Prof. Mohammad
Saud Afzal
Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at IIT Kharagpur & Principal Consultant. Integrating high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD), physical hydraulic modeling, and artificial intelligence to deliver validated, safety-critical engineering solutions for ports, coastal infrastructure, and water resources.
Associate Professor & Principal Consultant
IIT Kharagpur
Bridging Academia and Industry
IIT Kharagpur • NTNU Norway • DHI India
Prof. Mohammad Saud Afzal is an Associate Professor of Civil Engineering at IIT Kharagpur and an independent consultant specializing in Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Coastal & Ocean Engineering, and Hydraulics. A B.Tech. graduate from IIT Kanpur (2008), he earned his M.Sc. in Coastal Engineering from TU Delft, The Netherlands (2013), and completed his Ph.D. in Marine Technology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU, Norway) in 2017.
His professional career seamlessly integrates rigorous academic research with high-impact industrial consulting. Following his tenure as a Hydraulic Modeller at DHI India—where he executed hydrodynamic, wave, and sediment-transport studies for major maritime projects—he completed post-doctoral research at NTNU before joining the faculty at IIT Kharagpur.
Prof. Afzal combines high-fidelity numerical modelling, physical model experiments, and artificial intelligence/machine-learning algorithms to deliver safety-critical engineering solutions. His consultancy portfolio spans deepwater port developments, offshore energy structures, hydropower water conductor systems, river morphodynamics, and coastal protection infrastructure across India and internationally.
International Recognition
Builders École d'Ingénieurs
Delivering advanced teaching and research guidance to undergraduate, postgraduate, and Ph.D. scholars in maritime and hydraulic engineering.
European Union Committees
Appointed evaluator for Ph.D. dissertations, scholarship awards, and academic grant committees across European Union institutions.
Scientific Reports (Nature)
Steering peer-review rigor and publication standards for *Scientific Reports (Nature)* and *Journal of Water Management Modelling*.
IIT Kharagpur & NTNU Norway
Principal Investigator on major national research grants, supervisor of 12 Ph.D. scholars, and creator of nationwide NPTEL hydraulic engineering courses.
Professional & Consulting Journey
A timeline of milestones in hydraulic science, research, and major national engineering works.
- Jul 2023 - PresentAssociate Professor
Associate Professor
IIT KHARAGPURCFD, coastal and hydraulic engineering research, teaching and consultancy. Leads the CORE CFD research and consultancy group.
- Nov 2017 - Jul 2023Assistant Professor
Assistant Professor
IIT KHARAGPURDepartment of Civil Engineering.
- Jan 2017 - Nov 2017Post-Doc
Post-Doctoral Researcher
NTNU, NORWAYDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering.
- Sep 2013 - Mar 2017Ph.D.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
NTNU, NORWAYDepartment of Marine Technology. Thesis: Three-dimensional streaming in seabed boundary layer.
- 2011 - 2013M.Sc.
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
TU DELFT, THE NETHERLANDSCoastal Engineering and Management, Department of Hydraulic Engineering.
- Jul 2008 - Jun 2011Consulting
Hydraulic Engineer & Modeller
DHI INDIAMarine and Coastal Division. Wave, hydrodynamic and sediment-transport studies across India.
- 2004 - 2008B.Tech.
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.)
IIT KANPURDepartment of Civil Engineering.
Collaborating Institutions and Companies
Collaborating with leading IITs, international research centers, government funding bodies, and industry leaders to deliver high-impact engineering solutions.
IIT Kharagpur
Primary Institutional BasePrimary institutional base for advanced computational research, hosting the CFD, hydraulic modeling, and digital twin laboratories.
NTNU, Norway
International Research PartnerLongstanding academic partnership with the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in arctic coastal erosion and hydrodynamic streaming research.
L&T Limited
Industrial ConsultingHigh-fidelity fluid-structure interaction (FSI) validation for offshore deep-sea water intake structures and shoreline infrastructure design.
Patel Engineering Limited
Industrial ConsultingVetting and CFD validation for the water conductor system of the 450 MW Shongtong Karcham Hydroelectric Project.
SERB & ANRF
Sponsored Government FundingPrincipal investigator for multi-year national research grants focused on 3D computational scoping and local pier scour.
Ministry of Jal Shakti
Government ConsultingTechnical validation and computational siltation modeling for the National Water Development Agency's river-interlinking channels.
DHI India
Industry & Research PartnerCollaborative research and development in coastal wave propagation modeling and sediment transport toolchains.
Kolkata Port Trust
Public Sector ConsultingDevelopment of predictive sediment transport algorithms and tidal flow analysis to optimize channel dredging overheads.
Industrial Consulting Projects
Translating advanced hydrodynamics and numerical fluid science into national-scale field-ready infrastructure and commercial engineering solutions.
Water Conductor System CFD Analysis
Patel Engineering Limited
Shongtong Karcham HEP (450 MW) water conductor system CFD validation.
Hydrodynamics and Scour around Coastal Structures
SERB & ANRF
Engineering research grant.
Hydrological Study of Wind Farm
M/S ENCOTEC ENERGY INDIA PVT LTD
Hydrological safety study for wind farm in Maharashtra.
Hybrid AUV/ROV Underwater Drone System
Aeroservices Ltd.
Pre-feasibility study for hybrid AUV/ROV drone system.