Vivek Raje PhD

• Lead Business Operations & New Product Development for Graphene Business • Manage plant operations to deliver business targets with high production efficiency, topmost quality, optimum utilisation and control on wastages. • Engage high-level negotiations, create profitable contracts and build relationships with global suppliers via regular communications. • Lead new product development across different segments to create new business vertical advanced materials – Concrete, Elastomer, Li-ion Batteries and Polymers • Active engagement with key customers for development and commercialisation of Graphene technology addressing important unmet needs. • Prepare and present interactive decks for top management reviews. Contribute to prepare Annual Business Plans and Operations & R&D budgets. Ensure adherence by reviewing • Managing high performance team of 5 operational executives and 6 research scientists with different academic and professional backgrounds. • Manage Compliance, Statutory Audits, Product Certifications and other regulatory requirements through different teams. • Active focus on backward integration & internalisation of Graphene production.

• Conceptualise and commercialised Graphene technology for Textiles and Polymers. • Spearheaded technology development, product development, lab trials with successful results by closely understanding unmet needs in Textiles & Polymers. • Led technology transfer and scale up to 100+ mills and plants across the country by extensive collaboration with key customers and technology partners. • Devised Product Strategy and Commercial Feasibility for Graphene Textiles by closely analysing Textiles value chain, demand drivers and financial impacts thereof. • Active participation in launch of business vertical – HEXaREL (Graphene Textiles) along with key internal stakeholders. • Developed in-situ incorporation of Graphene in PET Polymers. Facilitated Lab trails and scale up for Rigid packaging application

• Part of strategic team dedicated for developing new catalyst for modifying Linear Alkyl Benzyl process. Business objective – to replace harmful chemicals with environment friendly catalyst. • Coordination with all stakeholders for Proof of Concept & Potential Scale up. • Handled patent activities for Ionic Liquids including writing Invention disclosures, creating patent document, writing claims, and working with attorneys for patent grants.

• Part of new technology development team for Silicon Surfactants & Polymers for Beauty Care application in FMCG. Overall business portfolio of $ 5 mn pa. • Closely work with key customers to create new USPs and realign existing ones per market feedback and customer behaviors for shampoo, hair oil & cream. • Regular visits and interaction with key accounts along with sales & marketing teams for new product promotions – Unilever, P&G, Loreal, Wipro, Marico etc.

The work had the objectives to prepare antimicrobial polymers for the drug delivery. The work was divided into two categories: (i) Synthesis of various aziridines, substituted imines and oxazoline monomers (ii) Polymerisation of these monomers using supercritical carbon dioxide technology. The Polymers obtained were characterized using various analytical techniques such as DSC-TGA, MALDI, NMR, IR. These Polymers have been studied for their antimicrobial properties. This oligiaziridines are also used as metal sensors. The additional responsibility was to guide the undergraduate students in their projects in the laboratory.

The R and D at Glaxo was of CRO type which involved target based Organic Synthesis. Design the synthesis pathways for the required heterocycle by using available literature. Synthesized Oxazoles, Imidazoles, Benzimidazoles and their derivatives along with some spiro compounds.

Air pollution monitoring in the vicinity of refineries. Involved in monitoring of SOx, NOx, ammonia, SPM as well as mercaptons.