Chemical Engineer, R&D, Technology Transfer, Process Engineer
Resume:
Dr. Sasanka Raha
Vice President & Head, Technology Transfer
Spearhead the advancement and implementation of chemical, bio, and mineral process technologies, drawing on 26 years of experience with industry leaders in strategic planning, leadership & management, technology transfer, kilo lab and pilot plant operation, scale-up & new product commercialization, process research, mathematical modeling, troubleshooting and operational optimization across various sectors.
*******.****@*****.**.**
Udaipur 313001, Rajasthan, India
Dr. Sasanka Raha LinkedIn
PROFILE SUMMARY
• Distinguished Technology Leader: Possesses a robust academic and research background with expertise in driving process technology development, pilot plant operation, scale-up
& commercialization in chemical industry. Demonstrated capability in managing transition from concept to commercial production for many products (~30 new products in PI industries contributing ~400 million USD revenue), ensuring seamless & efficient processes for customer delight.
• Expert in Process Technology Transfer & Pilot Plant Operation: Proven ability to oversee comprehensive technology transfer processes, including lab, scale-up in kilo lab and pilot plants to-commercial scale transitions. Manages all aspects of the process, from initial research to full-scale production, optimizing effectiveness, efficiency while ensuring safe, cost effective process and timely deliveries.
• Advanced Technical Skills: Highly skilled in process scale-up troubleshooting, reactor & kinetic modeling, pilot plant operations, and data analysis, with a strong focus on process safety and optimization. Expertise includes speciality and basic chemicals, biomass to bio- fuel technologies, colloid and surface science, ethylene oxide technology, aroma chemicals, asphaltene deposition, flocculation-dispersion, colloidal cake filtration and mineral beneficiation processes.
• Proven Project Management: Recognized for effective management of concept studies, Front End Engineering Design (FEED), and pilot plant setup. Co-ordinates with project & detail engg teams, engineering contractors, and vendors to ensure successful technology evaluation and implementation.
• Leadership and Team Development: Adept at leading high-performing teams of chemical engineers and researchers. Proficient in preparing detailed research reports, IP disclosures, and engineering documentation, basic engineering package etc while facilitating collaborative efforts for proposals and publications.
• Accomplished Researcher and Author: Author of 19 international journal publications, 10 conference proceedings, and 7 patents. Notable research contributions include working with renowned experts such as Prof. Scott Fogler (former AIChE president) during postdoc, demonstrating a strong commitment to advancing the field.
• Prestigious Academic Credentials: Holds advanced degrees with high performance score from University of Michigan, IIT Mumbai, IIT Kanpur, and Jadavpur University, reflecting a solid foundation in academic excellence and cutting-edge research.
• Broad Industry Exposure: Extensive experience across process technology development, process design and scale-up, process modeling, simulation, feasibility studies and process economics. Competent in areas of all commonly encountered unit operations and unit processes in chemical industry.
• Technical Innovation and Problem-Solving: Demonstrated track record in technology development and evaluation, pilot plant setup, catalyst management and troubleshooting. Proficient in developing process models, simulators, mass and energy balances, process calculations and equipment sizing for diverse industrial applications. CORE COMPETENCIES
EDUCATION
Post-Doctoral Research Fellow
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, USA, 2007
Ph.D., in Chemical Engineering, CPI 9.22/10
Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India, 2008 M.Tech. in Chemical Engineering, CPI 9.0/10
Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, 1997 B.E. in Chemical Engineering, 73%
Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India, 1995
CERTIFICATIONS
• Six Sigma Green Belt Project Leader (GBPL) Certification at DOW Chemical
• Project Management Professional (PMP) Workshop
Training
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Category Details
Process Technology Development
& Evaluation
Chemical, bio, and mineral process technology development, basic engineering and process design, pilot plant operation, scale-up studies, commercialization of new products, feasibility and costing, process safety studies Specialized Technologies
Basic & Specialty chemicals (Agro chemicals, electronic chemicals, intermediates, aroma chemicals etc). Biomass to biofuel and value-added chemicals (e.g., phycocyanin extraction), Ethylene oxide (EO) technology including catalyst management and troubleshooting, drying, filtration, and extraction technologies for biological and other materials,. Scientific and Engineering
Expertise
Rheology of particulate fluids, colloid and surface science, flocculation and dispersion, colloidal cake filtration, polymer reaction engineering and epoxy polymerization, asphaltene stability, aggregation and deposition Software Proficiency
Aspen Plus for process simulation, Aspen Process Economic Analyzer for cost and process economics, Aspen Manufacturing Suite for monitoring EO Pilot Plant, Proficient in Fortran, Matlab, Mathematica, Athena, Dynochem, Chetah, numerical methods and solving complex mathematical equations Model/Simulator Development
Mineral processing plant simulator (SimL8) development, Data reconciliation tool development and plant audit using diagnostics tool, Kinetic models for epoxy polymerization, Ethylene oxide reactor & kinetic model and rules of thumb Strategic Planning
and Technology
Leadership
Process
Calculations, Data
Analysis and
Interpretation
Customer Focus
and Management
Reporting
Talent
Management and
Succession
Planning
Technology
Transfer
Leadership
Scale-Up &
Commercialization
of New Products
Kilo Lab & Pilot
Plant Operation
Process Modeling,
Simulation &
Optimization
Catalyst
Management
Process
Troubleshooting
Commercialization
Strategies
Cross-Functional
Team Leadership
based catalyst management tool, population balance modeling for asphaltene flocculation, unit operation models for flotation, classification, grinding, filtration etc. Lab and Pilot Plant Operations
Lab and pilot plant setup involving different unit operations, kilo lab & pilot plant operation, experience with automated filtration rig, flotation cell, grinding units, Horiba light scattering particle size analyzer, zeta meter, rheometer, reactor, centrifuge, basic knowledge of analytical lab techniques Statistical and Analytical Skills Six Sigma methodology, design of experiments (DOE), statistical modeling and use of statistical tools such as JMP WORK EXPERIENCE
PI Industries Ltd, Udaipur, Rajasthan as Vice President & Head, Technology Transfer (Aug 2020 – Nov 2024)
• New Product Commercialization & strong customer focus: Led scale-up and commercialization of 30 new products in CSM business (revenue contribution ~400 Million USD) and ensured strong focus for internal and external customers
• Kilo lab, Pilot Plant & Process Safety Lab Operation: Led kilo lab, two well equipped pilot plants at two different location and process safety lab with advanced equipment
• Leadership and Team Management: Spearheading the technology transfer, kilo lab and pilot plant operation, scale-up studies, and basic engineering. Overseeing a multidisciplinary team focused on advancing technologies from lab scale to commercial production and process safety data generation.
• Technology Absorption and Safety Studies: Overseeing the absorption of new technologies, conducting safety studies, and ensuring the successful scale-up of processes from kilo lab and pilot plant stages to full commercial scale.
• Scale-Up and Improvement Trials: Leading the scale-up and evaluation trials for strive projects related to existing products following R&D evaluations, ensuring the continuous improvement and optimization of product lines.
• Strategic Technology Roadmapping: Developing and implementing strategic roadmaps for technology transfer, ensuring alignment with overall business objectives and future market needs.
• Risk Management: Identifying potential risks associated with technology transfer and scale-up operations, developing mitigation strategies to address and minimize these risks.
• Technology Transfer Documentation: Managing and overseeing the creation and maintenance of detailed documentation related to technology transfer, including process descriptions, standard operating procedures (SOPs), and validation protocols.
• Project Management: Leading project management efforts for technology transfer initiatives, including defining project scopes, timelines, and milestones, and ensuring that projects are completed on time and within scope.
• Innovation and Continuous Improvement: Driving innovation in technology transfer processes and methodologies to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve overall product quality.
• Training and Development: Overseeing the training and development of team members involved in technology transfer, ensuring the necessary skills and knowledge to effectively support tech transfer function. Atul Ltd, Atul, Gujarat
Vice President & Head R&D (Aromatics Business) (Apr 2019 – Aug 2020) General Manager & Head R&D (Aromatics Business) (Oct 2017 – Mar 2019)
• Process Development and Scale-Up: Directed the R&D efforts for developing new processes and scaling up pilot plant activities for flavor and fragrance chemicals. Focused on improving existing processes and products within the aromatics business and also on infrastructure development
• Lab and Pilot Plant Operation: Led laboratory and pilot plant operation activities for Aromatics business and flavor-fragrance chemicals
• Team Leadership: Managed a team of 20 chemical engineers and chemists, fostering innovation and collaboration within the R&D department. Led developmental efforts for improvement projects for existing basic chemicals of aromatics business and fragrance chemicals.
• Toll Manufacturing and Project Leadership: Oversaw toll manufacturing operations for aroma chemicals developed in R&D, ensuring quality and efficiency in production.
• Operational Management: Managed day-to-day R&D operations, ensuring successful process development and scale-up for new products and process improvements.
Gharda Chemicals Ltd., Dombevali, Thane, India as Sr. General Manager, R&D (Nov 2016 – Sept 2017)
• Process Development and Design: Led process development and design efforts for the large-scale manufacturing of p-dichlorobenzene, a key feedstock for dicamba. Directed studies to optimize benzene dichlorination (for maximizing para to ortho ratio) and isomerization processes (for meta dichloro).
• Kinetic Modeling and Equipment Sizing: Conducted kinetic modeling, equipment sizing, and costing to identify the optimal process configuration for chlorination and PFD development.
• Corrosion Studies and Process Development: Supervised corrosion coupon studies and process development for component separation post- reaction, ensuring process efficiency and reliability. Reliance Industries Ltd., Navi Mumbai, India as Sr. General Manager (May 2012 – Nov 2016)
• Technology Development and Process Design: Led R&D initiatives in renewable energy, biofuels, and high-value chemicals. Focused on breakthrough research in biomass conversion technologies, particularly algae-to-biofuel processes. Worked on technology evaluation & selection.
• Collaborations and Vendor Management: Collaborated with global technology licensors for biomass to bio oil conversion technology. Developed and scaled up algae drying and solvent extraction technologies and managed vendor selection, technical bid evaluations, review of engg drawings etc for facility development.
• Engineering and Process Optimization: Managed process conceptual studies, basic engineering, Aspen simulations, and process economics for various projects, including algae-based technologies and protein extraction. Co-ordinated with detail engg consultant, project management team for setting up the dryer pilot plant and leading various trials involving phycocyanin extraction.
• Intellectual Capital Management: Steered ICM activities, contributing to the development of technologies in phycocyanin extraction and algal rheology, and managed intellectual property and research collaborations. DOW Chemical International Pvt. Ltd., Pune, India as Sr. Engineer (R&D) (Jun 2008 – Oct 2011) Associate Scientist (Nov 2011 – May 2012)
• Catalyst Modeling and Optimization: Developed reactor and kinetic models for high-selectivity catalysts used in ethylene oxide production. Created tools and protocols for catalyst management, performance assessment, and optimization. Tool developed is widely used in EO business for performance projection for catalyst licensing, competitive performance evaluation, operation and troubleshooting etc.
• Experimental Protocols and Support: Designed experimental protocols for catalyst trials, supported plant operations, and contributed to the development of modeling tools and competitive assessments. Provided plant support for catalyst troubleshooting.
• Intellectual Capital Management: Contributed to the intellectual capital management for EO reactor and catalyst technologies, securing patents and authoring internal project reports.
• Awards, Recognition & Certification: Received the Carat Award for Excellence in Modeling Activity in 2011 for outstanding contributions to catalyst modeling and optimization. Received Six Sigma Green Belt Project leader certification at Dow in Nov, 2011. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA as Post-Doctoral Research Fellow (Sep 2006 – Aug 2007)
• Research on Asphaltene Stability (funded by major oil companies in USA): Investigated asphaltene stability and aggregation processes, developing a population balance model for asphaltene flocculation and silica precipitation in acidic solutions. Published key research findings in reputed high impact journals.
Tata Research Development and Design Centre (R&D Centre of Tata Consultancy Services Ltd.), Pune, India as Scientist (Dec 1997 – May 2008)
• Mineral Processing Simulation and Modeling: Developed SimL8 (a mineral processing plant simulator) & data reconciliation package in collaboration with Hindustan Zinc Limited, and conducted process audits and diagnostic studies for mineral processing plants.
• Project Leadership and Research: Led research projects on dewatering of particulate fluids, developed mathematical models for colloidal cake filtration, and conducted laboratory trials on colloidal filtration processes. Contributed to understanding the fundamentals of interfacial science on solid-liquid separation of colloidal materials and rheology of particulate fluids. Developed rapid slurry characterization methodologies for colloidal cake filtration.
• Publications and Contributions: Authored numerous research articles on colloidal cake filtration and solid-liquid separation, contributing significantly to the field of role of interfacial surface forces on rheology of particulate fluids & colloidal cake filtration. ACADEMIC HIGHLIGHTS
• 2006: Invitation from Prof. H. Scott Fogler, Professor of Chemical Engineering (former AIChE President), University of Michigan, for Post-Doctoral Research.
• 2002: Sponsored by Tata Research Development and Design Centre for Ph.D. studies.
• 2002: Ranked 1st among Ph.D. students and 3rd among M.Tech. and Ph.D. students for coursework in the Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Bombay.
• 1997: Teaching Assistant position provided by Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur.
• 1995: National Merit Scholarship awarded by the Government of India.
• 1991: Ranked in the top 0.5% in the West Bengal Joint Entrance Examination.
• 1985: Primary Scholarship awarded by the Government of West Bengal, India. PERSONAL DETAILS
Date of Birth : 20 May 1972 Language Known : English, Hindi, Bengali Kindly refer to annexure for additional details
ANNEXURE
PATENTS/DISCLOSURES/PUBLICATIONS/CONFERENCES
1. Method of Maintaining Value of Alkylene Oxide Production Parameter in Process of Making an Alkylene Oxide
• Assignee: Dow Technology Investments LLC, USA
• Inventors: Zhang, Liping; Raha, Sasanka; Devassy, Biju M.; Uphade, Balu S.; Basrur, Arun; Philips, Ailene Gardner; Tupe, Ravindra S.N. Patent Application No. Date of Filing
1. WO 201-***-**** Dec 06, 2012
2. IN 310385 (Eq. to IN 4303/CHE/2011) Dec 09, 2011 3. CA 2858551 Dec 06, 2012
4. KR 2109990 (Eq. to KR 201-***-****) Dec 06, 2012
5. CN 104080778 Dec 06, 2012
6. EP 2788337 Dec 06, 2012
7. US 9181207 (Eq. to US 201********) Jun 06, 2014 2. Methods for Testing Structures, and Selection Methods Using These
• Assignee: Dow Technology Investments LLC, USA
• Inventors: Mayer, John R.; Raha, Sasanka; Uphade, Balu S.; Cantu, Lester K.; Trottier, Remi A.; Soo, Hwaili S.N. Patent Application No. Date of Filing
1. US 9134213 (Eq. to US 201********) Oct 26, 2013 2. JP 201-***-**** May 10, 2012
3. Phycocyanin Extraction and Production of Crude Bio-Oil from Biomass
• Assignee: Reliance Industries Limited, India
• Inventors: Soni, Badrish Ranjitlal; Mandan, Chidambaram; Mantri, Kshudiram; Raha, Sasanka; Vinodhkumar, Vijayakumar; Prasad, Venkatesh; Bhujade, Ramesh; Dasgupta, Santanu; Sharma, Nagesh; Jasra, Raksh Vir S.N. Patent Application No. Date of Filing
1. US 10195585 (Eq. to US 201********) Dec 29, 2015 2. IN 2791/MUM/2014 Dec 20, 2014
4. A Process for the Extraction of Phycocyanin
• Assignee: Reliance Industries Limited, India
• Inventors: Raha, Sasanka; Kargupta, Wriju; Soni, Badrish Ranjitlal; Kasi Vishwnadharaju, Mudunuri; Kaladi, Sridhar; Dasgupta, Santanu; Bhujade, Ramesh
S.N. Patent Application No. Date of Filing
1. WO 201-***-**** Jul 28, 2017
2. IN 201********* Aug 18, 2016
5. A Process for Drying an Algal Bio-Mass
• Assignee: Reliance Industries Limited, India
• Inventors: Raha, Sasanka; Dhar, Anu; Kargupta, Wriju; Menon, Deepthi; Ghadge, Rajaram; Bhujade, Ramesh 6. Process and System for Separating Inorganic Component from Liquid
• Assignee: Reliance Industries Limited, India
• Inventors: Kumar, Rakesh; Apegaonkar, Supriya; Raha, Sasanka; Bhujade, Ramesh S.N. Patent Application No. Date of Filing
1. WO 201-***-**** Jan 24, 2018
2. IN 201********* Feb 28, 2017
7. A Process for the Extraction of Phycocyanin
• Assignee: Reliance Industries Limited, India
• Inventors: Raha, Sasanka; Kargupta, Wriju; Ramisetty, Spandana; Mudunuri, Vishwnadharaju; Bhujade, Ramesh S.N. Patent Application No. Date of Filing
1. IN 201********* Apr 27, 2018
International Journal Publications
• Kumar, R., Raha, S., Apegaonkar, S., & Bhujade, R.: "Thermodynamic Analysis of Sub and Supercritical Water Gasification of Aqueous Fraction of Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Biomass for Production of Hydrogen Rich Bio-Gas," Recent Innovations in Chemical Engineering, 9(2), pp. 128-137, 2016.
• Maqbool, T., Raha, S., Hoepfner, M. P., & Fogler, H. S.: "Modeling the Aggregation of Asphaltene Nanoaggregates in Crude Oil−Precipitant Systems," Energy & Fuels, 25(4), pp. 1585–1596, 2011.
• Gorrepati, E. A., Wongthahan, P., Raha, S., & Fogler, H. S.: "Silica Precipitation in Acidic Solutions: Mechanism, pH Effect, and Salt Effect," Langmuir, 26(13), pp. 10467-74, 2010.
• Raha, S., Khilar, K. C., Pradip, & Kapur, P. C.: "Enhancement of Colloidal Filtration: A New Combined Approach Based on Cake and Suspension Destabilization," Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 48(15), pp. 7276–7282, 2009.
• Das, K., Raha, S., & Somasundaran, P.: "Effect of Polyacrylic Acid Molecular Weight on the Floc Stability During Prolonged Settling," Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 351(1-3), 1-8, 2009.
• Konnur, R., Raha, S., Tanwar, J., Phanikanth, S., Pradip, & Kapur, P. C.: "Data Analysis and Modeling of Constant Pressure Batch Dewatering of Fine Particle Suspensions," Drying Technology, 26(8), 1044-1059, 2008.
• Raha, S., Khilar, K. C., Kapur, P. C., & Pradip: "Regularities in Pressure Filtration of Fine and Colloidal Suspensions," International Journal of Mineral Processing, 84(1-4), 348-360, 2007.
• Konnur, R., & Raha, S.: "Scaling Behavior in Constant Pressure Batch Dewatering of Fine Particle Suspensions," International Journal of Mineral Processing, 83(1-2), 28-35, 2007.
• Konnur, R., & Raha, S.: "Parameter Estimation and Simulation of Dependence of Constant Pressure Batch Dewatering on Initial Solids Concentration," International Journal of Mineral Processing, 81, 248-255, 2007.
• Raha, S., Khilar, K. C., Pradip, & Kapur, P. C.: "A Mean Phi Model for Pressure Filtration of Fine & Colloidal Suspensions," Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 84(1), 83-93, 2006.
• Raha, S., Khilar, K. C., Pradip, & Kapur, P. C.: "Rapid Determination of Compressive Yield Stress of Dense Suspensions by a Mean-Phi Model of High Pressure Filtration," Powder Technology, 155, 42-51, 2005.
• Raha, S., Khilar, K. C., Pradip, & Kapur, P. C.: "Pareto Profile Benchmark for Kinetics of Filtration and Extent of Dewatering of Fine and Colloidal Suspensions," Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 44(24), 9364-9368, 2005.
• Mitra, K., Majumdar, S., & Raha, S.: "Optimized Species Growth in Epoxy Polymerization with Real-Coded NSGA-II," Polymer, 46, 118**-*****, 2005.
• Mitra, K., Raha, S., & Majumdar, S.: "Multi-Objective Dynamic Optimization of a Semi-Batch Epoxy Polymerization Process Using Nondominated Sorting GA II," Computers & Chemical Engineering, 28, 2583-2594, 2004.
• Mitra, K., Raha, S., & Majumdar, S.: "Multi-Objective Optimization of a Semi-Batch Epoxy Polymerization Process Using Elitist Genetic Algorithm," Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 43, 6055-6063, 2004.
• Raha, S., Majumdar, S., & Mitra, K.: "Effect of Caustic Addition in Epoxy Polymerization Process: A Single and Multi-Objective Evolutionary Approach," Macromolecular Theory and Simulations, 13, 152-161, 2004.
• Raha, S., & Kapur, P. C.: "Kinetics and Optimization of Pressure Filtration of Dilute Slurries by Stage-Wise Batch Tests," International Journal of Mineral Processing, 74, 169-176, 2004.
• Kapur, P. C., Raha, S., Usher, S., deKretser, R. G., & Scales, P.: "Modeling of the Consolidation Stage in Pressure Filtration of Compressible Cakes," Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 256(1), 216-222, 2002.
• Raha, S., & Gupta, S. K.: "A General Kinetic Model for Epoxy Polymerization," Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 70, 1859-1876, 1998. Conference Proceedings
• Maqbool, T., Raha, S., & Fogler, H. S.: "A Generalized Geometric Population Balance Model for Asphaltene Aggregation," Particle Technology Forum, AiChE Annual Meeting, Nov 17-21, 2008, Philadelphia, PA.
• Maqbool, T., Raha, S., & Fogler, H. S.: "Kinetics of Asphaltene Precipitation and Flocculation: Experiments and Modeling," The 8th International Conference on Petroleum Phase Behavior and Fouling, Jun 10-14, 2007, Pau, France.
• Raha, S., Khilar, K. C., Kapur, P. C., & Pradip: "A Model Based Optimization of Pressure Filtration Process," International Mineral Processing Congress, Turkey, 2006.
• Konnur, R., Kumar, M. P., & Raha, S.: "Modeling and Simulation of Dewatering of Particulate Suspensions by Batch Pressure Filtration," International Seminar on Mineral Processing Technology (MPT 2006), Mar 8-10, 2006, Chennai, pp. 186-192.
• Raha, S., Pradip, & Kapur, P. C.: "Identification of Flotation Feed from Plant Data and the Effect of Liberation on Performance of Flotation Circuits," International Seminar on Mineral Processing Technology (MPT 2002), Jan 3-5, 2002, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, pp. 288-294.
• Pradip, Raha, S., & Kapur, P. C.: "Industrial Applications of a State-of-the-Art Mineral Processing Plant Simulator, SimL8," Computer Applications in Mineral Industry, C. Bandyopadhyay and P.R. Oxford & IBH Publishing Co. Ltd., New Delhi, 2001, pp. 79-91.
• Pradip, Raha, S., & Kapur, P. C.: "Computer Aided Design and Optimization of Mineral Processing Plants by a State of the Art Simulator," Processing of Fines, NML, Jamshedpur, 2000, pp. 373-387.
• Mitra, K., Majumdar, S., & Raha, S.: "Selective Dynamic Growth of Polymer Species in Epoxy Polymerization," CHEMCON, 2005.
• Raha, S., Mitra, K., & Majumdar, S.: "Effect of Intermediate Addition of Monomers and Caustic on Semi-Batch Epoxy Polymerization," CHEMCON, 2003.
• Mitra, K., Majumdar, S., & Raha, S.: "Optimum Caustic Addition Pattern in Epoxy Polymerization Using Evolutionary Multi-Objective Approach," CHEMCON, 2003.
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