Vikram is a geotechnical engineer and researcher with more than eight years of combined research and industry experience in offshore engineering. He is currently a Research Fellow at the Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems (COFS) at The University of Western Australia (UWA). His work focuses on offshore geotechnics, with particular expertise in foundation systems for offshore wind turbines.

Vikram’s research integrates geotechnical centrifuge modelling, field testing, and advanced numerical modelling to understand the performance of offshore foundations under complex loading conditions. Since rejoining UWA in March 2024, he has been recognised with the 2024 UWA Aspire Award (the sole recipient across the entire university, awarded by Business Events Perth), was invited to present at the Australian Geomechanics Society Young Geotechnical Professionals' Seminar, and received the prestigious Dr Baden Clegg Award (2^nd place), awarded by Engineers Australia. Recently, he was awarded the UWA Research Collaboration Award 2025, receiving $24,870 in funding for the project “Securing Floating Offshore Wind Energy with New Ocean Seabed Data and Innovations in Anchor Design Approaches”, in collaboration with Ruhr University Bochum (Germany) and the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (Norway).

He completed his PhD in Offshore Geotechnical Engineering at UWA in 2022 under the supervision of Professors Sam Stanier, Britta Bienen, and Mark Randolph, supported by an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) project. A key outcome of his doctoral research was the development of large deformation finite element codes and constitutive models capable of capturing the response of fine-grained deepwater sediments to large structural movements. These tools enable “whole-life” geotechnical modelling of offshore problems involving complex soil–structure interaction. During his PhD, he also undertook a six-month visiting researcher appointment at the University of Cambridge.

His doctoral work has produced five high-impact journal papers, including two in Géotechnique (Impact Factor: 5.13), one in Canadian Geotechnical Journal (Impact Factor: 3.9), and two in Computers & Geotechnics (Impact Factor: 6.2). His most-cited article has already attracted over 45 Google scholar citations, reflecting the impact of his work.

Alongside his PhD, Vikram contributed to industry-driven research consultancy projects as a Research Officer/Consultant at UWA, where he developed advanced 3D large deformation finite element solutions to support offshore in-situ testing projects, including the RIGSS Joint Industry Project. He also taught and demonstrated in core geotechnical engineering units at UWA.

Following his doctorate, Vikram broadened his expertise as a Research Associate at UWA and subsequently as a Geotechnical Engineer at the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), where he worked on offshore foundation design and geotechnical site characterisation while balancing both consulting and research responsibilities.

At UWA, Vikram is actively involved in supervision and mentorship. He currently supervises two PhD students (one at UWA and one external) and three Master of Professional Engineering (MPE) students. Beyond research, he contributes to the profession and community through several service roles. He volunteers at UWA OffshoreWind4Kids outreach demonstrations, helping to inspire younger audiences about offshore renewable energy. He serves as a peer reviewer for international journals, including the prestigious ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering and Marine Georesources & Geotechnology. In addition, he is a committee member of the Society for Underwater Technology (SUT) Offshore Site Investigation and Geotechnics (OSIG) Perth branch and a technical committee member for the 3rd European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE)/ SUT Workshop on Integrated Site Characterisation for Offshore Renewable Energy.

Before embarking on his PhD, he completed a Master of Technology degree in Geotechnical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. His master’s research, published in leading geotechnical journals, developed a generalised design framework for plate anchors supporting floating offshore structures, with his top-cited paper receiving over 25 google scholar citations. His academic achievements were supported by highly competitive awards, including the Commonwealth of Australia Research Training Program Scholarship, UWA international stipend, and additional top-up scholarships.

Through his research, industry collaborations, and student mentorship, Vikram contributes to advancing the understanding and design of offshore foundation systems that support the development of offshore energy.