Members

Prof Akshai Runchal | President and Founding Partner, ACR, Inc, USA and Managing Director, CFD Virtual Reality Institute, Dharamsala, India
Prof Runchal established the ACRi group of companies that have provided advanced technology CFD Simulation services to a number of international clients in the US, Europe and India since 1979. Prof Runchal obtained his Ph.D from Imperial College in 1969 and was a key member of the 3-person team led by Prof D Brian Spalding that invented the Finite Volume Method (FVM) of CFD in mid 1960's. He started his professional career as a faculty member at IIT Kanpur in 1969 and since then has taught at a number of leading institutes including IIT Kanpur, Imperial College, London, Cal Tech, Pasadena and University of California, Los Angeles. He established the CFD Virtual Reality Institute (CFDVRi), Dharamsala, an educational and R&D institute in Himachal Pradesh, and is a Fellow of the ASME and has served as Chairman of the IIT Kanpur Foundation Board. He is currently active in advising the DeitY (GOI), the Indian Army and a number of educational institutes on their R&D and Industrial Relations Programs. For the last few years he has been deeply involved in reviving the lost heritage of Kangra Miniature Paintings through the Kangra Arts Promotion Society – an NGO of which is the President.