michigan, also Dean of Research and Vernon D Roosa Manufacturing Professor at the University of Hartford, Connecticut. As the Director of the Engineering Applications Center, he was responsible for research partnership with more than 50 companies. He also held faculty positions at the Albert Nerkin School of Engineering at the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art in New York.<\/p>\n

Dr. Shetty has a stellar record of scholarship which include authorship for 4 textbooks in engineering. His textbooks on Mechatronics and Product Design are widely used as textbooks in many universities around the world. He has authored over 250 scientific articles and journal papers and proceedings. He holds six patents. His research work has been cited for contribution to the understanding of mechatronics and intellectual achievements in product design and surface measurement in aerospace industry. Major projects led by Dr. Shetty include partnership with Albert Einstein College for his invention of ambulatory system for supporting patients during rehabilitation, with US Army\u2019s Research center in the successful design and testing of a hybrid projectile, research contributions in laser manufacturing. With a background in engineering education and interests in innovation in higher education and support from National Science Foundation, he developed innovative and cutting edge curriculum for integrating engineering design with the sciences, humanities and social sciences in 2004.<\/p>\n

Since joining as a Dean of School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) at University of District of Columbia in 2012, Dr. Shetty has doubled the student enrollment, started new bachelor\u2019s degree program in Biomedical Engineering, two more Master\u2019s degrees and first Doctoral Degree in Engineering and Computer Science. He has successfully led ABET re-accreditation for engineering and computer science programs and spearheaded scholarship and research activities in engineering and computer science with faculty, which amounted more than 30 million dollars.<\/p>\n

Dr. Shetty is known for providing leadership for SEAS students in extra-curricular activities that has resulted in several awards for students in national and international competitions. Under his leadership the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences was able to recruit outstanding faculty members, and host several national and international conferences
\nMajor honors received by Prof. Shetty include James Frances Bent award for Creativity, the Edward S. Roth National Award for Manufacturing from the Society of Manufacturing Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineer Faculty Award, and Society of Manufacturing Engineers Honor award, Life time award and Fellowship from the International Society of Industrial Engineering and Operation Management. He is an elected member of the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.<\/p>\n

\n

Keynote II:<\/span> Monday, August 16,<\/strong> 2021, 8:40 – 9:20 am<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"Dr. Bala Bharadvaj<\/span>
\n<\/strong>Globally recognized Aerospace Expert<\/span>
\nFormer MD of Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center<\/span>
\nAdvisor and Former President of SAEINDIA<\/span>
\nBangalore, India<\/span><\/span><\/h3>\n

A globally recognized Aerospace Expert with more than four decades of experience, Dr. Bharadvaj holds solid academic credentials in Aerospace Engineering and Management – B. Tech. from IIT Madras (India); M.S. & Ph.D. from Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta (USA), and an MBA from University of California, Irvine (USA).<\/p>\n

During his distinguished career of 40+ years, operating from the US and India, Dr. Bharadvaj has excelled as a Researcher, Technologist, Systems Thinker, Strategic Planner, Program Manager, and Inspirational Leader.\u00a0 He has held numerous leadership positions at Boeing, retiring recently as the Managing Director of Boeing\u2019s India Engineering & Technology Center, the largest such Boeing Center outside the US.<\/p>\n

Dr. Bharadvaj was also a member of the faculty of Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering at Boston University for several years and an Adjunct Professor at other universities for many years.<\/p>\n

Dr. Bharadvaj has been recognized with several prestigious awards for his many contributions over the years.\u00a0 Notable among them are:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Team Excellence Award and Group Achievement Award from NASA (National Aeronautics & Space Administration) in the US.<\/li>\n
  • Quality Hero, Process Management Role Model, CEO Recognition, and Chairman\u2019s Safety Award from The Boeing Company.<\/li>\n
  • Awards and recognition from a broad array of organizations such as Sigma-Xi Scientific Research Society, Beta-Gamma Sigma Business Honor Society, American Society of Engineers of Indian Origin, Industrial Engineering & Operations Management Forum, and most recently an \u201cHonorary Doctor of Science\u201d from Hindustan Institute of Technology & Science, Chennai, India.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    He has been an active member of AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics).\u00a0 He was the President of SAEINDIA during 2018-20 and continues to be active as an Advisor. \u00a0He plays an active part in the NASSCOM Engineering and R&D community.\u00a0 He is also an Invited Member of the Research Council of the National Aerospace Laboratories (part of the CSIR in India).<\/p>\n

    Dr. Bharadvaj is also an active writer and speaker at various Industry, Academic and Government forums, sharing his knowledge and experiences with a wide audience.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Keynote III: <\/span>Monday, August 16<\/strong>,<\/strong> 2021, 9:20 am – 10:00 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"Prof. Prem Vrat<\/span>
    \n<\/strong>Pro-Chancellor<\/span><\/span>
    \nNorthCap University, Gurugram<\/span>
    \nGurgaon, Haryana, India<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Professor of Eminence & Chief Mentor<\/strong><\/span>
    \nPhD, IIT Delhi<\/strong><\/span>
    \nM.Tech, B.Tech (Hons), IIT Kharagpur<\/strong><\/span>
    \nFNAE, FNASc<\/strong><\/span>
    \nFWAPS, FISTE, FIIIE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    Professor Prem Vrat is the Chairman Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Technology (ISM) Dhanbad with additional charge as Chairman BOG of IIT Mandi. An outstanding academic, Prof. Prem Vrat, is the Pro-Chancellor; Professor of Eminence and Chief Mentor at The NorthCap University, Gurugram (formerly ITM University, Gurugram). Just prior to joining ITMU as the Vice-Chancellor, in September 2011, he was Professor of Eminence at the Management Development Institute (MDI), Gurugram. Prof. Vrat was Founder-Director, IIT Roorkee; Vice-Chancellor, U.P. Technical University, Lucknow (now known as APJAKTU, Lucknow); Professor, Head Centre for Management Studies, Coordinator Applied Systems Research Program, Dean, Dy. Director and Director (Officiating) at IIT Delhi; Professor and Division Chairman of Asian Institute of Technology, Bangkok. He is an Honorary Professor at IIT Delhi and Distinguished Adjunct Professor at AIT, Bangkok. He is AICTE- Distinguished Chair Professor. He was Chairman, Board of Governors of WIT, Dehradun, a constituent institute of Uttrakhand Technical University.<\/p>\n

    Prof. Prem Vrat was an Honorary Research Fellow at the Department of Engineering Production, University of Birmingham (U.K.) and as an International Visiting Fellow at University of Western Sydney, Australia.\u00a0 He has extensive experience of more than 52 years in teaching, research, management development and consultancy.<\/p>\n

    He has guided 47 PhD theses, 118 M.Tech and 65 B.Tech major projects on Industrial Application of Systems Approach and Management Science.\u00a0 He has published more than 502 research papers in reputed journals and proceedings of international and national conferences.\u00a0 His research papers have received more than 8204 citations<\/strong> with g-index of 88<\/strong> and maximum citation of a paper as 1603<\/strong> (as per google scholar). His research papers now get about 600 citations each year. He has authored\/co-authored 7 books and completed five sponsored projects and 36<\/strong> consultancy assignments. His book, \u2018Productivity Management: A System Approach\u2019 received awards from DMA as well as ISTD. His book, \u2018Materials Management: An Integrated Systems Approach\u2019 published by Springer is available worldwide both in print and e-book version. He is a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering, National Academy of Sciences India, World Academy of Productivity Sciences, ISTE and the IIIE. Recipient of multiple awards and recognitions, Professor Vrat was conferred Doctor of Engineering (Honoris Causa) by Bundelkhand University; Distinguished Alumnus Award by IIT Kharagpur; Distinguished Service Award by IIT Delhi; Outstanding Contribution Award for National Development by IIT Delhi Alumni Association; Uttaranchal Ratan Award; Lillian Gilbreth Award; Dr. CM Jacob Gold Medal and 15 Best Paper medals\/ prizes. Prof. Prem Vrat was honored with the National Systems Gold Medal by the Systems Society of India (SSI), and Honorary Membership of IIIE, the highest recognition by IIIE. SAE India Foundation bestowed on him the \u2018Guru\u2019 Award for his outstanding contributions. He was conferred the \u2018Lifetime Achievement Award\u2019 at the 18th Annual International Conference of the Society of Operations Management at IIT Roorkee in December 2014. He received Dr. M.C Puri Memorial Award of ORSI for his outstanding contribution for promotion of Operational Research in India and Lifetime Achievement Award-2017 by the Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering for Outstanding contributions to the Industrial Engineering Profession and the Society. Re-Think India conferred on him the \u201cVisionary Edu-leader of India\u201d Award in December 2017 given by the former President Shri Pranab Mukherjee. He was conferred the Lifetime Achievement Award by Systems Society of India and Dayalbagh Educational Institute at DEI, Agra in March 2018. U.P Chief Minister felicitated him on the 26 July 2019 for his valuable contributions as Vice-Chancellor of UPTU, during his tenure.<\/p>\n

    He has been on the Board of Governors of many technical institutions and universities, on the editorial boards of many Indian and foreign journals. He was Chairman (NWRC)AICTE, Chairman, PIC of National Program on Earthquake Engineering Education (NPEEE); Chairman, Working Group on HRD in IT, Department of IT, Government of India; Member, JNU Court; Member of Ad hoc Task Force (ATF), Independent Director on the Board of Air India; Co-Chair, RAC-DRDO, Member, Advisory Group of Experts for Technology Upgradation in Indian Railways, and Member, Executive Council of YMCA University and CUH, Haryana. He was Chairman, INAE Forum on Engineering Education, Member BOG of NITIE, and Member MOE Task Force on Engineering Education in Regional languages. He is a Member, Forum on Technology Foresight and Management of INAE, Member University Court, Central University of Haryana and Chairman, National Credit Framework by MOE.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Keynote IV: <\/span>Monday, August 16,<\/strong> 2021, 10:00 – 10:40 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"Dr. KAPIL GUPTA<\/strong><\/span>
    \nAssociate Professor<\/span>
    \nDepartment of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Technology<\/span>
    \nUniversity of Johannesburg<\/span>
    \nJohannesburg- Republic of South Africa<\/span><\/h3>\n

    “Industry 4.0 and Sustainable Manufacturing<\/i>“<\/span><\/p>\n

    Kapil Gupta is working as Associate Professor in the Dept. of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Technology at the University of Johannesburg. He obtained Ph.D. in mechanical engineering with specialization in Advanced Manufacturing. He has ten years of professional experience in academic and research fields. Advanced machining processes, sustainable manufacturing, green machining, precision engineering, gear technology, and industry 4.0 are the areas of his interest. He has authored several SCI & Scopus Journal and International Conference articles. He has also authored and edited twenty international books on hybrid machining, advanced gear manufacturing, micro and precision manufacturing, spark erosion machining, and sustainable manufacturing. He is serving on the editorial boards of the international journals and technical committees of international conferences. He has delivered many keynote and distinguished speeches at international events. He is a Y rated researcher by National Research Foundation \u2018NRF\u2019 (Science Agency) of South Africa. He has secured funding from international agencies such as Royal Academy of Engineering (UK) and involved in national and international research projects. He has supervised more than 10 Masters and Doctoral students, and 3 Postdoctoral Research fellows.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Tuesday, August 17<\/strong>, 2021<\/span><\/h1>\n
    \n

    Welcome Remarks:<\/strong><\/span> Tuesday, August 17<\/strong>, 2021, 7:45 – 8:00 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    Dr. Shekar Babu <\/strong><\/span>
    \nFounding Head<\/span>
    \nAMRITA School of Business<\/span>
    \nAMRITA Vishwa Vidyapeetham University<\/span>
    \nBangalore, India<\/span><\/h3>\n
    \n

    Keynote V:<\/span> Tuesday, August 17<\/strong>,<\/strong> 2021, 8:00 – 8:40 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Dr. Neil G Murray Jr., DEMS<\/span>
    \nEngineering Manager at ZF<\/span>
    \nAdjunct Professor, Lawrence Technological University<\/span>
    \nMichigan, USA<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Dr. Neil Murray, a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt, is currently an engineering manager in automotive safety electronics, responsible for the global development and industrialization of airbag control system crash sensors with ZF.\u00a0 He is an enthusiastic proponent of Design for Six Sigma tools which are widely employed in the development of these crash sensors.<\/p>\n

    Neil has forty years of engagement in the Industrial, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering with experience in rubber and plastics molding, electronic product assembly and process simulation.\u00a0 He believes that fundamentally, engineering is about solving interesting problems.<\/p>\n

    Dr. Murray is the author of Witness Horizon 24 Simulation Modeling: Rational Process Design<\/em> which is available both as a Kindle ebook and as a more traditional print edition.\u00a0 He is also the co-author of two papers on simulation, Process Failure Mode Effect Analysis and Axiomatic Process Design.\u00a0 Dr. Murray is also the author or coauthor of several patents related to various aspects of crash sensors and sensor manufacturing processes.<\/p>\n

    Neil is a member of Society for Plastics Engineers and the Institute for Electrical and Electronic Engineers.\u00a0 He holds a Doctor of Engineering, Manufacturing Systems from Lawrence Technological University where he is currently Adjunct Professor for Industrial and Mechanical Engineering.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Keynote VI: <\/span>Tuesday, August 17,<\/strong> 2021, 8:40 – 9:20 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Jatinder (Jeet) N. D. Gupta, PhD, CFPIM<\/strong><\/span>
    \nDirector, Integrated Enterprise Lab\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>
    \nEminent Scholar and Professor<\/span>
    \nCollege of Business\u00a0<\/span>
    \nThe University of Alabama in Huntsville<\/span>
    \nHuntsville, Alabama, USA<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Jatinder (Jeet) N. D. Gupta is currently the Director of Integrated Enterprise Lab, Eminent Scholar of Management of Technology, Professor of Information Systems, Industrial and Systems Engineering and Engineering Management at The University of Alabama in Huntsville, Alabama. In his career, He held several technical and managerial positions in the US Postal Service and Energy Information Administration where he received the superior job performance award. He received his PhD in Industrial Engineering from Texas Tech University, a M. Tech in Industrial Engineering and Operations Research from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India and a B. E in Mechanical Engineering from Delhi University.<\/p>\n

    Dr. Gupta is an international authority in research and teaching related to production scheduling, planning and control on one hand and supply chain and information technology on the other. A recent paper published in the International Journal of Production Research (2015) ranks him as top 30th researcher in Production and Operations Management in the World.<\/p>\n

    Dr. Gupta is a frequent keynote speaker at various international conferences. He has published numerous papers in journals and proceedings such as: Journal of Scheduling, Journal of Logistics International Transactions in Operational Research, Information Management, Journal of Management Information Systems, Decision Sciences, Electronic Commerce Research, International Journal of Information Management, Supply Chain Management, Production and Operations Management, International Journal of Production Research, IIE Transactions, Operations Research, Mathematics of Operations Research, INFORMS Journal of Computing, Operations Research Letters, Annals of Operations Research, OMEGA, Journal of Operational Research Society, European Journal of Operational Research, Computers and Operations Research, and Production Planning and Control. Co-author of a textbook, he served as the North American Editor of the Journal of Flexible Systems Management and an editorial board member of various reputable national and international journals. He is currently serving as an Associate Editor of Decision Sciences and International Journal of Planning and Scheduling.<\/p>\n

    Dr. Gupta is an active participant in several professional and academic societies and had served as the President of the Production and Operations Society as well as the Decision Sciences Institute.\u00a0 He also served as the Founding President of the Indian Subcontinent Decision Sciences Institute.<\/p>\n

    Editor of special issues and books, he received the Outstanding Research and Outstanding Faculty Awards from Ball State, the UAH Distinguished Research award and the UAH Foundation Research Award. In spring 2004, 2007, 2010, and 2013, 2020, and 2021 he received College\u2019s Outstanding Graduate Teaching and\/or online Teaching Awards at UAH. In 2011, he received the Outstanding Service Award from UAH and Outstanding Business Person award from Beta Alpha Psi Society. At Ball State, he received Dean\u2019s teaching awards. In 2017, he received the Outstanding Faculty Award from UAH.
    \n<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

    \n

    Keynote VII: <\/span>Tuesday, August 17<\/strong>,<\/strong> 2021, 9:20 am – 10:00 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

    Mr.\u00a0Ramanathan Narayanan<\/span><\/strong><\/span>
    \nManaging Director and CEO<\/span>
    \nSan Engineering<\/span>
    \nBangalore, India<\/span><\/h3>\n

    After receiving his \u201c Honours \u201c degree in Mechanical Engg from Madras University in 1980, Ramanathan spent his early years in Tata Iron and Steel Company at Jamshedpur. He then moved over to the earthmoving equipment division of Hindustan Motors\/Caterpillar in Chennai and spent 6 years there. Ramanthan then spent his next 19 years in Elgi Equipments at Coimbatore in varied roles that provided depth and breadth of experience in supply chain, manufacturing and marketing. Ramanathan as Vice President and Divisional Head of the automotive equipment business of ELGI was instrumental in taking the division to new heights. Before joining SAN, Ramanathan spent three years as CEO of ICIL, a joint venture between ICC of the US and Crompton Greaves. Besides his bachelors\u2019 degree in Engineering, Ramanathan has a Post Graduate diploma in management. He has also attended advance management programmes on strategic sourcing at IIM, Ahmedabad, general management programmes at Amrita and from the University of Michigan.<\/p>\n

    Ramanathan is a six sigma Black Belt and has also been trained as a lead accessor of quality systems by DNV. He is well versed on the ERP package BAAN and has been involved in implementation of TPM and lean manufacturing. An ardent lover of sports, especially cricket has won laurels for himself and his team at various levels of the game. He spends his spare time playing other games like shuttle, reading, listening to carnatic music, travelling and last but not the least, cooking.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Keynote VIII: <\/span>Tuesday, August 17<\/strong>,<\/strong> 2021, 10:00 am – 10:40 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"Dumidu Ranaweera<\/strong>, CEMBB <\/span>
    \nGlobal Director APAC, Middle East, Oceania, Africa & Canada<\/span>
    \nDr. Mikel J. Harry Six Sigma Management Institute Asia<\/span>
    \nColombo, Sri Lanka<\/span><\/h3>\n

    One of the well-known resources in the field of “Lean Six Sigma” (referred to as the \u2018Lean Six Sigma Guru of Sri Lanka\u2019 by the print media) and “Organizational Excellence” in the region and has been personally endorsed by the principal architect of Six Sigma Dr Mikel J. Harry as one of the best resources available on “Six Sigma”. He is featured frequently as a Keynote Speaker\/ Chief Guest\/Award Judge in many international and local conferences\/forums (i.e. Japan, USA, Singapore, Australia, India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Malaysia, Maldives, Netherlands, UAE etc.) and carries extensive expertise relating to Organizational Excellence & Lean Six Sigma.<\/p>\n

    During his illustrative career, Dumidu has been recognized by many industry forums and associations. These include ‘Lean Six Sigma Coaching Excellence Medal’ by Six Sigma Management Institute USA, Karmaveer Chakra Bronze & Silver Awards by REX in association with United Nations in 2017 & 2019, ‘Business Leader of the Year \u2013 Organizational Excellence & Lean Six Sigma\u2019 Award during Asia Business Leaders Awards, Business Leader of the Year years 2017 & 2019 at Sri Lanka Quality Leadership Awards, ‘Hall of Fame Award’ during Asia Training & Leadership Awards 2019 and in Sri Lanka Training & Leadership Awards in 2017, IT-BPO Young Outstanding Professional Sri Lanka Award 2007 from ICTA etc. He is also the first individual outside the USA to be awarded the ‘Executive Master Black Belt (EMBB)’ status by late Prof. Mikel J. Harry and was recently listed under the “101 Most Fabulous Global Training & Development Leaders” at the World Training and Development Congress in February 2020 and \u201c101 Most Fabulous Training & Development Leaders in Sri Lanka\u201d at the 15th<\/sup> Employer Branding Awards. Dumidu was also responsible in re-designing the first ever Quality Management Degree in Sri Lanka offered by SLIIT and currently works as an Advisor\/ Consultant for three main Universities in Sri Lanka. In 2017, Dumidu also introduced Lean Six Sigma methodology to Maldives with HR Maldives.<\/p>\n

    Dumidu has guided over 300+ organizations, both manufacturing and services across 10 countries in their Organizational Excellence journey and known for his avid skills in Lean Six Sigma deployment and credentials in multiple business disciplines. During the past two decades, he has mentored over 500+ process excellence projects across various domains and trained over 20,000+ resources including over 500 Black Belts \/Master Black Belts. He has also been responsible for award-winning Organizational Excellence & Lean Six Sigma deployment programmes and implementation of management systems in novel domains.<\/p>\n

    Apart from EMBB certification from SSMI, he also holds three Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt certifications from BMG University, Indian Statistical Institute & Dialog Axiata, Black Belt certifications from ASQ & Motorola University and Lean Practitioner certification from BMGI. His other credentials include, MBA with Merit (USJ-PIM), BBA (Colombo), Diploma in Quality Management with Distinction (SLSI), ASQ CQE, ASQ CMQ\/OE, ASQ CQA, Sri Lanka\u2019s 1st IASSC Accredited Training Associate, Lean Bronze, Lead Auditor ISO 9001 QMS, ISO 14001 EMS & ISO 27001 ISMS, Certified TPM Facilitator (CII, JIPM, TPM Club), PMP, PGDM (CIM-UK), ACMA (CIMA-UK), FCMA (CMA-SL), Senior member ASQ, Council member SLAAQP, HMM (Harvard) & NDHRM (IPM), etc. Dumidu is currently reading for his Doctorate in Business Administration.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Keynote IX:<\/span> Tuesday, August 17,<\/strong> 2021, 10:40 – 11:20 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"Prof. Vikas Kumar<\/span>
    \n<\/strong>Director of Research and Scholarship<\/span><\/span>
    \nProfessor of Operations and Supply Chain Management<\/span>
    \nBristol Business School<\/span>
    \nUniversity of the West of England<\/span>
    \nBristol, UK<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Prof. Vikas Kumar is Director of Research and Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Bristol Business School, University of the West of England, UK. He serves on the editorial board of around six international journals including International J. of Supply Chain and Operations Resilience, Int. J. of Service, Economics, and Management and Int. J. of Manufacturing Systems. He has guest edited a number of special issues in high impact journals including J. of Information Technology (ABS 3*), Supply Chain Management an Int. J. (ABS 3*), Production, Planning & Control (ABS 3*), Int. J. of Productivity and Performance Management (ABS 2*), J. of Manufacturing Technology Management (ABS 1*), In. J. of Engineering Management and Economics (IJSEM), Int. J. of Lean Enterprise Research (IJLER), and Int. J. of Lean Six Sigma (IJLSS). He is also reviewer of more than 15 international journals including ABS 4\/4* and ABS 3* journals such as Int. J Production Research (ABS3*), Int. J of Production Economics (ABS3*), Production Planning and Control (ABS3*), Supply Chain Management an Int. J (ABS3*), Expert Systems with Application (ABS3*), Int. J of Production and Operations Management (ABS4), J of Intelligent Manufacturing Systems (ABS2*) and Computers and Industrial Engineering (ABS2*).<\/p>\n

    Prof. Kumar works very closely with industries and has generated research funding in the excess of \u00a31 million from various research agencies such as Innovate UK, EPSRC, British Council, British Academy, Newton Fund, and Science Foundation of Ireland. He is currently working on two research projects funded by British Academy\/Newton Fund and Royal Academy of Engineering that are focused on developing countries (Indonesia and Turkey). His research projects are in collaboration with researchers from a number of UK universities as well as researchers from Brazil, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, Costa Rica and Turkey.<\/p>\n

    Prof. Kumar\u2019s current research focus is on sustainable supply chain management and Supply Chain 4.0. His other research interests include supply chain improvement, short food supply chains, green supply chain, process modelling, innovation in SMEs, operations strategy, and service supply chains. He is involved in teaching a number of postgraduate and undergraduate modules on research methods, operations management and operations strategy. He is also actively involved in supervising research masters and doctoral students (PhDs).<\/p>\n

    \n

    Wednesday, August 18, 2021<\/strong><\/span><\/h1>\n
    \n

    Welcome Remarks:<\/strong> <\/span>Wednesday<\/strong>, August 18<\/strong>, 2021, 7:45 – 8:00 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    Dean, AMRITA<\/span><\/h3>\n
    \n

    Keynote X: <\/span>Wednesday, August 18<\/strong>,<\/strong> 2021, 8:00 – 8:40 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"Otieno-Wilkistar1\"Wilkistar Otieno, Ph.D.<\/strong><\/span>
    \nAssociate Professor and Chair
    \n<\/span>Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering\u00a0<\/span>
    \nPreparing Engineers and Computer Scientist NSF-STEM Scholarship PI. & WiscAMP Faculty Mentor<\/span>
    \nUniversity of Wisconsin-Milwaukee<\/span>
    \nMilwaukee, Wisconsin, USA<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Wilkistar Otieno is an Associate Professor and Chair of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She holds a Doctoral degree in Industrial Engineering and Masters in Statistics degree both from the University of South Florida. She earned a Bachelor\u2019s degree in Mechanical and Production Engineering from, Moi University in Eldoret, Kenya. Her research interests include sustainable manufacturing (remanufacturing), sustainable energy (solar power generation systems performance analysis), sustainable water systems reliability and overall systems optimization. She is has interests in Science Technology Engineering and Math education, particularly for female and underrepresented minority students. She is a member of IIE, IEEE, INFORMS, SWE and QSR.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Keynote XI:<\/span> Wednesday, August 18,<\/strong> 2021, 8:40 – 9:20 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"Venugopal G<\/span>
    \n<\/strong>General Manager and Head, Digital Advisory and Industry 4.0<\/span><\/span>
    \nRobert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions<\/span>
    \nBangalore, Karnataka, India<\/span><\/h3>\n

    FRUGAL DIGITAL approach\u00a0for Industry 4.0 transformation<\/strong><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

    Venugopal (Venu) is a Digital Advisory, Industry 4.0 and Management Consulting professional with over two decades of corporate experience in India, the US and Europe.<\/p>\n

    He is currently working with Robert Bosch as General Manager \u2013 Digital Advisory & Industry 4.0. Prior to this, he worked with Infosys as the Global Head \u2013 Manufacturing Domain Consulting Practice. He earlier worked with Huhtamaki-PPL as Manager \u2013 Operations.<\/p>\n

    Venu has presented and published papers in national and international industry forums and periodicals. He is also associated with various industry-academia initiatives.<\/p>\n

    Venu is passionate about academics and institution building, and has been associated with B-Schools and Engineering Colleges for over 15+ years in capacities such as Visiting Faculty, Member – Board of Studies, external evaluator, career counselor etc.<\/p>\n

    Venu is a Post Graduate in Operations Management from S. P. Jain Institute of Management & Research, Mumbai, and a Mechanical Engineering Graduate from NIT, Jaipur. He is a Certified Fellow with American Production & Inventory Control Society, USA.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Keynote XII: <\/span>Wednesday, August 18<\/strong>,<\/strong> 2021, 9:20 am – 10:00 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"Prof.\u00a0 Abid Haleem<\/span>
    \n<\/strong>Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering<\/span><\/span>
    \nFaculty of Engineering and Technology<\/span>
    \nJamia Millia Islamia<\/span>
    \nNew Delhi -110025, India<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Dr Abid Haleem is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Jamia Millia Islamia (A Central University by an Act of Parliament) in New Delhi, India. He has been founding Honorary Director, Internal Quality Assurance Cell, of the University. Headed, Mechanical Engineering Department, and MBA (Evening) program at JMI. Dr Abid has also been an Honorary visiting Professor to IIT Delhi.<\/p>\n

    Presently he is Regional Editor, Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer, Associate editor with JCOT (Elsevier), and i-Scholar. Conferred with the fellowship of AGBA and has professional & life membership of IIIE, ISME, ISTE, GIFT, SCL, IICC, and ISC. Also, he served as President and Secretary to Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management and AGBA. Attended 2019 Leadership Program (LEAP) of UGC MHRD at AMU & Ohio State University, USA.<\/p>\n

    With h index of 31 in google scholar (22 in SCOPUS) and more than 4000 citations has published more than 310 research articles of which more than 153 articles indexed in SCOPUS and three books to his credit. His latest book is \u2018’Handbook of Materials Management\u2018’, published by Prentice Hall of India, while the latest edited book is, \u201cAn update on Medical 3D Printing\u201d from Solubris. Has more than 33 years of teaching and research experience at graduate & higher level and has produced more than 27 PhD.<\/p>\n

    Visited various academic institutions and industries in USA, UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Australia towards academic pursuits. Besides having consulting and arbitration experience, he also provides leadership in taking up different types of educational and allied programs in the field of Management & Technology.<\/p>\n

    He has undertaken consultancy work with DFID, Govt. of Odisha, Ed. CIL etc. Worked as a High Court-appointed arbitrator for the construction project at DIAC, Dew Delhi. He has also executed various research and support projects of DST, AICTE, and UGC, and completed FIST funding.<\/p>\n

    He has been on the Board of Telecommunications Consultants India Ltd. as an Independent Director and advisor to DTDC Ltd. He has been a member of the Ad hoc Task Force (ATF) of Performance Management Group of Cabinet Secretariat of Govt. of India. It is on the advisory\/research boards of various institutions and involved in multiple institutional activities related to policy planning, administration, accreditation, curriculum design, admission, evaluation & examination, and another educational process. His teaching & research areas include Technology Management, Supply Chain Management, Halal Supply Chain, Additive Manufacturing, Innovation, Sustainability, allied fields of Industrial Engg.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Keynote XIII: <\/span>Wednesday, August 18,<\/strong> 2021, 10:00 – 10:40 am<\/span><\/p>\n

    \"\"Dr. S. Viswanathan<\/span>
    \n<\/strong>Professor of Operations Management<\/span><\/span>
    \nAssociate Dean (Research)<\/span>
    \nNanyang Business School<\/span>
    \nNanyang Technological University<\/span>
    \nSingapore<\/span><\/h3>\n

    Dr. S. Viswanathan (Vish) is a Professor of Operations Management at the Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he has been a faculty member since 1992. He also serves as the Director of the Centre for Business Sustainability. He has assisted the school and university previously in varied service roles, including Associate Dean (Research), Head of the Academic Division of IT and Operations Management (ITOM), Director of PhD Programme, Programme Director of MBA (Technology & Operations Specialisation), Programme Director of MDP@Nanyang, Chairman of the IT Resources Group and as Cluster Director of the Energy Research Institute @ NTU (ERI@N).<\/p>\n

    Vish was a member of the team responsible for the curriculum design and redesign of the full-time MBA into a one-year MBA program. As Head of ITOM, he was involved in developing the initial curriculum for the MSc(Technology Management) segment of the Renaissance Engineering Programme. He was the founding Programme Director of the NTU-Waseda double MBA program and was involved in developing the curriculum for the NTU-Waseda double MBA and the MBA (Technology & Operations) curriculum. He was also involved in developing the curriculum for the Management Development Program @ NTU, as its Founding Programme Director. As Director\/Associate Dean, he has overseen the PhD programme in the school for 9 years.<\/p>\n

    Vish obtained a Ph.D. in Operations Research with minor in Operations Management from Case Western Reserve University in 1992, MBA (Gold Medallist) from Indian Institute of Management Calcutta in 1986, and B.Tech (Mechanical Engineering) from Indian Institute of Technology Madras in 1984.<\/p>\n

    Vish’s teaching interests are in Corporate Sustainability, Sustainable Operations, Operations Management, Inventory Theory, Supply Chain & Logistics Management and Optimization.<\/p>\n

    His research interests are in Inventory Management, Sustainable Operations & Supply Chains, Policies for regulating carbon emissions, Reverse Logistics & Remanufacturing, Transportation Scheduling & Timetabling, and Supply Chain & Service Operations.<\/p>\n

    His research has been published in Financial Times and Business Week ranked top tier Business journals such as Management Science, Operations Research, Production & Operations Management, and Journal of Operations Management and other top journals such as International Journal of Production Research, European Journal of Operational Research, Naval Research Logistics, IIE Transactions, Operations Research Letters, Journal of the Operational Research Society, International Journal of Production Economics, Integrated Manufacturing Systems, International Journal of Technology & Management, International Journal of Logistics, and International Journal of Physical Distribution & Logistics Management.<\/p>\n

    He is very active as a Senior Editor, Editorial Board Member, Guest Editor, or Associate Editor in several top journals such as Decision Sciences, Production & Operations Management, Journal of Operations Management, and International Journal of Production Research . He has made several appearances in Whos who in the World, Whos Who in Asia, Whos Who in Finance and Industry and Whos Who in Science and Engineering lists. He was awarded the prestigious Nanyang Award for Research Excellence in 2010.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Past Keynotes<\/span><\/strong><\/h1>\n