Purva Kale
Director – Uday Gujar Foundation Co-founder – Indian Classical Music and Arts (ICMA) Foundation Senior Engineer – Dolby Laboratories
Ms. Purva Uday Gujar-Kale is a distinguished technologist and cultural advocate, seamlessly blending her expertise in engineering with a deep commitment to the arts and social development. As a Senior Engineer at Dolby Laboratories, she has been instrumental in pioneering advancements in audio technology. Simultaneously, her passion for Indian classical music has led her to co-found the Indian Classical Music and Arts (ICMA) Foundation, promoting cultural heritage globally. Her role as a Director at the Uday Gujar Foundation underscores her dedication to societal upliftment through education and skill development.
Major Career Achievements:
Senior Engineer at Dolby Laboratories: With over 17 years at Dolby, Ms. Kale has contributed significantly to the development of Dolby Atmos technology. Notably, Disney’s “Brave” was the first movie to utilize this technology, and “Gravity” was the first to receive an Oscar in Sound Editing using Dolby Atmos.
Co-founder of ICMA Foundation: Alongside her husband, renowned vocalist Mahesh Kale, she established the Indian Classical Music and Arts Foundation in the San Francisco Bay Area. The foundation aims to promote Indian classical music and arts through concerts, workshops, and educational programs.
Director at Uday Gujar Foundation: Appointed on September 9, 2014, she plays a pivotal role in steering the foundation’s initiatives focused on education, skill development, and environmental sustainability.
Academic Contributions: Ms. Kale defended her Ph.D. dissertation at the University of California, Santa Barbara, focusing on the digitization and staff notation of Bhatkhande compositions, making them accessible through software tools.
National Awards and Recognitions
We are proud to share that Purva Kale and her engineering team at Dolby Laboratories have been honored with a 2024 Academy Award (Scientific & Engineering Award) for the creation of the Dolby Atmos Cinema Sound System.
Purva, a core part of Dolby’s embedded software engineering group since 2010, has contributed to several landmark products including SCC2000, CP850, IMS3000, and CP950A. With nearly two decades at Dolby and a PhD from UC Santa Barbara, her recognition is truly well-deserved.