Dr. Ram Vis, a well-known name in the bunker industry since 1975, is passionate about the usage and problems associated with bunker fuels. Popularly nicknamed the Bunker Guru, he started his career as a marine engineer, sailed as a chief engineer, then moved on to a Classification Society where he served for sixteen years. During this period, he acquired a Master’s degree in Heat Power Engineering and a PhD in Metallurgical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in Madras.

When an opportunity opened for Dr. Vis to serve at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in Langley, Virginia, he worked there for seven years before starting his own business, Viswa Lab, headquartered in Houston, Texas. Since 1991, Viswa Lab now named as The Viswa Group has grown into eight testing labs situated around the globe. It has also grown laterally to include in-depth testing of fuels, lubricant, and water. The Viswa Group has also developed high level of competence in Energy Efficiency and Emission related areas. Another subsidiary, VTIC, handles fuel blending, lubricants formulations related topics to the entire petroleum industry.

Dr. Vis has contributed multiple articles, papers, etc., to the Inter-national Council on Marine Engines, known as CIMAC, and the International Marine Engineers (IMARE) and has been a member of the CIMAC Working Group for Fuels and Lubes for more than fifteen years. Currently he focuses on cutting edge technology associated with new fuels, artificial intelligence (AI), and digital technology–including big data analytics–and contributes with gratitude to the industry that has given him his pride of place.