Nagaraja Thangavelu : The Technologist Driving The Shift From Digital To Ai Transformation
Nagaraja Thangavelu
Executive Officer & VPoE
Nagaraja’s strategy pairs rapid innovation with rigorous security and governance. By instituting enterprise grade reviews for every AI artifact, he ensures that speed never compromises compliance. His work has revitalized legacy platforms through real time AI insights, shortened release cycles, and cultivated a learning culture that embraces “five minutes of AI knowledge a day”.
Nagaraja kick-started his technology journey as a software engineer in India, and chiselled his skills with the help of practical interaction with the world's tech giants. In 2015, his relocation to Japan was a turning point in his career that saw him work towards automation in Sony Mobile and pharmaceutical innovation at Takeda. Below is an excerpt from CEO Insights' exclusive interview with Nagaraja, in which he talks about his journey, success strategies and the future of AI transformation.
As a new-age leader, what motivates and drives your daily actions and decisions?
Each day, my focus is on turning ideas into impactful products, working closely with the new product development team. I believe in building solutions that are not only innovative but sustainable and grounded in strong architecture, security, and long-term value. By immersing ourselves in customer environments, we design with real user needs in mind. The most rewarding part is seeing our work genuinely improve people’s daily operations, which drives me.
How do you use AI-powered strategies to support product development?
AI is the defining wave of this decade, just as digital transformation was in the last. Companies that fail to embrace it in the next few years risk falling behind, no matter their current market standing. At our company, we've integrated AI across every layer, from engineering to deployment. Tools like GitHub Copilot and Cursor have boosted coding efficiency, while our security team ensures the safety of AI-generated code.
We've also enhanced legacy products using AI and real user feedback to improve relevance and experience. This year, our “workflow renewal” initiative brought AI to Sales, HR, Finance, and Customer Success, cutting repetitive tasks and raising productivity by 30 percent. Today, AI is central to our strategy, by driving innovation, streamlining operations, and creating real value.
How do you align strategic initiatives with long-term objectives?
We align strategic initiatives with long-term objectives through a structured annual planning process. Department heads present plans based on the company’s 3–5-year vision, which includes key targets like revenue growth and cost efficiency. For example, to reduce AWS costs by 30 percent, we work with internal teams, consultants, and AWS support, tracking progress monthly and reviewing company-wide quarterly. This approach ensures alignment, transparency, and consistent progress toward our goals.
What about leadership? What strategies do you utilize to manage your team effectively?
My leadership style is rooted in adapt ability, and open communication, which are crucial for managing a multicultural team across Japan, India, and beyond. I prioritize trust, talent retention, and a supportive environment through regular site visits, informal checkins, and daily stand-ups to stay connected with team needs.
Structured one-on-ones, weekly manager meetings, and quarterly reviews help track progress and guide improvement. Even when feedback isn’t immediately actionable, I ensure transparency by explaining decisions and exploring alternatives. This inclusive, people-first approach has fostered a motivated, collaborative, and high-retention team culture.
How do you keep yourself informed about evolving industry trends?
Small and consistent learning is the key to staying relevant and resilient
We've also enhanced legacy products using AI and real user feedback to improve relevance and experience. This year, our “workflow renewal” initiative brought AI to Sales, HR, Finance, and Customer Success, cutting repetitive tasks and raising productivity by 30 percent. Today, AI is central to our strategy, by driving innovation, streamlining operations, and creating real value.
How do you align strategic initiatives with long-term objectives?
We align strategic initiatives with long-term objectives through a structured annual planning process. Department heads present plans based on the company’s 3–5-year vision, which includes key targets like revenue growth and cost efficiency. For example, to reduce AWS costs by 30 percent, we work with internal teams, consultants, and AWS support, tracking progress monthly and reviewing company-wide quarterly. This approach ensures alignment, transparency, and consistent progress toward our goals.
What about leadership? What strategies do you utilize to manage your team effectively?
My leadership style is rooted in adapt ability, and open communication, which are crucial for managing a multicultural team across Japan, India, and beyond. I prioritize trust, talent retention, and a supportive environment through regular site visits, informal checkins, and daily stand-ups to stay connected with team needs.
Structured one-on-ones, weekly manager meetings, and quarterly reviews help track progress and guide improvement. Even when feedback isn’t immediately actionable, I ensure transparency by explaining decisions and exploring alternatives. This inclusive, people-first approach has fostered a motivated, collaborative, and high-retention team culture.
How do you keep yourself informed about evolving industry trends?
I follow the Five-Minute Rule, dedicating at least five minutes daily to learning, whether during commutes or short breaks. This habit often grows with interest and helps maintain a mindset of continuous improvement.
I rely on the TLDR newsletter for concise tech and AI updates, keeping me informed and responsive to evolving trends. As the company’s security manager, I also lead quarterly risk assessments to monitor cybersecurity threats, especially in SaaS and AI, and propose measures when needed. In today’s fast-changing world, small, consistent learning is key to staying relevant and resilient.
What roadmap have you envisioned for yourself over the next five years?
My future focus is twofold: first, to build an affordable, GPU-powered AI data center in Japan to reduce training and deployment costs, and second, to create a platform that bridges Japan’s AI knowledge gap by curating and translating global developments, while connecting local companies with international talent. Both efforts aim to make AI innovation more accessible and impactful in Japan.
Japan currently lags behind global AI growth, but strong international collaborations and key investments are accelerating progress. In the next 3–5 years, Japan is poised to become a significant AI player, and we’re committed to supporting that journey through tools, infrastructure, and innovation.
What piece of advice would you like to offer to the aspiring tech leaders?
My advice to future leaders is to prioritize people over process, offer genuine support and recognition, and build trust through open, constructive communication. A strong team drives lasting success.
Nagaraja Thangavelu, Executive Officer & VPoE, Commerce Robotics
Visionary yet grounded are words that best describe Nagaraja. His technical foresight has been instrumental in building the innovation-led growth journey of Commerce Robotics.
•Hobbies: Playing cricket and badminton
•Favorite Cuisine: Indian and Thai
•Favorite Book: Ikigai by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garci and Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
•Favorite Travel Destination: Mountains
Awards & Recognition:
•Best Innovative Thinker Award
•National Police of Netherlands Award
I rely on the TLDR newsletter for concise tech and AI updates, keeping me informed and responsive to evolving trends. As the company’s security manager, I also lead quarterly risk assessments to monitor cybersecurity threats, especially in SaaS and AI, and propose measures when needed. In today’s fast-changing world, small, consistent learning is key to staying relevant and resilient.
What roadmap have you envisioned for yourself over the next five years?
My future focus is twofold: first, to build an affordable, GPU-powered AI data center in Japan to reduce training and deployment costs, and second, to create a platform that bridges Japan’s AI knowledge gap by curating and translating global developments, while connecting local companies with international talent. Both efforts aim to make AI innovation more accessible and impactful in Japan.
Japan currently lags behind global AI growth, but strong international collaborations and key investments are accelerating progress. In the next 3–5 years, Japan is poised to become a significant AI player, and we’re committed to supporting that journey through tools, infrastructure, and innovation.
What piece of advice would you like to offer to the aspiring tech leaders?
My advice to future leaders is to prioritize people over process, offer genuine support and recognition, and build trust through open, constructive communication. A strong team drives lasting success.
Nagaraja Thangavelu, Executive Officer & VPoE, Commerce Robotics
Visionary yet grounded are words that best describe Nagaraja. His technical foresight has been instrumental in building the innovation-led growth journey of Commerce Robotics.
•Hobbies: Playing cricket and badminton
•Favorite Cuisine: Indian and Thai
•Favorite Book: Ikigai by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garci and Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
•Favorite Travel Destination: Mountains
Awards & Recognition:
•Best Innovative Thinker Award
•National Police of Netherlands Award