S K RAY

Visiting Professors and member of Education Council at Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai

Education:
BE (Mechanical) and post Graduate Diploma in Management from Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore.

Experience:
Nearly 45 years of experience in petrochemical industry managing businesses, strategic planning, long-term perspective planning, business developments, corporate affairs, and other related functions. Superannuated from Reliance Industries Limited as Sr. Executive Vice President. At present mentoring a newly formed team on sustainability.

Others:
Visiting Professors and member of Education Council at Somaiya Vidyavihar University, Mumbai. Past Chairman, Indian Institute of Packaging, an autonomous educational institute under Ministry of Textile and Commerce, Government of India.

Hon. Secretary of Indian Center for Plastics in the Environment (ICPE), a non-profit organization established by industry on the recommendation of the task force set-up by Ministry of Environment & Forest in 1999.

Ajay Shah

President – Polymer Chain, Reliance Industries Limited

Mr. Ajay Shah graduated from IIT – Kanpur in 1981 with a Bachelor of Technology in Chemical Engg. and followed it up with a Masters in Financial Management from Bombay University.

The Professional Career of Mr. Ajay Shah has spanned over 40 years in the polymers and chemicals industry, primarily with two organizations, namely, National Organic Chemical Industries Limited (NOCIL) and Reliance Industries Limited (RIL). Joining NOCIL in 1981, he has experience in multiple functions including technology, operations research, manufacturing, corporate planning and communications, marketing and general management. The portfolios handled include a range of chemical and polymer products.

He also had an international experience with Shell Chemicals in The Hague, Netherlands for 3 years providing global technology support for the EO/EG and PO/Polyols range of products.

He joined Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) in 2001.

In RIL too he has held a wide range of portfolios starting with the international business of polymers and subsequently being responsible for the PE, PP, PVC and Chemical business units over various periods.

Currently, Mr. Ajay Shah is the President for Polymer Chain which includes the polymer, cracker and elastomer portfolio.

Dr. Swaminathan Sivaram

Honorary Emeritus Professor and INSA Emeritus Scientist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune

Dr. Swaminathan Sivaram is a polymer chemist by profession and a mentor as well as a science administrator of distinction. He is a former Director of the CSIR – National Chemical Laboratory, Pune (2002-10), Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Fellow of CSIR (2010-2015) and J. C. Bose Fellow of the Department of Science and Technology (2006-2014). Currently, he is an Honorary Emeritus Professor and INSA Emeritus Scientist at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Pune.

Dr. Sivaram is a highly decorated scientist with numerous awards and honours to his credit. He was conferred Padma Shri by the President of India in 2006. He is a recipient of the Gold Medal of the Chemical Research Society of India for his life-time achievements in chemistry (2019) and the International Award for distinguished contributions to polymer science, awarded by the Society of Polymer Science, Japan (2017). Dr. Sivaram earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from Madras Christian College (1965) and is a distinguished alumnus of IIT-Kanpur (M.Sc., 1967). He earned a PhD in Chemistry and DSc (h.c) from Purdue University, W. Lafayette, Indiana, USA. He is an elected Fellow of all the learned academies of science and engineering in India as well as The World Academy of Sciences, Trieste, Italy. He is a technical consultant to several reputed Indian companies and serves on the Board of Directors of many leading Indian companies dealing with chemicals and materials. He was a founder Chairman and director of Venture Centre, A Section 8 company, Pune one of the first science driven technology business incubators established in India in 2004. He has authored close to two hundred and fifty papers in peer-reviewed journals, edited two books and authored one book. He is cited as an inventor in fifty-one issued US and European patents as well as fifty-two Indian patents. He has supervised the doctoral thesis of about forty students and mentored over fifteen post-doctoral fellows in a research career spanning fifty years.

Professor (Dr.) S. T. Mhaske

Professor of Polymer Technology & HEAD

Department of Polymer and Surface Engineering, Institute of Chemical Technology (ICT), Mumbai

Professor (Dr.) S. T. Mhaske has been associated with the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai, for more than 25 years and currently heading the Department of Polymer and Surface Engineering. He is an eminent scientist and educator in Polymer Chemistry & Technology and Surface Coating Technology. The research area covers the extensive topics in the field comprises of Polymer Processing, Recycling, Rheological characterization of the polymers, Nanoparticle Synthesis (Titanium, Barites, Molybdate, Iron, Zinc, Aluminium silicates, cellulose), and Application in polymers, Reinforcing action of Nano-fillers for commodity Plastics, Polyester and epoxy-based Pigment pastes for FRP Applications, impact Modification of Engineering, Polymers, Development of Thermoplastics Vulcanizates & Elastomers for Automotive). Furthermore, he also works in the Development of resins (Acrylics, Epoxy, Urethanes, Polyesters) from renewable sources, Synthesis of polyamide-based hot melt adhesives, Functional modification of resin for coating application (Fire Retardant, Antimicrobial, Anticorrosive, Heat reflective, and anti-static) Development of water-based or VOC free Coatings for industrial applications. He has significantly sculpted 35 PhD and 115 M. Tech. Scholars with 170 publications, four book chapters, and five patents. He has been awarded as an honorary fellow of the Maharashtra Academy of Sciences (FMASc) and nationally for the Innovation in “Green Polymeric Materials & Products by the Department of Chemicals and petrochemicals. Ministry of Chemicals and fertilizers. Govt. of India. He holds the position as the Technical Expert at Plastic Waste Committee, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) Single Plastic Use, Environmental Ministry of State of Maharashtra Govt. Maharashtra. Moreover, he has more than 25 industrial and 10 government-sponsored research projects at the National & International levels.

Vidyadhar Limaye

Sr Director, International Automotive Components

A seasoned Industry professional with over 33 years of rich experience mostly in auto component industry. Mechanical engineering graduate from Shivaji University. A charismatic, resilient, energetic, result oriented, people developer & transformation specialist.

Since 1988, worked for organizations like, Ruston & Hornsby (Greeves cotton light engine Division, Thermax, SKF Bearings, Jindal Saw Pipes, Tata Auto Components, Faurecia & IAC (International Automotive Components)

The experience encompasses Senior leadership positions in, Purchasing, supply chain management, key customer account, Strategic sourcing, Country General Manager, Managing Director & Senior Director.

Managed key strategic roles in various organizations. At present working for IAC India with a P & L and overall operations responsibility of its 5 plants PAN India. Prior to this was heading Faurecia Interiors Division in the capacity of Managing Director which was having 3 plants PAN India.

For last more than 2.5 decades working in automotive interiors/exterior Tier 1 domain. Have a very close association & interaction with plastic industry and its supplier base across India and South East Asia.

In the year 2019, I was honoured with “CEO OF THE YEAR AWARD” by Economic Times Polymer Division

Mr. Shujaul Rehman

CEO, Garware technical fibres Ltd

Sandeep Engineer

Managing Director, Astral Limited