Raj Melville - Indian Institute of Technology Bombay

Raj Melville

B.Tech. 1974 Mechanical Engineering

Mr. Raj Melville is the Executive Director of the Deshpande Foundation. He received his B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Bombay in 1974, Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Management from MIT Sloan School of Management in 1977, Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Science (D.Sc.) in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981 and 1982 respectively.

Recollecting his memories associated with IIT Bombay, he says, “What happened outside the classroom like shooting the breeze late at night and pulling all-nighters were as much a part of the IIT experience as the education we received. IIT Bombay gave you many opportunities to build people skills whether it was running a mess, organizing a cultural festival, or putting together a magazine that was as useful later as your technical knowledge.”

Dr. Melville’s hobbies include sketching and painting. In his spare time, he volunteers at several organizations including editing the bi-weekly newsletter for a local Indian cultural organization with over 3000 subscribers. He travels around the world and tries to hike or walk whenever the weather allows in New England.

Motivation towards contribution to IIT Bombay

“The IIT Bombay alumni network in the US is a powerful connector. Regardless of where you are, there is always someone from the Institute with whom you can quickly relate and connect with. I started attending IITB Boston events to keep in touch with others and gradually got drawn into more of an active role within the alumni organization. I helped the chapter reconstitute itself as a US based non-profit organisation, put together the programme content for the first national pan-IITB Conference in the Boston area, took over as chapter president, and am still engaged in all of its activities.”