Raghuram is a Professor (Emeritus) of Chanakya University and the Gujarat Maritime University. He is visiting faculty at IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Visakhapatnam, Indian Institute of Science, and Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya. He is associated with the Akshaya Patra Foundation and the Infrastructure Vision Foundation. He has been Director, IIM Bangalore, from February 2017 to July 2020. Prior to that, he was Professor and Chairperson of the Public Systems Group at IIMA. He has been Dean (Faculty), IIMA; Vice-Chancellor of the Indian Maritime University and Indian Railways Chair Professor at IIMA. He specializes in infrastructure and transport systems, and logistics and supply chain management. He conducts research on the railway, port, shipping, aviation, and road sectors. He has been part of various government policy making and advisory committees, and Boards of companies, higher educational and social institutions and continues to be on some. Raghuram has a BTech from IIT, Madras; a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from IIM, Ahmedabad; and a PhD from Northwestern University, USA.

Avinash Kalse, Head of HSSE Improvements & Business Resilience at APM Terminals Mumbai, is a distinguished maritime and logistics leader with over 37 years of experience across India’s major port and terminal operations. His career spans pivotal roles at JNPA (formerly JNPT) and APM Terminals, where he has led HSSE, Operations, Engineering, Projects, Contracts, Transformation, and Business Resilience. He has played an integral role in terminal commissioning, capacity enhancement, operational optimisation, and the adoption of global best practices in safety, asset management, performance excellence, and sustainability—delivering measurable improvements in productivity and resilience. Avinash also brings strong policy and regulatory experience, having contributed to national-level rulemaking as part of the Government of India’s committee for drafting Dock Worker regulations under the OSH & WC Code, 2020.His engagements at the East Coast Maritime & Logistics Summit, major Supply Chain forums, and the Blue Tides: Kerala–EU Conclave 2025 reaffirm his standing as a trusted industry voice shaping conversations on safer, smarter, and more sustainable port ecosystems. An Electronics Engineer with postgraduate qualifications in International Business, Labour Laws, Economics, and an MBA in Operations, Avinash combines technical depth with strategic clarity and people-centric leadership. Recognised with multiple commendations across the sector, he continues to contribute to the evolution of safe, efficient, and future-ready terminal operations.

Joost Hintjens (°1962) obtained his master's degree in commercial engineering from the University of Antwerp in 1986 and started a career in industry while obtaining his Master in Management from the University of Ghent in 1993. He worked for several medium-sized European industrial companies with a focus on international marketing and logistics. He was general manager of companies in Belgium, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic for a French industrial group when he switched to teaching in 2002. First part-time at the Athenaeum in Antwerp but from 2006 full-time as a lecturer in logistics at ArtesisPlantijn University of Applied Sciencs. He was chairman of the Supply Chain Management course group at ArtesisPlantijn up to October 2025. He started (parttime) as a researcher at the University of Antwerp, department of Transport and Regional Economics in 2011, where he focuses on the role of ports in the supply chain. He received his PhD in November 2019 with a dissertation on port cooperation. This doctoral dissertation won him the Ferdinand Suykens Prize for Port Studies from the Royal Academy for Overseas Studies. His interests include the role of logistics in medium-sized companies and the relationships with their customers and suppliers in controlling the supply chain, and the threats and opportunities presented by the New Silk Road. His latest research focusses on impact of transport by SMEs on climate change.

Rajesh Phadke is a senior urban planning and infrastructure development professional with over 37 years of experience in urban planning, urban design, infrastructure planning, and landscape architecture. His expertise spans master planning, development control regulations, policy formulation, infrastructure planning, and large-scale urban development projects across public, private, and public–private partnership sectors. Throughout his career, he has played a key role in planning and implementing major urban and infrastructure projects including Navi Mumbai development, Lavasa Hill City, GIFT Smart City in Gujarat, and the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority (JNPA) SEZ and port development initiatives. He has extensive experience in preparing master plans, framing development regulations, granting development permissions, and overseeing urban infrastructure projects while ensuring regulatory and environmental compliance. Currently serving as Chief Architect and Planner at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, he has led strategic planning initiatives including SEZ planning, land use planning, infrastructure design, and port-city development. His work also includes planning for major national infrastructure such as the proposed Vadhavan Sea Port project and logistics zones. In addition to professional practice, he has contributed significantly to academia as a visiting professor at institutions such as MIT Aurangabad, NICMAR, and VNIT, teaching urban planning, development regulations, infrastructure planning, and urban design. His scholarly contributions include multiple publications, conference papers, and professional engagements with institutions such as the Institute of Town Planners, India (ITPI)

More than 30 years’ experience in planning and execution of port expansion/development projects/works including day to day supervision, Execution of various activities/technical studies for the projects such as Marine Construction Works, Dredging works and Road Works etc. I have acquired D-level Certification in Project Management through International Executive Diploma in Project Management and also acquired Certificate in Project Management (CIPM), Certificate in Project Risk Management (Crt CPM), Certificate in Complex Project Management (Crt CPM) and certificate in Human Capital Management (Crt HCM). I presented few papers in National and International Conferences. Myself is fully involved in the Mega All Weather Deep Draft Greenfield Port Project at Vadhvan since its inception i.e 2015 and now received all relevant clearances including Union Cabinet approval as well as EC & CRZ Clearance for the project for commencement of the work. JNPA projects for providing assistance for preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) comprising traffic, navigational, dredging, financial and environmental studies, preparation for getting NOC from MPCB, preparation for getting Environmental Clearance from MOEF, preparation of Public Investment Board (PIB) Note for getting project approval from CCI, GOI for its implementation, preparation of tenders, evaluation and award of work including appointment of Project Management Consultancy (PMC) services for supervision and administration of projects. Also execution of DBFOT project including preparation of Techno-economical feasibility study, preparation of RFQ and RFP along with Concession Agreement and obtaining various approvals from the Government. As Dy General Manager (PPD), I am engaged with following projects: Capital Dredging Phase I & II projects. Maintenance Dredging of navigational area. Development of Vadhvan Port Project Development of Additional Liquid Cargo Berths Development of Coastal Berth Development of SEZ – infrastructure development- as port based industrialization. Development of 4th Container Terminal Phase I & II projects on PPP basis. Development of 330 mtr extension project on PPP basis. All other road, building and marine construction works with maintenance of JNPA works. Establishment matters of the dept. Construction of New Solid Waste Management Plant along with Environment Management Plan for JNPA.

Sunil Bhatia is a Meritorious Civil Engineer and a Postgraduate from IIT Bombay in Logistics and Operations Research. He is also a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma from American Society of Quality. He brings in rich experience of 36 years in Logistics, Ports, Shipping, IT and Management domain. He has worked with Mumbai Port Trust as Class I Officer; Tata Consultancy Services as domain lead in Logistics and APM Terminals, Maersk Group a leader in shipping world. He is one of the youngest pensioner of Ministry of Shipping. He is now an Entrepreneur and works as a Logistics Professional since last over 13 years. He is currently Director of âEUR˜Theme Logistics and Management Pvt. Ltd, Company has been working as Port Operator, Rail Terminal Operator, Stevedores and Third Party Logistics Solutions with companies like Reliance Industries, Adani Ports.

Dilip Shekdar is a distinguished urban planner and infrastructure development expert with extensive experience in city planning, port development, and smart city initiatives in India. He has served as Planning Advisor and Chief Planner at the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT), where he has been involved in strategic planning and redevelopment of Mumbai’s eastern waterfront and port lands. Over the course of his career, Shekdar has contributed to major urban development and planning projects, including port-city redevelopment, urban infrastructure planning, and smart city initiatives. He has also worked as an Advisor to the Naya Raipur Development Authority, contributing to planning strategies for India’s emerging smart city developments. At Mumbai Port Trust, he has played an important role in shaping redevelopment proposals for large port land areas, including initiatives aimed at opening the eastern waterfront for public use, tourism, and urban infrastructure development. His work integrates urban planning, land-use planning, environmental considerations, and infrastructure development to support sustainable city growth. Shekdar has also contributed to research and professional discussions on urban housing regulations and planning frameworks, reflecting his broader engagement with policy, governance, and sustainable urban development.

Ajay Uthra is an experienced engineering and infrastructure professional associated with the Mumbai Port Authority (formerly Mumbai Port Trust). He serves as a Superintending Engineer, contributing to the planning, execution, and management of critical port infrastructure and maritime development projects in Mumbai. With extensive experience in port engineering and infrastructure management, he has been involved in maintenance and modernization of port facilities, marine structures, logistics infrastructure, and operational systems that support the functioning of one of India’s major ports. His work focuses on improving port efficiency, ensuring safety standards, and facilitating infrastructure upgrades required for modern maritime logistics. Through his role at Mumbai Port Authority, Ajay Uthra contributes to sustainable port operations, infrastructure planning, and the integration of engineering solutions with urban and maritime development objectives. His expertise lies in managing complex infrastructure systems within highly regulated and operationally critical port environments.

Amit Garg is alumni of prestigious Shri Ram College of Commerce and a member of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. In his professional journey of 3 decades, Amit has spent almost 2 decades in logistics and supply chain. He has worked in senior management positions with KPMG, Carlsberg India, DP World and Adani Logistics Services before he joined JSW Group. He has also served as general secretary of Association of Container Train Operators (ACTO) and is well regarded in the industry for his professional knowledge in logistics sector. Amit is currently working with JSW Group. He is Executive Director of Navkar Corporation and Executive Vice President (EVP) with JSW Ports and Logistics.

He holds a PhD in Urban, Traffic, and Transport Safety System Management and a Master's in Engineering from the University of Mumbai. He is the former Director of Engineering Services and Projects at the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai. Additionally, he served as the Vice Chairman and Transport Expert for the State Expert Appraisal Committee on Environment (SEAC III), Maharashtra, appointed by the Government of India. He is an Honorary Expert Advisor to the Traffic Control Branches of the Mumbai Police, Thane, Mira Bhayandar Police and Pune. He also chairs the Apex Board of Studies at Somaiya Polytechnic and is a member of its governing council. He is a Life Member and Fellow of several professional bodies, including the American Concrete Institute, Institution of Engineers, Indian Institute of Bridge Engineers, IRC, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (Government of India), and the National Steering Committee for Intelligent Transportation Systems under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Government of India). He has published a book titled , Fun Moments in My Career, which chronicles his experiences in public service. He Recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award for Road Safety @ IIM Mumbai.

Elanesegaran Raja Gopal is the Assistant Vice President (Operations) at PSA Mumbai, with over 18 years of experience in container terminal operations across the PSA global network. He began his career at PSA Singapore's Tanjong Pagar Terminal, where he built a strong operational foundation and pioneered the insourced lashing team model. As part of the Group Operations Process Development (GOPD) unit, he contributed to benchmarking terminal performance across PSA's international network, sharing operational best practices, and supporting operational due diligence for new business development opportunities. In 2024, he relocated to Mumbai to take on his current role at PSA Mumbai. Under his leadership, the terminal achieved record-breaking monthly volumes four times within his first year, reflecting his focus on operational excellence, innovation, and performance improvement.

Narayan Rangaraj is on the faculty of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research at IIT Bombay, where he has been working since 1990. Research and teaching interests are in the applications of Operations Research, especially in the areas of rail transport, logistics, supply chain management, and health care.

Dr. K.A. Raju, a Transportation Systems Engineering PhD from IIT Bombay, brings over three decades of specialized expertise in multimodal transportation with a strong focus on technology-enabled transformation. His work spans across ports & shipping, rail, and bus systems for passenger and freight domains. A key highlight of his career is his contribution to the Development of Coastal Shipping & Minor Ports study for the Directorate General of Shipping, India, where he analyzed national cargo flows and assessed the commercial viability of coastal shipping. He played key role in developing a cost-sensitive traffic demand strategic model that evaluates modal competitiveness between rail, road, and coastal shipping. He led major consulting and advisory programs for global infrastructure and transport agencies, including projects funded by the World Bank, ADB, and GTZ. His leadership at TCS as Transportation Practice Head and Logistics CoE Head centered on digitalization, data-driven logistics platforms, and technology alignment to modernize transportation enterprises. He championed digital accelerators, advanced analytics and cargo visibility solutions. Post TCS, he continues to advance transportation innovation as Director (India Operations) at Delasoft, a U.S-based transport software company, and serves as Adjunct Faculty at Vasavi College of Engineering, contributing to industry–academia alignment and mentoring future professionals.

Dr K V Krishna Rao is a Professor of Civil Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. Dr Rao joined IIT Bombay in 1996. He has over 40 years of teaching, research and development experience in Transportation Systems Engineering and planning. He completed his PhD in Urban Transportation Planning in 1996 and his Masters in Transportation Engineering in 1986, both from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, India. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1984 from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh, India. His research interests include sustainable urban land use transport planning, behavioural travel modelling, traffic design and analysis, and pavement analysis, design and management. He has supervised 20 PhD theses and over 100 MTech dissertations so far and completed several sponsored research and consultancy studies in his research areas. He has contributed significantly to preparing a highway capacity manual for India through a multi-institutional research effort. This manual gives the capacity and operational norms of traffic facilities having mixed traffic conditions prevailing in India. His contribution in preparing master plans for metro rail systems in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Pune is noteworthy. He has also contributed significantly to the planning aspects of the proposed passenger water transport systems in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region by estimating the passenger demand by these systems. He has several publications in refereed journals and conferences of high repute. He has also served in several administrative positions at IIT Bombay. He has served as Vice-Chairman of the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) for the year 2005. As Associate Dean and Dean of Infrastructure Planning at IIT Bombay from 2006 to 2012, he implemented the much-needed building infrastructure adopting green norms. He has been the head of the civil engineering department, IIT Bombay, from 2012 to 2017 and the Centre for Urban Science and Engineering from 2020 to 2021. He was the Deputy Director (finance, infrastructure and administration) of IIT Bombay from 2021 to 2025. He was also elected to the Senate Nominations Committee of IIT Bombay in 2018 and served as a member and convener. He was conferred with Excellence in Teaching Award in 2008, 2012 and 2016 by IIT Bombay. He represented on several technical committees of the Indian Roads Congress, Government Agencies, and local bodies. Dr Rao organised the prestigious 15th edition of the World Conference on Transport Research (WCTR 2019) at IIT Bombay, Mumbai, India, from 26-31 May 2019.

Capt. Praveen S. Khara is a seasoned maritime professional with almost 3 decades of extensive experience in the shipping and maritime industry. His robust academic and professional background is complemented by his exemplary track record both at sea and ashore. Educational Qualifications: B.Sc. (Nautical Science), Mumbai University LLB, Mumbai University Currently pursuing LLM Professional Experience: Capt. Khara has held pivotal roles in shipping companies, including: QHSE Head / Designated Person Ashore (DPA) /Operations Head. He also managed the Port Operations of the Dabhol LNG Terminal, a key facility on the west coast of India. For the past eight years, Capt. Khara has been serving at the Maharashtra Maritime Board. In this capacity, he has played a vital role in enhancing maritime operations and infrastructure development across the state, leveraging his extensive expertise in port management, shipping operations, and regulatory compliance. Capt. Praveen S Khara is recognized for his leadership, dedication, and in-depth understanding of the maritime sector, making him a distinguished professional in the industry.

Professor Arban Jana is a faculty member in the department of Civil Engineering.

Shri Jitendra Bhople is currently serving as the Director of the Town Planning, Government of Maharashtra.

Professor Gopal R. Patil is a faculty member at IIT Bombay. Update this text with the actual bio and topic details.