Rabindra Sah: Advocating Life-Long Learning & Customer-Centric Approach
Rabindra Sah
Chief Engineer
At present, he is the backbone of Tata Technologies’ Engineering Research & Design. In an exclusive interview with CEO Insights, Rabindra Sah shares some valuable nuggets.
Throw some light on your professional experience.
I joined Tata Motors Jamshedpur as Graduate Engineer Trainee through campus selection in the year 1992. Upon completion of training, I was placed in Forge Division. It was a period full of learning. I am proud to share that I had an opportunity to present my innovative project to the Tata group Chairman, Ratan Tata. I cherish the awards received for this value engineering work and later patent was granted. It is worth sharing that I was an active member for ISO:9000, and many KAIZEN projects and worked for capacity expansion for Forge Division for forging and leaf spring.
In the year 1997, I was transferred to the newly formed TataCompany Tata Technologies but I continued working for my parent company Tata Motors and started operating from the Management Service Division of Tata Motors. Further, the growth journey has been remarkable.
On the other side, I have been constantly an outstanding performer and have grown faster in my career. Being at the base location for 27 years, I headed ER&D of Tata Technologies and DPDS of Tata Motors for Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Pantnagar, and Tata Marcopolo Dharwad as Chief Engineer Strategic Project(ER&D). 3 years ago, I got transferred to Bangalore and began working as Chief Engineer Strategic Project, Global Practices as an Industry leader for Automotive and Industry Heavy Machinery.
What is the motivation that fuels your daily routine?
Great Question indeed! I am an avid sports person since childhood and I continue to play almost all types of games like Cricket, Volley Ball, Football, Golf, Mountaineering, Shooting, Lawn, and Table Tennis. I am a regular long distance marathon runner as well.
By the grace of God, my morning run/jog helps me in planning my day well. Further, it also flashes me with new creative and innovative ideas to work on and implement. Also, I have been instrumental to ensure that every year many games and sports are organized through sports club. It is not limited to my company, rather I play a leadership role in other Tata companies to support and contribute to games and sports practices.
How has your been journey and what is your success mantra?
I am always hungry for work and opportunity and I ensure to bring positivity. In my opinion, it is important to look for pain areas and challenges of customers by spending time with them. I’ve crossed boundaries to tap the opportunity, made strategic
planning to execute, and created a success story to gain the trust and confidence of the customer. If we help and make a customer succeed, by default, it becomes a success for me.
I believe that while working on existing projects we have to create new opportunities for team members and provide space and opportunity to grow and excel. Speed, agility, creativity, and innovation are the pillars that provide additional aspects to the success parameter to add substantial value to the pace of customers. This has been my base parameter which I followed to deliver.
Share about on your leadership approach at Tata.
We at Tata have strong value systems, code of conduct, and ethics to help our community. I have formulated many initiatives under corporate social responsibility like the Ready Engineer program for engineering students to train them into industry-ready engineers,Tree Plantation for more greenery, Blood donation, Old age home, and so on.
What are the changes in market behavior that you anticipate?
Well, there are many but I would like to list a few: Any OEM cannot develop a product or create services alone; it is going to be the age of collaboration and partnership. Startups are going to grow to create and innovate products.
Automotive cybersecurity, functional safety, and new regulations will attract a lot of challenges for OEM and its supplier for autonomous, connected, electric vehicles and shared mobility. Further, it is to be served for the entire life cycle of a project, but it brings opportunity for the industry. Carbon net zero emission challenges are going to be in every industry OEM and its partner. This target will make them innovate and adopt new technologies to be sustainable. Still, the Supply chain will continue to face challenges, especially in semiconductor.
Blockchain is going to be one of the key enablers. Customers will look for better range, fast charging, and cost of ownership of electric vehicles. Innovation in battery technology and alternate fuel is the solution to be looked at the opportunity. Customer EXPERIENCE is going to be at the core of any product and service. Any player who provides and creates such experiences will lead the market.
What would be your advice to individuals aspiring to be IT leaders?
Personally, I have been keen towards continuously upskilling myself to learn and implement in my professional career. I have been working on many digital technologies which enables solution to deliver values for customer and upskilled myself on many new technologies like AI, ML, Blockchain, Additive Manufacturing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Electrical Vehicle. I have built a strong competency on hot skill like Industry 4.0, Autonomous vehicle and Game engine in Engineering space and media & entertainment and also leading them for value creation.
That being said, my advice to aspiring leaders would be to relook into frameworks of product design, manufacturing, supply chain, and services from a sustainability point of view to move linear economy to a circular economy. We should ensure to adopt the levers of Industry 4.0 as a key enabler for the vision of carbon net zero emission.
That being said, my advice to aspiring leaders would be to relook
I believe that while working on existing projects we have to create new opportunities for team members and provide space and opportunity to grow and excel. Speed, agility, creativity, and innovation are the pillars that provide additional aspects to the success parameter to add substantial value to the pace of customers. This has been my base parameter which I followed to deliver.
Share about on your leadership approach at Tata.
We at Tata have strong value systems, code of conduct, and ethics to help our community. I have formulated many initiatives under corporate social responsibility like the Ready Engineer program for engineering students to train them into industry-ready engineers,Tree Plantation for more greenery, Blood donation, Old age home, and so on.
What are the changes in market behavior that you anticipate?
Well, there are many but I would like to list a few: Any OEM cannot develop a product or create services alone; it is going to be the age of collaboration and partnership. Startups are going to grow to create and innovate products.
Automotive cybersecurity, functional safety, and new regulations will attract a lot of challenges for OEM and its supplier for autonomous, connected, electric vehicles and shared mobility. Further, it is to be served for the entire life cycle of a project, but it brings opportunity for the industry. Carbon net zero emission challenges are going to be in every industry OEM and its partner. This target will make them innovate and adopt new technologies to be sustainable. Still, the Supply chain will continue to face challenges, especially in semiconductor.
Blockchain is going to be one of the key enablers. Customers will look for better range, fast charging, and cost of ownership of electric vehicles. Innovation in battery technology and alternate fuel is the solution to be looked at the opportunity. Customer EXPERIENCE is going to be at the core of any product and service. Any player who provides and creates such experiences will lead the market.
What would be your advice to individuals aspiring to be IT leaders?
Personally, I have been keen towards continuously upskilling myself to learn and implement in my professional career. I have been working on many digital technologies which enables solution to deliver values for customer and upskilled myself on many new technologies like AI, ML, Blockchain, Additive Manufacturing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Electrical Vehicle. I have built a strong competency on hot skill like Industry 4.0, Autonomous vehicle and Game engine in Engineering space and media & entertainment and also leading them for value creation.
That being said, my advice to aspiring leaders would be to relook into frameworks of product design, manufacturing, supply chain, and services from a sustainability point of view to move linear economy to a circular economy. We should ensure to adopt the levers of Industry 4.0 as a key enabler for the vision of carbon net zero emission.
That being said, my advice to aspiring leaders would be to relook
into frame works of product design, manufacturing, supply chain, and services from a sustainability point of view to move linear economy to a circular economy. We should ensure to adopt the levers of Industry 4.0 as a key enabler for the vision of carbon net zero emission.
Rabindra Sah, Chief Engineer, Tata Technologies
A dynamic leader, problem solver, and enthusiastic sports person, Rabindra Sah bestows his best in every role of his life. He believes in continuously upskilling himself with the latest technologies and innovation and recently completed his M. Tech in Data Science and Engineering from BITS-Pilani.
Hobbies: Private Pilot License, Mountaineering, Marathon runner, Golf
Favorite Cuisine: Chicken Teriyaki and Shrimp Sarku Japan
Favorite Book: A Quest for Change by Mr Satish Borwankar by Former ED & COO, Tata Motors
Favorite Travel Destination:
Singapore
Rabindra's Leadership Mantra, Inherent Qualities And Growth Factors
•Works strategically to convert challenges into opportunity
•Passionate sportsman. Sports is the source of energy to keep charged full day deliver more and never give up
•People manager – care and aspire them to deliver
•Create space and opportunity for employees and coach them to succeed
•A Business transformation leader– digital as well as physical
•Believes in first trying and experiencing, before going to customer
•Worked and used almost all kind of engineering software for end-to-end design to manufacturing
•Man of Winning mindset
•Never miss to Celebrate successes with team(big or small)
•Man of Tata value system and ethics
•Always extend helping hands to colleague and community
Certification & Membership:
•Certified Assessor on Industry 4.0: Certified by TUV SUD and Confederation of Indian Industry(CII)
•Unreal Authorised Instructor(UAI)for Epic Games(Unreal Engine)
•Certified Drone(UAV)Remote Pilot License holder approved DGCA
•Certified Toyota Product system and SIX Signa belt holder
•Life member of Indian Value Engineering Society at Indian Value Engineering Society
•Certified on Tata Business Excellence Model Certification
•Life Time Senior Member-Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering
•Trained and certified on TQM Training - Deming Award
•Certified Safety Management Fundamentals by DuPont
•Basic MOST Data Reader by UMAS.-An Industrial Engineering Consulting Firm
•Certificate of Achievement - Overall Equipment Effectiveness(OEE)
•Certified Classical VAVE - Value Analysis Value Engineering Product Margin Improvement
Volunteering Work:
•Chairman of Publications Expert and Corporate branding, Bangalore Chamber of Industry & Commerce-Bangalore
•Honorary member of National Advisory Council of the Chamber and Council, SME Chamber of India and SME Technology Development Council – SME Chamber of India.
•Head – Automotive of Consortium, AutoCAVE (Consortium for Augmented & Virtual Reality Engineering)at IIT Madras
•Industry Subject Matter Expert for Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies(KIAMS), Harihar
•Knowledge sharing sessions for students and faculties in Academia Institutes
•Founder Member Mineral-Mining-Metals-Materials Society of India(4MSI), Bhubaneswar for Knowledgesharing on domain, technologies, Policy and regulations on Mineral, Mining, Metals and Materials to community of India
•Member of Industry 4.0 Expert Committee, Bangalore Chamber of Industry & Commerce-Bangalore
Rabindra Sah, Chief Engineer, Tata Technologies
A dynamic leader, problem solver, and enthusiastic sports person, Rabindra Sah bestows his best in every role of his life. He believes in continuously upskilling himself with the latest technologies and innovation and recently completed his M. Tech in Data Science and Engineering from BITS-Pilani.
Hobbies: Private Pilot License, Mountaineering, Marathon runner, Golf
Favorite Cuisine: Chicken Teriyaki and Shrimp Sarku Japan
Favorite Book: A Quest for Change by Mr Satish Borwankar by Former ED & COO, Tata Motors
Favorite Travel Destination:
Singapore
Rabindra's Leadership Mantra, Inherent Qualities And Growth Factors
•Works strategically to convert challenges into opportunity
•Passionate sportsman. Sports is the source of energy to keep charged full day deliver more and never give up
•People manager – care and aspire them to deliver
•Create space and opportunity for employees and coach them to succeed
•A Business transformation leader– digital as well as physical
•Believes in first trying and experiencing, before going to customer
•Worked and used almost all kind of engineering software for end-to-end design to manufacturing
•Man of Winning mindset
•Never miss to Celebrate successes with team(big or small)
•Man of Tata value system and ethics
•Always extend helping hands to colleague and community
Certification & Membership:
•Certified Assessor on Industry 4.0: Certified by TUV SUD and Confederation of Indian Industry(CII)
•Unreal Authorised Instructor(UAI)for Epic Games(Unreal Engine)
•Certified Drone(UAV)Remote Pilot License holder approved DGCA
•Certified Toyota Product system and SIX Signa belt holder
•Life member of Indian Value Engineering Society at Indian Value Engineering Society
•Certified on Tata Business Excellence Model Certification
•Life Time Senior Member-Indian Institution of Industrial Engineering
•Trained and certified on TQM Training - Deming Award
•Certified Safety Management Fundamentals by DuPont
•Basic MOST Data Reader by UMAS.-An Industrial Engineering Consulting Firm
•Certificate of Achievement - Overall Equipment Effectiveness(OEE)
•Certified Classical VAVE - Value Analysis Value Engineering Product Margin Improvement
Volunteering Work:
•Chairman of Publications Expert and Corporate branding, Bangalore Chamber of Industry & Commerce-Bangalore
•Honorary member of National Advisory Council of the Chamber and Council, SME Chamber of India and SME Technology Development Council – SME Chamber of India.
•Head – Automotive of Consortium, AutoCAVE (Consortium for Augmented & Virtual Reality Engineering)at IIT Madras
•Industry Subject Matter Expert for Kirloskar Institute of Advanced Management Studies(KIAMS), Harihar
•Knowledge sharing sessions for students and faculties in Academia Institutes
•Founder Member Mineral-Mining-Metals-Materials Society of India(4MSI), Bhubaneswar for Knowledgesharing on domain, technologies, Policy and regulations on Mineral, Mining, Metals and Materials to community of India
•Member of Industry 4.0 Expert Committee, Bangalore Chamber of Industry & Commerce-Bangalore