Jagadesh Donepudi

Director

Expert in: Process Advancements

Jagadesh Donepudi profile picture

About Jagadesh

I serve as the Director of Business Development South Asia. With more than 30 years of experience in the hydrocarbon industry, I leverage my expertise to bring about transformative change in refineries as well as oil and gas producers. 

I began my career in refining operations, technical services, and process design. To improve refinery processes, I used process simulation tools to identify bottlenecks and constraints as well as understand the impact of process parameters on equipment performance. My subsequent work included analyzing refinery and petrochemical configurations using digital twins to maximize product lines and meet carbon reduction goals. Specifically, my focus involved improving reaction kinetics and conversion by experimenting with different trays, packings, catalysts, and additives. 

The most significant accomplishment of my career includes building and leading collaborative teams to conduct crude blend studies. In addition, by using my extensive experience with crystallization, feed precursors, bottom cracking catalysts, and additives, I have led my team to improve the yields of petrochemical feedstocks such as propylene from FCC units. With demonstrated expertise in hydraulics, we have been able to create custom dashboards with data analytics to identify hydraulic constraints such as flooding and fouling, thereby increasing crude throughputs and creating value for both refineries and upstream producers. 

Outside of work, I like to spend time with my wife and two adult children. I also enjoy interacting with ministers, bureaucrats, researchers, and business leaders regarding how technological advancements enable communities to prosper on a local, regional, and global scale.  

I earned a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University Department of Chemical Technology at the University of Mumbai, India. My post-doctoral training was earned at Iwate University in Morioka, Japan.