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
Vijayalakshmi Sankar – IIT Madras 1985 batch. In the IT Industry for 30 years and now managing the family business for over 10 years. Mrs. Vijayalakshmi Shankar is currently the Operations head at Shree Renga Polymers.
Viji is the Co-Chairperson since PALS 2024-25 edition
N Alamelu was the co-Founder and the first chairperson of PALS and she is an alumnus of IIT Madras. She is currently the secretary of IIT Madras Alumni Charitable Trust (IITMACT). A first-generation entrepreneur, she is the founder of Ansi Techniques, a Data Analytics organization.
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.
Krishnamurti Rao has more than 30 years IT experience with TCS & HCL. He is an alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Calcutta. He has been actively involved with PALS for the past 10 years. He is also involved in social sector activities, angel investing, and mentoring startups and NGOs.
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.
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