March 24, 2010
Amrita School of Engineering, Coimbatore
 

On May 4, Dr. K. S. Balaraman, Distinguished Professor of Chemical Engineering and Material Sciences at the Amrita School of Engineering in Coimbatore, was in Mumbai to receive an award for outstanding achievement at the World Expo 2010.
 

Dr. Balaraman was one of a few individuals chosen from all over India to receive the 2010 Leadership and Excellence Awards. He was felicitated for his achievements and contributions in the energy conservation sector.
 

“I received the award for having introduced new energy factors to monitor the energy performance of refineries,” Dr. Balaraman shared later. Prior to joining Amrita, Dr. Balaraman was engaged in research work at the Chennai Petroleum Corporation Ltd.
 

“These new energy factors make possible a more realistic assessment of energy consumption and hydrocarbon loss, considering the present scenario with respect to technological advances and best operating practices in petroleum refining,” he explained further.
 

About three hundred people were present at the award function, that had the Governor of Maharashtra, Shri Kateekal Shankaranarayan as the Chief Guest. An Offshore Technology Exhibition was also organized at the venue.
 

The event was organized by the Chem Tech Foundation. “It provides a platform to showcase India’s growing engineering and technological capabilities in the entire upstream hydrocarbon value chain,” stated the event brochure.
 

The awards were also instituted by the foundation. “In the backdrop of limited energy resources, soaring crude oil prices, stringent quality requirements, environmental regulations and fast paced technological advancements, enhancing energy efficiency in oil refineries and petrochemicals is vital for survival and growth of the industry,” Dr. Balaraman explained.
 

Dr. Balaraman joined Amrita in July 2009 after a six-year stint as Executive Director of the Center for High Technology, the technical wing of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas. As Executive Director, he led the assessment of technology requirements and operational performance of refineries around the nation.
 

At Amrita, Dr. Balaraman has played a key role in initiating the M.Tech. program in Chemical Engineering. Recently approved by the Board of Studies, the course will commence from the next academic year. He currently offers an elective in Petrochemical Process Technology for students of B.Tech. (Polymer Engineering) and B.Tech. (Chemical Engineering).
 

“I will shortly submit a research proposal on Fuel Additives and Specialty Coatings based on Nano Technology,” he shared. A Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from I.I.T.Bombay, Dr. Balaraman was also the Alexander von Humboldt Fellow of the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany.
 

We congratulate him on the honor received.