Innovative Design for Societal Needs

Dr. Sougata Karmakar is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of Design at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, India. He gained research expertise in the field of Ergonomics and Human Factors from DIPAS, Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO), Delhi between November 2004 and November 2009, and received his Ph.D. on "Virtual ergonomics using digital human modelling." He received P.G. Diploma in Management with a specialization in Human Resource Management from Pondicherry University. He is associated with a well-equipped ergonomics laboratory at the Department of Design, IIT Guwahati, and continuing his research work in ergonomics and human factors. His research interests span physical ergonomics (product and workstation design), cognitive ergonomics (information processing), design and work environment, design, and occupational health, virtual simulation (CAD and digital human modelling), etc. Dr. Karmakar has guided eight Ph.D. studentsand eight students are presently pursuing their doctoral research under his guidance. Dr. Karmakar has conducted several national and international workshops and webinars related to ergonomics and human factors, occupational health and safety, and industrial design. He has published 44 research papers in international journals and 47 research papers in various referred international conference proceedings. He is contributing as a reviewer for various international journals of repute. He has filed and published 3 utility patents and 12 design patents. Out of these, 11 patents, including 2 utilities and 9 designs, have been granted. Dr. Pratul Ch. Kalita is Associate Professor in the Department of Design at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, India. He has widespread industrial and academic experience in the field of design, technology, and management. He obtained Ph.D. in Design from Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati in Design Management.He did B.E. in Production Engineering and Management from National Institute of Technology, Jamshedpur, followed by Master of Marketing Management from Pondicherry University (Central University). He served for JMT Auto, Jamshedpur in CNC manufacturing and control and BOC India (now Linde Group) in design and erection of air separation and hydrogen plants. He is one of the founder members of Acumen Consultancy Services, Kolkata. Prior to IITG, he was an assistant professor in Assam Institute of Management, Guwahati, teaching management research methodology, product design and development, and operations management. He has been instrumental in establishing industry-institute partnerships in North-East India. He has provided consultancy services to the Government of India, Government of Assam, and many private organizations of repute. At present he is engaged in number of research and consultancy projects. Recently, he completed the 'Diagnostic Study on Weaver's Need in Respect of Eri and Muga Silk' under the World Bank financed Assam Agribusiness and Rural Transformation Project (APART). The World Bank is keen to implement the design management strategies formulated in the study. He has provided design management consultancy to the Ministry of Textiles at Sivasagar Mega Handloom Cluster Development project. He has also completed the prestigious IMPRINT project sponsored by MOE and ICMR on System Design for Tuberculosis Programme Administration. His recent projects include impact assessment studies for roads, bridges, and irrigation projects funded by NABARD, Prime Minister Entrepreneurship Generation Programme, Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana, Swarna Jayanti Shahari Rozgar Yojana, etc. Dr. Urmi Ravindra Salve is Assistant Professor in the Department of Design at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, India. She obtained Ph.D. in Science (Ergonomics) from Calcutta University and has expertise in human factor engineering, research methodology, cognitive ergonomics, occupational health related problem, human physiology, etc. She has more than ten years of research experience in ergonomics and human factors engineering in different research bodies, including TIFAC-CORE NITIE, Mumbai, India. She further worked in the field of occupational hygiene at National Institute of Miners' Health, Department of Mines, Govt. of India. She has more than 60 full study and abstract publications in national and international journals and conference proceedings. She has attended and organized numerous conferences and workshops, written study materials on the concerned subjects, and delivered lectures at various institutions. Dr. Sharmistha Banerjee is Assistant Professor in the Department of Design at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, India. She obtained Ph.D. in Design for sustainability in the arena of scale-appropriate agricultural equipment design from IIT Guwahati. She has completed Bachelor's in Industrial Design from IIT Guwahati and Master's in Integrated Product Design from Technical University of Delft, Netherlands. She is Co-founder of the Sustainability and Social Innovation Lab at Department of Design, IIT Guwahati. The lab focusses on creating systems for sustainable human consumption and production through a complete revamp of the consumption structure with design interventions. In the past few years, she has worked in India, Bangladesh, and Netherlands with companies, such as Philips, Infosys, MIDCO, VU Medical University Amsterdam, Conpax Verpakking, Beat Belly, Botanische Tuin Delft, ACC Ltd., and educational institutes, such as IIT Guwahati, MIT Institute of Design Pune, IDC, IIT Bombay, and L'École de Design (Indian Operations), Nantes-Atlantique, France, and NGOs like International Development Enterprise Bangladesh.