About IIT Bombay

Devdip Purkayastha serves as Professor of Practice at the Desai Sethi School of Entrepreneurship (DSSE) at IIT Bombay, bringing over three decades of executive leadership experience from global corporations. His impressive corporate career includes senior roles as President & CEO at CHEP India, Vice President at DHL Express South Asia, and Divisional Manager at P&G Asia. His academic credentials include a B.Tech from IIT Kharagpur, an MBA from IIM Calcutta, and executive education from The Wharton School. At DSSE, he focuses on developing the next generation of entrepreneurs through teaching entrepreneurship courses, conducting workshops, and mentoring startup teams. His work has contributed to DSSE's impressive track record of training over 3,800 students, mentoring 900 students, and helping launch more than 80 startups. He previously served as President & CEO of Enactus India and has received numerous accolades including the CEO of the Year award and recognition as an Evangelist of the Year in the logistics and supply chain sector.

Gaurav S. Kasbekar serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Bombay, bringing extensive expertise in wireless networks and network security. His academic journey includes a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from IIT Bombay (2004), an M.Tech in Electronics Design and Technology from IISc Bangalore (2006), where he received the prestigious CEDT Design Medal, and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania (2011). His professional experience includes roles as a Research Intern at Microsoft Research Cambridge and Engineer at Ittiam Systems. His research focuses on critical areas including wireless network design, cognitive radio networks, drone communications, and IoT security. He leads several significant research projects, including MeitY-sponsored research on 5G and beyond, and an Arista Networks-sponsored project on WiFi security. His contributions to the field have been recognized through various awards, including an Honorable Mention at COMSNETS 2015 and the Best Paper Award (Runner Up) at the National Conference on Communications 2022

Laxmeesha Somappa serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Bombay, bringing extensive academic and industry experience to his role. His academic credentials include a Ph.D. from IIT Bombay and an M.Tech in Microelectronics and VLSI from IIT Madras. His research experience was enriched through visiting scholar positions at the University of Cambridge, UK, and a postdoctoral fellowship at EPFL, Switzerland, and the Centre for Neuroprosthetics, Geneva. Before entering academia, he gained valuable industry experience as a Consulting Engineer at Qualcomm and as a Memory Modelling and Verification Engineer at Tata Elxsi in Bangalore. His current research focuses on cutting-edge areas including neural interface SoCs (System-on-Chip), Sigma Delta ADCs (Analog-to-Digital Converters), and neuromorphic computing. His work has been widely recognized, with numerous publications in prestigious journals and citations in the field of microelectronics and neural interface systems.

Rajbabu Velmurugan serves as a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Bombay, bringing extensive expertise in signal processing and video analysis. His academic journey includes a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology (2007), complemented by valuable industry experience at L&T India (1995-1996) and The MathWorks USA (1998-2001). Since joining IIT Bombay in 2007, his research has focused on critical areas including signal processing, inverse problems in image and audio processing, video analysis, speech enhancement using multi-microphone arrays, and target tracking. He currently contributes to the Technology Innovation Hub on IoT at IIT Bombay, where he specializes in data analysis and machine learning applications for IoT systems. His work includes significant contributions to surveillance technology, particularly in person re-identification and abnormal activity detection algorithms, with practical applications in real-world scenarios. His expertise spans both theoretical research and practical implementation, making him a valuable contributor to both academic advancement and industrial applications in signal processing and video analysis

Raj Hirwani brings over four decades of expertise in Research, Technology, and IP Management to his role as Adjunct Professor at IIT Bombay. His academic credentials include a Bachelor's degree in Chemical Technology from UDCT and a Ph.D. in Technology Management from IIT Bombay, enhanced by prestigious fellowships including a Fulbright Scholarship and the Hubert Humphrey Fellowship in Technology Policy and Management. His distinguished career includes serving as Head of IP Directorate at CSIR and Director of CSIR's Unit for R&D of Information Products, where he pioneered patent analytics services in India. His international influence extends to roles as a World Bank Consultant for strengthening R&D institutions in China and Indonesia, and membership on the UNCTAD panel. As President of the Licensing Executive Society India and a member of various CSIR and government committees, he has shaped national policy in technology management and intellectual property rights. His contributions have been recognized through numerous national awards and honors, establishing him as a leading authority in technology management and IP strategy.