Prof. Vishal S Sharma is an honorary associate professor at the School of Mechanical, Industrial, and Aerospace Engineering at WITS University, Johannesburg, South Africa, and a professor in the Department of Industrial & Production Engineering at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, India. With over 25 years of teaching experience, he specializes in manufacturing processes/systems, industrial automation, CAD/CAM, and robotics. His research focuses on machining and additive manufacturing, including topics such as dimensional accuracy, cutting tool wear, surface roughness, and optimization using artificial intelligence algorithms. Prof. Sharma has supervised numerous Ph.D. and master's students, published over 105 papers with significant citations, and organized international conferences. He serves as an associate editor for prestigious journals and has conducted training programs with renowned experts in the field.Prof. Uday S Dixit is a distinguished scholar and an educator in Mechanical Engineering at IIT Guwahati. With a Ph.D. from IIT Kanpur and an M.Tech. from IIT Kanpur, he has made significant contributions to research, teaching, and leadership. He served as the head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the officiating director at CIT, Kokrajhar. Prof. Dixit's research interests include metal forming, manufacturing processes, and materials engineering. He has authored numerous publications and serves on editorial boards of prestigious journals. He is a respected member of professional societies such as the Indian Welding Society and has held significant positions in various academic councils and boards. Prof. Dixit's commitment to education, research, and accreditation activities has established him as a distinguished academician in the field of Mechanical Engineering.Dr. Ajay Gupta is an associate professor in the Department of Industrial & Production Engineering. He holds a Ph.D.degree in Industrial Engineering and an M.Tech. in Industrial Engineering from Dr. B. R. Ambedkar NIT Jalandhar. With research interests in Operations Management, Operations Research, Theory of Constraints, Data Analytics, MIS, Materials Management, Marketing Management, and Statistics, Dr. Gupta has published more than 40 journal articles, 25 conference papers, and 5 book/chapter publications. He has organized numerous events, including conferences and short-term courses and is a fellow of The Institution of Engineers (India). With a track record of supervising 7 Ph.D. students and guiding 23 postgraduate dissertations, Dr. Gupta has also held various administrative positions such as the head of the department, the nodal officer, the controller of examination, an associate dean, the deputy registrar, and is presently the head of Training and Placements at NIT Jalandhar.Dr Rajeev Verma is an Assistant Professor in the Industrial and Production Engineering Department atDr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, Punjab, India. He obtained his PhD and Masters in Engineering from the Production & Industrial Engineering Department of Punjab Engineering College, Chandigarh. With over 11 years of industrial and teaching experience, Dr Verma's current research interests include surface engineering, thermal spray coating technology, laser surface texturing, superhydrophobic surfaces, CAE, and Taguchi methodology. He has authored and co-authored 1 Book, 10 Book Chapters, 33 papers in International Journals, 30 papers in International Conferences, and 06 papers in National Conferences. Dr Verma has guided 11 postgraduate dissertations and 11 undergraduate projects and is presently supervising 06 PhD research scholars. He serves as a reviewer for prestigious scientific journals and has organized conferences, short-term courses, and internships. In addition to his accomplishments, Dr Verma has been honored with the "Outstanding Faculty in Industrial and Production Engineering" award at the 7th Venus International Science and Technology Awards - VISTA 2021, presented by the Venus International Foundation. Furthermore, Dr. Verma has been conferred with the "National Distinguished Young Aspirant Award 2021," instituted by the International Institute of Organized Research (I2OR).Dr. Varun Sharma is an assistant professor in the Department of Industrial and Production Engineering at Dr. B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology Jalandhar, India (NITJ). He has previously served as an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Shoolini University and Sant Longowal Institute of Engineering & Technology Longowal. With a background in welding engineering, Dr. Sharma's research interests span areas such as welding, materials science, physical metallurgy, tribology, additive manufacturing, and optimization through design of experiments. He has published numerous research articles, filed a patent, and led a research project funded by TEQIP-III. Dr. Sharma has supervised several postgraduate and undergraduate projects and has been actively involved in organizing conferences and short-term courses. He is a lifetime member of the Society of Materials and Mechanical Engineers (SOMME).
