Professor Naveen Kumar

Born in August 1967 in Uttar Pradesh, Prof. Naveen Kumar is a distinguished academician, researcher, and consultant with over 34 years of multifaceted experience across education, industry, and consulting. He holds degrees from prestigious institutions: a B.E. from Dayal Bagh Educational Institute, M.Tech. from IIT Delhi, and Ph.D. from the University of Delhi. He is a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE, UK), a Fellow of the Institution of Engineers (India), and a Chartered Engineer certified by the Engineering Council (UK).

Prof. Kumar has served as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Delhi Technological University (formerly Delhi College of Engineering) since November 2007, having joined the institution in April 1996. His academic career is complemented by extensive administrative experience, including leadership roles as Head of Department, Dean of Students' Welfare, Dean of International Collaboration, Proctor, Coordinator of the TEQIP-II Project, and Chairman of several key committees such as the Board of Discipline, Cultural Council, Central Purchase Committee, and B.Tech. Admission Committee.

His teaching spans both postgraduate and undergraduate levels, while his research and development contributions focus on alternative fuels, especially biofuels, decentralized energy systems, climate change, waste recycling, and sustainable development. He has successfully led multiple sponsored projects from renowned organizations, including the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Petroleum Conservation Research Association, and Yanmar Co., Ltd., Japan. Notably, he served as Principal Consultant for a World Bank-sponsored “Fences for Fuel” project in India and participated in a strategic Indo-Spanish collaborative initiative.

Prof. Kumar has authored over 150 research papers, including more than 70 in SCI-indexed journals and 70+ in Scopus-indexed publications, along with 100+ papers presented at Indian journals and conferences. He has also written nine books and book chapters and holds a patent to his name. He has supervised 20 Ph.D. scholars, with many more currently pursuing research, and has guided 51 M.Tech. students through their projects and degree completion.

His academic outreach spans the globe, with 20+ scholarly visits abroad, presenting his research at prestigious universities and institutes such as the University of Minnesota, University of South Florida, University of North Texas, University of Murcia, Kongju National University, Korea Institute of Energy Research, Yonsei University, and the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology.

Prof. Kumar serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Biofuels and as Associate Editor of Energy Sources Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects. He also holds editorial roles on multiple international journals and is a frequent reviewer for distinguished publishing houses including ASME, Elsevier, Springer, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, and SAE.

As a visionary educational leader, Prof. Kumar advocates for a flexible, innovative curriculum that balances theoretical foundations with practical skills, management acumen, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. He emphasizes infrastructure modernization and faculty motivation as critical pillars for building world-class institutions and promotes the optimal utilization of resources to reduce costs in higher technical and vocational education.

He was previously selected as Director of Bundelkhand Institute of Engineering & Technology, Jhansi (a government institution in Uttar Pradesh), and was also offered the position of Director at KIET, Ghaziabad.

Professor	Delhi Technological University, Delhi (Formerly Delhi College of Engineering)	November 2007	Till Date
Assistant Professor (Associate Professor as per VI Pay Commission)	Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi	December 1998	November 2007
Lecturer	Delhi College of Engineering, Delhi	April 1996	December 1998
Lecturer	C.R. State College of Engineering, Murthal, Haryana, now DCRUST, Murthal, Sonepat, Haryana	October 1998	April 1996

 

A large number of courses related to Thermal and Automotive Endineering alongside Renewable Energy, Alternative Fuels, Internal Combustion Engines, Pollution Abatement, Engine Modelling, Climate Change and Sustainable Development are taught in last 33 years. 

• Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, U.K.
• Fellow of the Institution of Engineers, India.
• Chartered Engineer, Engineering Council, U.K.
• Life Member of Indian Society for Technical Education

150 research papers (70+ in SCI-indexed journals and more than 70+ in Scopus, Only 10 most cited are as follows as on 15/12/2025:

1. Bhupendra Singh Chauhan, Naveen Kumar, Haeng Muk Cho,  ^“A study on the performance and emission of a diesel engine fueled with Jatropha biodiesel oil and its blends,” Energy, Vol. 37, Issue 1, Pages 616–622, 2012, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544211007109 (Publisher - Elsevier; SCI Indexed) (700)
2. Bhupendra Singh Chauhan, Naveen Kumar, Yong Du Jun, and Kum Bae Lee. “Performance and emission study of preheated Jatropha oil on medium capacity diesel engine,” Energy, Vol. 35, Page No. 2484-2492, 2010, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0360544210001076 (Publisher - Elsevier; SCI Indexed) (328)
3. Bhupendra Singh Chauhan, Naveen Kumar, Haeng Muk Cho, and Hee Chang Lim Energy, “A study on the performance and emission of a diesel engine fueled with Karanja biodiesel and its blends” Vol. 56, Page No. 1-7, 2013 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360544213002806 (309)
4. Ankit Sonthalia, Naveen Kumar “Hydroprocessed vegetable oil as a fuel for transportation sector: A review” Journal of the Energy Institute, Volume 92, Issue 1, 2019, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1743967117301526 (Publisher - Elsevier; SCI Indexed) (205)
5. Bhupendra Singh Chauhan, Naveen Kumar, Shyam Sunder Pal, Yong Du Jun.“Experimental studies on fumigation of ethanol in a small capacity Diesel engine,” Energy, Vol. 36, Page No. 1030-1038, 2011, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S036054421000695X (Publisher - Elsevier; SCI Indexed) (165)
6. Alhassan Yahaya, Naveen Kumar, I.M. Bugaje, H.S. Pali, P. Katchar “Co-solvents Transesterification of Cotton Seed Oil into Biodiesel: Effects of Reaction Conditions on Quality of Fatty Acids Methyl Esters” Energy Conversion and Management, Vol. 84, Pages 640–648, 2014, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196890414003926  (Publisher- Elsevier; SCI Indexed) (161)
7. Mayank Gupta, Naveen Kumar, “Scope and opportunities of using glycerol as an energy source,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Vol.16, Pages 4551–4556, 2012, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032112002560  (Publisher - Elsevier; SCI Indexed) (154)
8. H.S.Pali, Naveen Kumar, Yahya Alhassan, “Performance and Emission Characteristics of an Agricultural Diesel Engine Fueled with Blends of Sal Methyl Esters and Diesel” Energy Conversion & Management, Vol. 90, Pages 146–153, 2015, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0196890414009595 (Publisher - Elsevier; SCI Indexed) (127)
9. Ashish Karnwal, MM Hasan, Naveen Kumar, AN Siddiquee, Zahid A Khan, “Multi-response optimization of diesel engine performance parameters using thumba biodiesel-diesel blends by applying the Taguchi method and grey relational analysis” International Journal of Automotive Technology, Vol. 12, No. 4, pp599-610, 2011. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12239-011-0070-4  (Publisher- Springer ; SCI Indexed) (109)
10. Bhupendra Singh Chauhan, Naveen Kumar and Haeng Muk Cho. “Performance and emission studies on an agriculture engine on neat Jatropha oil” Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology, Volume 24, Issue-2, Page No. 529-535,2010, http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs12206-010-0101-5 (Publisher- Springer; SCI Indexed) (102)

1. “Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD  ” Galgotia Publications, August 2002
2. “Engineering Drawing Workbook” Dhanpat Rai Publishing Co., August 2003
3. “Engineering Graphics” for UP Tech. University, Galgotia Publications
4. Chapter “Biodiesel Production Technology-Looking Ahead” in the book “Biofuels: Potential and Challenges”. Editors A.K.Pandey and A.K.Mandal, Scientific Publishers, India. ISBN: 978-81-7233-696-7. pp- 310, 2011 http://www.scientificpub.com/upload/pdf/146.pdf
5. Chapter “Alternative Fuels for Diesel Engine – New Frontiers” in the book “Diesel Engine”. Editor Prof. Pitor Lijewski, intechopen, U.K., ISBN:978-953-51-6846-1, https://www.intechopen.com/online-first/alternative-fuels-for-diesel-engines-new-frontiers/
6. Chapter “Next-Generation Biofuels—Opportunities and Challenges” in the book “Innovations in Sustainable Energy and Cleaner Environment. Green Energy and Technology”. Editors Gupta A., De A., Aggarwal S., Kushari A., Runchal A. Springer, Singapore. DOI:10.1007/978-981-13-9012-8_8 https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-13-9012-8_8
7. Chapter “Development of Parabolic Trough Collector Based Power and Ejector Refrigeration System Using Eco-Friendly Refrigerants” in the book Progress in Solar Energy Technologies and Applications, Wiley,  ISBN: 978-1-119-55568-1 https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Progress+in+Solar+Energy+Technology+and+Applications-p-9781119555681
8. Chapter “Methanol-Based Economy: A Way Forward to Hydrogen” in the book Sustainable Development for Energy, Power, and Propulsion. Springer, Singapore, eBook ISBN: 978-981-15-5667-8 https://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811556661#
9. Chapter “Biodiesel additives: status and perspectives” in the book Biodiesel fuels, Science, Technology, Health, and Environment. CRC Press, eBook ISBN: 9780367456146 https://www.routledge.com/Biodiesel-Fuels-Science-Technology-Health-and-Environment/Konur/p/book/9780367456146
10. Chapter “Higher Alcohols as Diesel Engine Fuel” in the book  Advances in Energy and Combustion, Springer, Singapore  (available online ) page no. 157-174. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-981-16-2648-7_7

“A self-pressurized supercritical reactor system for biodiesel synthesis and its method thereof”, Patent Number: 2021105874; August 2021; I.P. Australia

• Awarded prestigious Fellowship by the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Nigeria, in 2008, 2010, 2013, and 2015.
• Guru Dronacharya Award by Shree Narayan Sanskritik Chetna Nyas on September 5, 2018.
• Founder’s Academic Award by ISFT in Bangkok, Thailand, on December 18, 2018.

• Principal Investigator, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Govt. of India sponsored project “Development of an efficient biodiesel reactor for rural application and utilization of multi feedstock derived biodiesel in medium capacity diesel engine.” The project was successfully completed. Grant INR 2.092 million.
• Principal Investigator, PCRA Sponsored project “Development & process optimization of a medium capacity state of art biodiesel processing unit.” The project was successfully completed. Grant INR 1.5 million
• Principal Investigator, Yanmar Co. Ltd., Osaka, Japan funded project Performance & Endurance Tests on a Yanmar 10 K.W. diesel Generator set fuelled with neat biodiesel (B100)”. Project completed. Grant INR 4.1 million.
• Co-Principal Investigator, Indo-Spanish Collaborative Research Project “Application of supercritical technology for the synthesis of biodiesel from nonedible oils (Jatropha curcas and Pongamia pinnata) using heterogeneous catalysts.” The project was in collaboration between Delhi Technological University and the University of Murcia, Spain. Grant 100,000 Euro.
• Consultant, World Bank Funded Project “Fences for Fuel”. The Consultancy Work included setting up jatropha cultivation at the fences of the field of farmers of Viratnagar Block of Jaipur District and to commission Jatropha oil extraction and biodiesel production unit.
• Established Centre for Advanced Studies & Research in Automotive Engineering at DTU, which has the most modern facilities for carrying out research in alternative fuels, I.C. Engines, Biomass Gasification, Tribology, Algal biofuels, and Fuel Cell.
• Renowned Expert in Biofuels, Green Energy Technology, Energy Efficiency, Energy Modeling, and Diesel Engine Technology.

Under prepration

Under prepration

Visit Abroad for Professional Development

• Visited South Africa to lead a students’ team in the SAE Mini Baja competition in October 2004.
• Visited National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Nigeria, on a fellowship in July 2008.
• Visited Kongju National University, South Korea, for collaborative research on the invitation of KNU, June/July 2009.
• Visited the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Nigeria, on a fellowship in July 2010.
• Visited the University of Murcia, Spain, for collaborative research work on the invitation of the University of Murcia in December 2012.
• Visited the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Nigeria, on a fellowship in July 2013.
• Visited the University of Indiana, Bloomington Campus, USA, to attend a Leadership Development Program from December 9-13, 2013.
• Visited the National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Nigeria, on a fellowship in June/July 2015.
• Visited the University of South Florida, Tampa, USA, for collaborative research and delivering expert lectures in August 2016.
• Visited the University of North Texas, Denton, USA, for joint research/collaboration in November 2018

Invited Expert Talk/Lecture Abroad

1. “Design and Development of Biodiesel Reactors for Rural Community” at SADC regional meeting on ‘Farming for Energy’ organized by South African Development Community (SADC), Gaborone, Botswana, October 12, 2004.
2. “Biodiesel Production Technology and Feedstocks for India” International Workshop on Moving toward Sustainable Energy Systems, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, USA, October 23-24, 2006.
3. “State of Biodiesel Research in India” International Symposium on Different aspects of biodiesel production, National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Zaria, Nigeria, December 17-21, 2007.
4. “Biodiesel Production from Non-Edible Oils in India” Workshop on Cutting Edge Biodiesel Production Technology, Kreido Biofuels, Camarillo, California, USA,  March 11-13, 2008.
5. “Evaluation of Performance and Emission Characteristics of Karanja Biodiesel and Diesel Blend in a Medium Capacity C.I Engine Employing EGR” 2011 JSAE / SAE International Conference on Power trains, Fuels and Lubricants, Kyoto, Japan, August 30 to September 2, 2011.
6. “Potential Utilization of Higher Alcohols in Unmodified Diesel Engine” ASME 2013 International Mechanical Engineering Congress, San Diego, USA, November 15-21, 2013
7. “Biofuels Production in India – Potential & Challenges ” 3^rd International Symposium on Fusion Technology, Jeonju, South Korea, July 30-August 3,2014
8. "Waste to Energy: Potential & Challenges for India" 4^th International Symposium on Fusion Technology, Raj Mangla University of Technology, Thailand, January 12-18,2015
9. “Biofuels Production: Potential, Sustainability and Environmental Impacts” International Workshop on Biodiesel Production Technology, National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Zaria, Nigeria, June 29-July 2, 2015.
10. “Biodiesel Production from Algae: Culturing, Harvesting, Extraction of Oil and Conversion to Biodiesel” International Workshop on Biodiesel Production Technology, National Research Institute for Chemical Technology (NARICT), Zaria, Nigeria, June 29-July 2, 2015
11. “Biofuels: Potential & Challenges for Nigeria” Ahmed Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria, July 13, 2015
12. “Biodiesel: Potential & Challenges for India ” University of South Florida, Tampa, USA, August 29, 2016
13. “Nanotechnology for Biodiesel Production in India: Prospects & Challenges” International Conference/Workshop on Nanotechnology and Nanomedicine” Materials & Energy Research Center, Karaj, Iran, May2-3, 2017
14. “Biodiesel Production Technology-The New Challenges” Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol, Iran, May 6, 2017
15. “Some Studies on NOX Reduction from a Diesel Engine using Stabilized Emulsion” ASME 2018 International Mechanical Engineering Congress, Pittsburgh, USA, November 9-15, 2018
16. “Methanol Economy – Opportunities & Challenges for India” 7^th International Symposium on Fusion of Science & Technology, Rajamangla University of Technology, Thailand, December 16-20,2018
17. “Renewable Diesel-Prospects & Challenges for Automotive Industry” UTAD, Portugal, July 11, 2019
18. "Next Generation Transport Fuels in India: Status, Opportunities & Challenges." 9^th International Symposium on Fusion of Science & Technology, Rajamangla University of Technology, Thailand, August 16-19,2022

Invited Expert Talk/Lecture India

• “Decentralized Biodiesel Production in India: Prospects and Challenges” International Conference on Challenges and Strategies for Sustainable Energy Efficiency and Environment; U.P. Technical University, Lucknow, June 10, 2006.
• “Biodiesel Production in India: Prospects and Challenges” National Workshop on Distributed Generation; NTPC, Noida, August 29, 2006.
• “Design of Biodiesel Processing Unit” National Workshop on Biodiesel in North East, NEDFi, Guwahati, October 17-18, 2006.
• “Opportunities & Challenges of Vegetable Oil Based Decentralized Energy System in India” at Expert Group Discussion on Role of Bio Fuels for Decentralized Application and Allied Activities, Administrative Staff College,  Hyderabad, May 14-15, 2007.
• “Commercial Production of Biodiesel in India” National Conference on Biotechnological Approaches to Alternate Energy, IIT Madras, Chennai, December 5-6, 2008.
• “New Frontiers in Biodiesel Production Technology” ENERSTATE-2010: An International Conference on Clean Energy Technologies and Energy Efficiency for Sustainable Development, Dehradun, December 27-29, 2010.
• "Commercial Biodiesel Production-Challenges Ahead" Indo-Canada workshop on “Exploitation of Agro-industrial Biomass for Integrated Biofuel and Novel Products through Sustainable Production Systems”, Hyderabad, January 27-28, 2011.
• “Potential and Challenges in Biodiesel Production Technology” International Conference on Innovative Technologies in Mechanical Engineering, KIET, Ghaziabad, August 24, 2012.
• “New Horizon in Commercial Biodiesel Production” Workshop on Biofuels: Prospects & Challenges, Dayal Bagh Educational Institute, Dayal Bagh, Agra, November 22, 2012.
• “Biodiesel Production-Opportunities & Challenges” Workshop on II^nd and III^rd generation bio-fuel R&D through microalgal strains and degradation of lignocellulosic waste, DIBER, DRDO, Haldwani, February 24, 2013.
• “Potential & Challenges of Commercial Biodiesel Production” Mangalayatan University, Aligarh, October 19,2013
• “Design of Biodiesel System for Sustainable Development” Technocrats Institute of Technology , Bhopal, February 21,2014
• “Biodiesel in India- Prospects & Challenges” Aurobindo College, University of Delhi  New Delhi, August 28, 2014
• “Biofuels : Prospects & Challenges” Noida Institute of Engineering & Technology, Greater Noida, September 4, 2014
• “Algal Biofuels: Challenges & Opportunities”, National conference on Recent Advancement in Infrastructure Development, Mangalayatan University, March 13, 2015 , Aligarh
• “Algal Biofuels: Issues for India”,  National conference on Hydrocarbon Energy & Environment, Department of Petroleum Studies, AMU Aligarh, April 25, 2015
• “Biofuels: Potential & Challenges for India , National Seminar on Emerging Trends in Manufacturing & Automation, Amity University, Gwalior, October 10, 2015
• “Algae Biofuels: Myth or Reality”, International conference on Emerging Trends in Mechanical Engineering, TIT, Bhopal, May 27- 28, 2016
• “Potential & Challenges of Biodiesel Commercialization in India”, International Conference on “Challenge in Sustainable Development from Energy & Environment Perspective”, MMMUT, Gorakhpur (in association with ENEA, Italy), March 24-25, 2017
• "Renewable Diesel-Prospects & Challenges for India", National Conferences on Recent Advances in Mechanical Engineering, NIT Kurukshetra, June 2, 2017
• "Next Generation Biofuels – Opportunities and Challenges for India ", International Workshop on Sustainable Energy, Power and Propulsion (ISEPP-2018), NIT Kurukshetra, March 18-22, 2018
• “Next-Gen Biofuels – Potential & Challenges” International Conference on Advance Technologies in Renewable Energy for Future Sustainability, RGPV Bhopal, January 30-31, 2019
• “Moving ahead from Hydrogen to Methanol Economy: Scope and Challenges”, International Workshop on Energy, Power & Environment (IWEPE-2019), NIT Kurukshetra, March 17-19, 2019
• “Next-Gen Biofuels – Scope & Opportunities for India” National Conference on Relationship between Chemical Sciences and Society, Shivaji College, University of Delhi, January 16-17, 2020
• “Next-Gen Biofuels – Can it work for India” 2nd National Seminar on Technologies for Smart City, ITM University, Gwalior, January 24,  2020
• “Higher Alcohols as Engine Fuel – Status and Opportunities for India” International Workshop on Energy, Environment and Multiphase Flows, IIT Kanpur, February 24-26, 2020
• “Biofuels for E.V. Application: Status and Opportunity for India” FDP on Opportunity and Challenges for Electric Vehicles in the Automotive, National Institute of Technology Srinagar, July 26-30, 2021 (in online mode).
• “Renewable Jet Fuel- Potential & Challenges” 1st International Conference on Computational Intelligence & Energy Advancements (ICCIEA-2020) Vaagdevi College of Engineering, Warangal, India, December 12-13, 2020. (in online mode)
• “Green Energy- A Bridge for Sustainable Development” Green Energy Technologies: Need of Future Jointly Organised by NIT Srinagar & VCE, Warangal August 10-14, 2020. (in online mode)
• “Vegetable Oils Derived Fuels-Scope and opportunities” Emerging Trends in Mechanical Engineering" (ETiME-2021) Maharishi Markandeshwar (Deemed to be University), Mullana, Haryana May 24-29, 2021. (in online mode).

AWARDED (20)

• Ashish Karnwal, Topic: Experimental studies on the potential utilization of biodiesel in a variable compression ratio diesel engine, Jamia Millia Islamia, 2012
• Ashok Yadav, Topic: Comparative evaluation of CI engine performance and Life cycle analysis for Jatropha, Karanja, and Neem Biodiesel fuels, Gautam Buddh Technical University (now AKTU, Lucknow), 2012
• Harveer Singh Pali, Topic: Performance, emission and combustion characteristics of a biodiesel fuelled diesel engine, DTU, 2016
• Sangita Banga, Topic: Purification and Characterization of Biodiesel Feedstocks using Organic Adsorbents, Manav Rachna International University, 2016
• Alhassan Yahya, Topic: Production and characterization of renewable fuels from multiple feedstocks using catalytic and non-catalytic processes, DTU, 2016
• Parvesh Kumar, Topic: Experimental Investigations on Performance of Dual Fuel Diesel Engine using CNG and Biodiesel, DTU, 2017
• Raghvendra Gautam, Topic “Performance, emission, and combustion studies on a diesel engine using Jatropha Ethyl Ester and butanol, DTU, 2017
• Mukesh Kumar, Topic: Investigations on CI Engine performance, emissions, and its limitations using biodiesel from jatropha, neem, and mahua oil in Indian conditions, Uttrakhand Technical University, 2018

• D.K Gupta, Topic: Thermodynamic analysis of solar operated combined power and ejector refrigeration cycle using eco-friendly refrigerants, DTU, 2018
• Sidharth, Topic: Utilization of ternary fuel blends in a compression engine- Performance, Emission and Combustion studies, DTU, 2019
• Sunil Kumar Sinha, Topic: Study on Use of Renewable Fuels in a Compression Ignition Engine, DTU, 2020
• Ankit Sonthalia, Topic: Performance, Emission, and Combustion Studies of a Modified Vegetable Oil in a Compression Ignition Engine, DTU, 2020
• Roshan Raman, Topic: Experimental Studies on the Utilization of Acetylene and Oxygenated Blends in a Dual Fuel Engine, DTU, 2021
• Mukul Tomar, Topic: Some Studies on Nanoparticles Doped Alternative Fuels in Unmodified CI Engine, DTU, 2021
• Rashi Koul, Topic:  Performance, Emission, and Combustion Studies of a Renewable Diesel in a Compression Ignition Engine, DTU, 2023
• Khushbu Yadav, Topic:  Evaluation of Performance, Emission and Combustion Characteristics of Various Biodiesel of Indian Origin, DTU, 2023
• Dushyant Mishra, Topic:  Some Studies on Evaluation of Combustion, Performance and Emission Characteristics of Quaternary Blends in Compression Ignition Engine, DTU, 2024
• Kirat Singh, Topic:  Some Investigations on Use of Renewable Fuel in Compression Ignition Engine, DTU, 2024
• Vipul Saxena, Topic: Some Studies on Enhancement of Diesel Engine Characteristics and Fuel Properties by Using Fuel Additives, DTU, 2025
• Pawan Kishore Jha, Topic“Experimental investigation on use of CNG and Di-Ethyl Ether in a HCCI Engine”, DTU, 2025

Prof. Naveen Kumar is widely recognized as a transformative leader in higher technical and vocational education. His career reflects not only academic brilliance but also a rare ability to translate vision into institutional growth and long-term impact. Over the years, he has consistently advocated for a flexible and innovative curriculum that balances theoretical foundations with practical skills, management acumen, entrepreneurship, and sustainability.

A hallmark of his leadership has been the emphasis on infrastructure modernization and faculty motivation as critical pillars for building world-class institutions. He played a pivotal role in shaping the Delhi Technological University (DTU) new campus since 1996, which today stands as main campus of the university.

Equally significant is his contribution to institutional research ecosystems. In 2003, Prof. Kumar incepted the Centre for Advanced Studies and Research in Automotive Engineering. What began as a seed initiative has now grown into a banyan tree of innovation, nurturing advanced research in automotive engineering, alternative fuels, and sustainable mobility. The Centre has become a nationally recognized hub for industry–academia collaboration, producing impactful research, fostering entrepreneurship, and preparing students to lead in the era of clean and efficient technologies.

Prof. Kumar’s leadership philosophy extends beyond infrastructure and research. He has consistently promoted optimal resource utilization, ensuring that institutions reduce costs without compromising quality. His initiatives in incubation centers, skill development programs, and entrepreneurship cells have empowered students to transform ideas into ventures, bridging the gap between academic learning and industrial application.

His global travels across both developed and developing economies have enriched his perspective on education systems and industrial practices. These experiences have informed his vision of creating institutions that are globally competitive yet locally relevant. He has championed interdisciplinary learning, sustainability-driven policies, and climate-conscious strategies, aligning higher education with the broader goals of sustainable development.

As a mentor and guide, Prof. Kumar has inspired generations of students and colleagues to pursue excellence with integrity and creativity. Many of his mentees now hold leadership positions in academia, industry, and government, carrying forward his legacy of innovation and responsibility. His participation in academic boards, policy forums, and professional societies underscores his dedication to shaping the future of technical and vocational education at both national and international levels.

Prof. Kumar’s journey is best described as a living sketch of resilience and vision — from planting seeds of innovation to nurturing institutions that flourish like banyan trees. His contributions continue to redefine the role of education in nation-building and global progress, ensuring that higher education remains a catalyst for sustainable and inclusive growth.