Ajay Kumar is a Professor (Research Track), Department of Mechanical Engineering, School of Core Engineering, Faculty of Science, Technology & Architecture, Manipal University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. He earned his Ph.D. in the field of advanced manufacturing and automation from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, Hisar, India, after B.Tech. (Hons.) in mechanical engineering and M.Tech. (Distinction) in manufacturing and automation. His areas of research include Biomedical Engineering, Incremental Sheet Forming, Artificial Intelligence, Sustainable Materials, Robotics and Automation, Additive Manufacturing, Mechatronics, Smart Manufacturing, Industry 4.0, Industrial Engineering Systems, Waste Management, and Optimization Techniques. He has over 150 publications in international journals of repute, including Scopus, Web of Science, and SCI indexed database and refereed international conferences. He has organized various national and international events, including an international conference on Mechatronics and Artificial Intelligence (ICMAI-2021) as conference chair. He is currently organizing an international conference on Artificial Intelligence, Advanced Materials, and Mechatronics Systems (AIAMMS-2023) as conference chair. He has more than 20 national and international patents to his credit. He has supervised more than eight M.Tech. and Ph.D. scholars and numerous undergraduate projects/theses. He has 15 years of experience in teaching and research. He is guest editor of many reputed journals. He has contributed to many international conferences/symposiums as a session chair, expert speaker, and member of the editorial board. He has won several proficiency awards during the course of his career, including merit awards, best teacher awards, and so on. He has also co-authored and co-edited more than 20 books. He has also authored many in-house course notes, lab manuals, monographs, and invited chapters in books. He has organized a series of faculty development programs, international conferences, workshops, and seminars for researchers, Ph.D., UG, and PG-level students. He is associated with many research, academic, and professional societies in various capacities. Parveen Kumar is a Skill Instructor (Tool and Die) in the Skill Department of Automotive Studies, Shri Vishwakarma Skill University, Palwal, Haryana, India. Currently, he is pursuing his Ph.D. from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, Haryana, India. He completed his B.Tech. (Hons.) from Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra, India, and M.Tech. (Distinction) in Manufacturing and Automation from Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, India. His areas of research include Intelligent Manufacturing Systems, Materials, Mechatronics Systems, Advanced Materials, Industry 4.0, Die-Less Forming, Design of Automotive Systems, Additive Manufacturing, CAD/ CAM, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Internet of Things in Manufacturing, Multiobjective Optimization Techniques. He has over 50 publications in international journals of repute, including Scopus, Web of Science, and SCI indexed database and refereed international conferences. He has eight national and international patents to his credit. He has supervised more than two M.Tech. scholars and numerous undergraduate projects/theses. He has 13 years of experience in teaching and research. He has co-authored/co-edited several books with reputed publication house such as CRC Press, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, De Gruyter, IGI Global and has organized a series of faculty development programs, workshops, and seminars for researchers and UG-level students. He is also the series editor of the series Industrial and Manufacturing Systems and Technologies: Sustainable and Intelligent Perspectives (CRC Press). Dr. Rakesh Kumar Phanden is a seasoned researcher, academic leader, and accomplished administrator with expertise in project management, research outcomes and quality assurance in the higher and vocational education sector. He earned his PhD from the National Institute of Technology, Kurukshetra, India, and has an extensive publication record that includes edited books, special issues, and over 120 research papers. His significant editorial contributions include roles as EiC, guest editor, associate editor, reviewer, and editorial board member for prestigious international journals. Dr. Phanden's teaching and research interests encompass Lean Six Sigma, Circular Economy, Risk Management, Operations Management, Sustainability issues, and the Application of various Industry 4.0 Tools and technologies. His commitment to mentoring stands out as a defining aspect of his career, having successfully guided numerous PhD, UG, and PG students, thereby shaping the future generation of scholars and industry professionals. Mario Schmidt is Managing Director of Lingel Windows and Doors Technologies Pvt Ltd, both in India and Germany. He completed his undergraduate alongside a certification for "Master Craftsman for Windows and Furniture Design" in 1994 and an MBA in Business Economist from Handwerkskammer Chemnitz, Germany. He has an honorary doctorate for his contribution to skill development. He has also participated in the AIMA course in global management from the Berkley University of California. He was the founding member of the window association uWDMA India in 2008 and technical head from 2008 until 2016 and president of the association since 2016. He has various specialties such as general management, corporate development, product development, business operations, strategy, and customer relations. He is also working closely with Indian government bodies BIS, BEE, MSDE, as well as the German government bodies of GIZ and DEG. He delivered many keynotes, talks, and expert lectures at international events. Ayon Chakraborty is Associate Professor in Engineering Project Management at the Institute of Innovation, Science and Sustainability at Federation University, Australia. Prior to joining the university, he was Associate Professor in Operations Management and Decision Sciences area at the Indian Institute of Management Tiruchirappalli, India. Dr. Chakraborty was also Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Services Science Discipline, Information Systems School at the Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. He earned his Ph.D. in Industrial and Systems Engineering from the National University of Singapore in Service Quality. He has more than 11 years of experience in teaching and consulting business students and executives at various institutes such as Queensland University of Technology and James Cook University Australia (Singapore Campus). Dr. Chakraborty's main research interests are in Quality Management such as on Lean, Six Sigma, and other quality tools and techniques. In recent years, he also worked on practices related to sustainable development and circular economy, specifically in micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). He is also involved in international collaborative research projects such as Erasmus Plus and Global Challenges Research Funding (GCRF) with Aston University in the UK. Both these projects focus on the sustainability and well-being of MSMEs and are sponsored and funded by the UK Government.
