Senior Urban Transport Specialist and Urban Transport Advisor for the World Bank in Washington, DC. He chairs Transport Research Board’s Committee on Transportation in Developing Countries, and holds a Master’s degree in Transportation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology. Ajay Kumar is the former Lead Transport Economist for the World Bank. He has more than 30 years of experience in transport and urban sector public policy, strategic planning, and finance. During his time at the World Bank, he worked in more than 40 countries across Central Asia, South and East Asia, and Africa. He holds a PhD in Urban Economics and Planning from UCLA. Dr. Ajay is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at JECRC University, India. He received his Ph.D. in the field of advanced manufacturing from Guru Jambheshwar University of Science & Technology, India, after B.Tech. (Hons.) in mechanical engineering and M.Tech. (Distinction) in manufacturing and automation. His research spans incremental sheet forming, artificial intelligence, sustainable materials, additive manufacturing, mechatronics, smart manufacturing, industry 4.0, waste management, and optimization techniques. He has organized international conferences and holds more than 20 patents. With 15 years of teaching and research experience, Dr. Ajay is a Guest Editor for Frontiers in Sustainability and actively contributes to conferences and symposiums. Recognized with merit and best teacher awards, he advises the QCFI, Delhi Chapter student cell at JECRC University, and has played a key role in various academic and professional initiatives.