PALS Core Team – Enhancing Engineering Education

CHAMPIONS TEAM – TN + KA
CHAMPIONS TEAM – HYDERABAD (PALSH)
CHAMPIONS TEAM – KERALA

C N Chandrasekaran (CNC) is a professional with 40 years of commendable Information Technology Service Leadership and work experience in the areas of Global Practice/Engagement Oversight, Business Development, Business Operations, Program Management, Project Management, Service Delivery Management, People Management, Competency Development and Training. CNC has provided services to Financial Services, Manufacturing, Automotive, Chemicals, Food and Maintenance clients, Globally and in India. CNC is a graduate of IIT Madras (1977 batch) and holds Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Science and Applications from NCSDCT-TIFR

CNC is the Chairperson since PALS 2024-25 edition

Mohan Narayanan is the Founder and CEO of “KUBOS”, a best-in-class Consulting and Analytics Start up. In his last corporate assignment, Mohan was part of the team that set up Cognizant offshore, created & spearheaded Healthcare and Life Sciences vertical, their largest one at that time. Prior to Cognizant, he held leadership roles at Tata Burroughs Ltd (TBI) and Macneill & Magor Ltd. He holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from IIT Madras. Mohan has held Board level positions at Sciformix Corporation (now Covance) and Trigyn Technologies Ltd. He is part of the Executive committee of many industry bodies like TiE and SICCI. He is member of IIT M Entrepreneurship Forum (IITMEF) and also runs PALS, a voluntary organization supported by IITM to augment the quality of engineering education in the country.

Anuradha Ramanujam is a 2009 pass out from the MBA program at Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras and Electronics and Communications Engineer from the College of Engineering, Guindy (1982). Before working in Cognizant Technology Solutions in various managerial functions in Delivery and General Management, she was an entrepreneur for about ten years. Post Cognizant, she did general administration and succession planning in her family hospital at Chennai for two years.

Bharanidharan, an Alumnus of IIT Madras and IIT Delhi, has over 30 years of experience running offshore delivery centres for large financial services institutions, eCommerce and HealthCare organizations. A seasoned IT professional having played several senior leadership roles in leading organizations. Also a passionate educator, enthusiastic towards fostering innovation and entrepreneurial spirit among students.

S Krishnakumar – IIT Alumnus with several decades of experience in the Engineering & Automotive industry. SKK has held pivotal roles, including Senior Vice-President at Lucas TVS Ltd for 20 years, overseeing engineering, R&D, and quality domains, and as General Manager at L&T for 22 years, leading profit centers in rubber processing machinery. He has also made significant contributions as an adjunct and visiting faculty at esteemed institutions like RMK Engineering College, VIT Vellore, and Anna University.

Palghat Mohan was the Chairman of PALS between 2020-2024 and oversaw a quantum leap in PALS activities, including expansion into other geographical regions such as AP-Telangana, Mysuru, and Kerala. He is an Alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Calcutta, having 40 years of work experience mainly in the Paints industry. During his career he occupied various senior managerial positions spanning manufacturing operations, sales, and marketing as well as administration of business units. Major part of his career was spent in Goodlass Nerolac Paints (now Kansai Nerolac) in India and Kansai Plascon Paints in Africa. Mohan spent 21 years of his career working in Zambia.

Over 3 decades of experience in various aspects of Information Technology and International Projects Management encompassing strategy formulation, organisational refinement, offshore/onsite delivery management, international marketing, financial management, Delivery Excellence, and large account management. Has executed large government projects both in India and abroad. PG ( Computer Science) from IIT Delhi.

Current: SMART Project Management workshop for enhancing PM skills: On how to solve complex PM issues, practical tips and tricks from a practitioner view point. Teaching Computer Science subjects at BITS, Pilani ( Chennai campus) and Anna University and Conducting workshop at MBA & Engineering colleges on enhancing employability potential of students. Regular speaker at various professional bodies and academic institutes on Technology, soft skills and leadership

Ramaswamy is an Alumnus of IIT Madras, having obtained his B.Tech and M.Tech degrees in Metallurgy from the Institution. He has served for nearly 40 years in reputed organizations like LMW, Brakes India and Texmo Industries in their iron foundries, last position as head of operations. He has been responsible for setting up green field foundries and in project upgradations. He has been active in Foundry Associations and now serves the Foundry Industry as Consultant, based in Coimbatore.

An Alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Calcutta, Ravi has more than 30 years experience in TCS, IDBI, Bank of Baroda and EDS. He has been an advisor with CMC Ltd focusing on the BFSI vertical. He is also a qualified banker. He is one of the promoters of IIT Alumni Industry Interaction Centre(AIIC) and also FORTESS an organisation of ex TCS employees serving the community.

Ramesh P R has over 46 years of structural engineering experience in various types of projects including high-rise buildings, schools, hospitals, hotels, leisure complexes, shopping malls, mosques, oil and power plants, atomic reactor buildings, water and waste water treatment plants, and industrial structures like desalination plants, district cooling plants, and water retaining structures in UAE, Qatar, India, Nepal and Oman. Have a long career covering various types of structures including post tensioned, conventionally reinforced concrete, and steel. At present a consultant to Dubai based consulting firm.

Dr.Lakshmi Gangavaram is a detail-oriented biotechnology researcher with a M.Tech (Biotechnology) and a doctoral degree in Biochemical Engineering from IIT Madras. With considerable experience in being part of world-renowned overseas research labs for collaborative research, she is engaged in the multidisciplinary areas of biotech research (academic/industry set up) adept in genetic engineering, protein engineering and with expertise in novel enzymes with a focus on applications in agriculture,healthcare and environment.She also has an experience of directing research funding acquisition with related project management and delivery, knowledge of IP development, and management with granted patents in India and U.S. She is passionate education researcher and a volunteer for the PALS Program.

Pathy Lakshminarayanan is a seasoned business leader and CXO advisor with over 35 years of industry experience, including 29 years at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). With a Master of Technology from IIT Madras and advanced expertise in cybersecurity from Harvard University, he has developed a deep knowledge of governance, telecom, AI, cloud computing, and cybersecurity. His leadership spans program management, agile methodologies, digital transformation, and DevOps. Pathy has held pivotal roles, such as Global Head of Corporate Delivery Governance at TCS, overseeing strategic transformation programs to enhance customer experience. He has successfully led large business units, cultivated client relationships with major telecom companies like British Telecom and Vodafone.

Shobha Ramesh has a 40-year career in the Information Technology industry, with expertise in skill development and IT solutions. She holds a Masters in Mathematics from IIT Madras (1985) and previously earned a PMP certification. Recently, she worked as a Solution Architect & Systems Analyst with the National Institute for Smart Government on e-Governance projects. With 20 years in IT services, she has designed software solutions for global clients across various platforms and domains. As a Corporate Trainer and Project Management Consultant, she has trained over 2000 IT professionals. As Program Director at Mindtree, she led L&D initiatives, impacting 6000+ employees. Passionate about education, she is a volunteer at Evidyaloka, teaching rural students.

Srinivasa Gopal is a seasoned professional with a strong academic background (IIT Madras, University of Regina, IIIT Bengaluru) and has experience working with top organizations (Infosys, Emirates Airlines, Unisys Corp, Land Mark Gulf Group, GAVS Info Services). He currently runs a small software development business and is dedicated to community service through his non-profit society for academic research and help group for the under privileged. Gopal is a recipient of the Governor General of Canada’s Gold Medal in 1992 and the Distinguished Community Service award from Sci Art Services, Madison, USA during Dec 2023

Mr. Srinivasan (KK) Kidambi is a C-suite Leader in Design Engineering and Manufacturing across Telecom and Hardware/ Software Industries, He is a Certified Master Coach and provides qualified interventions in Organization Building and Leadership Development. He is a member of Global Keiretsu Angel Investor Forums and also a member of Little Angels Network of IIT-M Incubation cell. Additionally, he is a Start-up Mentor at Gopalakrishnan Deshpande Centre (GDC) for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at IIT-Madras.

His last corporate assignment was as a Vice President of Nokia heading global business units and responsible for Market development and Enterprise Go-To-Market initiatives.

He has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering (1983) from College of Engineering, Guindy followed by a Master’s Degree in Computer Science (1986) from IIT Madras.

Prof. Muralikrishna Iyyanki, a distinguished expert in Geospatial Modeling, Environment, and Health Analytics, holds a Ph.D. from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and an M.Tech from IIT Madras. With extensive experience spanning academia, research, and consultancy, Prof. Murali has chaired significant international initiatives like the ISPRS Working Group III/9 on Geospatial Environment and Health Analytics. Dr. Murali has served in pivotal roles such as the Chairman of the Smart Village Movement, Consultant for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Project on Population Health Analytics, and as a Distinguished Fellow at DRDO, Government of India. As a prolific academic, he has mentored numerous scholars, led research projects, and founded esteemed journals like Geospatial Today and Technology Spectrum. With a commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration and innovation, Prof. Muralikrishna fondly called IVM continues to shape the landscape of geospatial technology and its applications in diverse domains.

C P Madhusudan is co -founder of Vyuhaa Med Data a Startup focused on Preventive Healthcare which is incubated at IIT Hyderabad. He is also Director of Lucid Software Ltd. which develops software for Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) industry. Lucid’s focus is on industries where safety is a critical issue and secure operations are a must. These include Nuclear Power, Aerospace, Civil Engineering Infrastructure, Oil and Gas. In addition, he is supporting the scale up of CPath Laboratories, national chain of diagnostics laboratories. He is an alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Bangalore. He has led alumni activities for both institutes for many yearsC.

Ravindranath Jonna completed his B.Tech (Metallurgy) from IIT, Madras in 1977. He joined SAIL, Salem Steel Plant, Salem in 1978 as Management Trainee (Technical) and worked in Production, Planning, Customer Services, Market Development, Domestic Marketing and Exports. He has travelled across the globe during his fifteen years stint as in-charge of Exports. He received Jawahar award for his contribution in improving exports from SSP. He has also received Regional Top Exporter Shield from EEPC (SR) for record growth of Exports. He superannuated in 2015 as DGM (Marketing), in-charge of Stainless Steel Marketing from SAIL, CMO. He has settled down in Visakhapatnam and presently helping ISSDA as advisor in spreading the knowledge about Stainless Steels & cost-effective uses of SS to improve the consumption in India.

Pingili Vikram Kumar (विक्रम कुमार విక్రమ్ కుమార్), well known as vikram bhayyA in academic circles, is basically a science communicator. Was with bharatiscript.com project at IIT Madras till 2022. Worked in the industry as a DSP engineer for a short while. Served as faculty in Engg colleges for about 4.5 years. Visited 550+ schools & has been the resource person for signal processing / MATLAB / embedded systems/ Robotics workshops/ FDPs at 90+ colleges across the country. Given lecture cum demo sessions for over 250 hrs online. Taught mathematical magics & basic science demos to over 1 lakh students, teachers, and the general public. Concurrently does several activities such as mentoring/ supporting students in doing socially relevant projects.

VVB Anjaneya Prasad (Brahma) Completed M. Tech (Power Systems & Power Electronics) from IIT Madras, B. Tech (EEE) from ANU, DEEE from MBTS Govt. Polytechnic. Having 25 years of industrial experience in Design, Testing, Commissioning, QC, Project Management Consultancy & Engineering Consultancy in Oil & Gas and Electrical Industry in India & GCC. Worked in top EPC & Engineering Companies CCC, Worley. Worked in Schneider/SIEMENS/ABB Channel Partners Companies, Voltamp Energy SAOG. He founded Veerabhadra Elite Electrodynamic Solutions LLP and doing R&D in HVDC (>500kV DC) and applied 4 PATENTS (HVDC Generators & Converters).

Kiran Murthi (1995EE batch) works on the intersection of technology and sales. He is a consultant to mid sized corporates on leveraging technology to drive sales & is an Advisor to early stage tech companies or their investors on commercialization and speed to market.

Tejavath Jagadeesh is a seasoned professional with 8 years of experience in the Energy & Utilities sector. He holds a Master’s degree from IIT Madras in Power Systems and Power Electronics and currently serves as a Project Technical Lead at HCL Technologies. His expertise includes power systems, renewable energy integration, HVDC systems, and control & protection design. Proficient in tools like MATLAB, ETAP, PSCAD, and PowerFactory, he also manages cross-functional teams using JIRA and GIT. He is an active volunteer with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), UK.

Dr. K S Kumar is an experienced R&D Engineer and Researcher with over 14 years in Power Electronics, Power Systems, Renewable Energy, Energy Storage, Microgrids, and FACTS technologies. He holds a Master’s degree from Andhra University and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from IIT Madras. He has worked with leading institutions like CPRI Bangalore, IIT Madras, and NTU Singapore. His expertise includes control and design of Solar PV, Wind, Energy Storage Systems, and FACTS devices. His research focuses on Renewable Energy Integration, Microgrid Control, and Power Quality. He is passionate about developing practical solutions through modeling, simulation, and prototyping.

Mr. K. V. Nagi Reddy is a seasoned civil engineering professional with over 17 years of diverse experience in the residential, commercial, and industrial construction sectors. An alumnus of IIT Madras (M.Tech) and Sri Venkateswara University (B.Tech), he has developed expertise in project management, contracts administration, value engineering, and cost control, consistently driving projects to completion with efficiency, quality, and strategic focus.Through his distinguished journey in Project & Contract Management, he continues to share valuable industry insights, guiding the next generation of engineers to pursue careers built on technical excellence, innovation, and leadership.

A seasoned professional with 49 years of experience in Indian and multinational companies across India and overseas, with expertise in production planning, methods engineering, tool design, industrial engineering, and materials planning in the manufacturing and automotive sectors. Skilled in delivering and implementing eBusiness, eSecurity, IT/software systems integration, and solutions in CAD/CAE/CAM, ERP, and factory automation, along with strong capabilities in sales, marketing, product management, consulting, implementation, and training. His career includes over two decades of entrepreneurial leadership, during which he built a software organization from inception to an annual revenue of ₹20 crore with a 150+ member team, developing multiple product and solution lines and securing more than 50 clients across education, corporate, and uniformed services sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering from Osmania University (1974), a Master of Technology from IIT Madras (1976), and a Postgraduate Diploma in Management from the All India Management Association (1986).

P.V. Ravindran graduated with a Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech. Chem) from IIT Madras in 1972. Later on, he further strengthened his qualifications with a management program from IIM-Kozhikode. He has decades of professional experience in diverse fields in India and abroad. 12 years in the field of Aluminium manufacturing, casting, rolling, and anodizing and 36 years as a successful entrepreneur in software development and marketing.

K. Balachandran graduated from IITM in 1982 ( B-Tech Civil) , went on to work in major construction projects both in India and Middle East , in turn working for A class contractors, builders and Project Management Consultancies. Last assignment was as Project Director of PMC, managing multiple Hospital projects in Assam, a joint initiative of Tatasons, Mumbai and the Government of Assam

S. P. Ashok Kumar commenced his professional career in January 1975 with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) in their Power Projects Division. This role provided him with the valuable opportunity to apply the engineering principles he had acquired at IIT Madras over eight successful years. Seeking a new challenge, he transitioned to the petroleum refining sector, joining Cochin Refineries (now BPCL). During his 15-year tenure, he gained valuable experience across various departments within the refinery. Subsequently, he embarked on a fulfilling 17-year career with Reliance Industries, where he thrived in a dynamic and challenging environment. Ashok retired from Reliance in 2017.

Currently, He has dedicated his time to socially impactful projects. One of his key initiatives involves actively championing the PALS program, which focuses on empowering engineering college students with the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully transition into the professional world upon graduation.

Anto Varkey, a seasoned professional and trainer, graduated in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Madras in 1967. With a distinguished 35-year career at Kochi Refineries Limited (now Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited), he held senior roles, including GM (Developmental Projects) and DGM (Oil Movement). Known for his expertise in automobile engineering and refinery management, he has attended advanced training programs globally, including IIM Ahmedabad and the UK under the Colombo Plan. Currently a Steering Committee Member at Naipunya Academy for Civil Service Exams, he is also an advisor and active member of various professional and social organizations, contributing significantly to education and industry. Fluent in multiple languages, he is passionate about training modules such as Positive Personality and Strategic Communication.

Mr. Roy Jacob is a B.Tech Mechanical Engineering graduate from the 1979–1984 batch of IIT Madras. He began his career with Tata Power, Bombay, and Bajaj Auto, Pune, before venturing into entrepreneurship, running his own software company for five years. He later joined IBS Software Services, Infopark, where he served as a Software Delivery Manager for 18 years, contributing significantly to software development and project delivery. Having retired six years ago, he continues to stay active in professional and alumni circles. Mr. Roy Jacob also served as the President of the IIT Madras Kerala Alumni Chapter from 2018 to 2023, leading several alumni engagement and networking initiatives.

Mr. Philip Abraham is a B.Tech Chemical Engineering graduate from the 1974 batch of IIT Madras and holds an MBA in International Trade and Marketing from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT), New Delhi, 1976 batch. He has had a distinguished career spanning several companies across India, specializing in export marketing and management, and has travelled extensively for business. In 1996, he founded Reubro International, a software development company based in Cochin, which serves as the overseas development centre for several global clients. Reubro’s services encompass web and mobile application development as well as end-to-end product development solutions.