Gabin Kattukaran: Bridging The Gap Between Technology & Manufacturing Excellence
Gabin Kattukaran
Director
In a close interview with us, Gabin shared with us his professional journey and his future endeavours. Let’s dive in to know more.
What is the most memorable experience you had during your time at MIT?
It’s hard to pick just one standout memory from my time at MIT, but there are many moments, both inside and outside the classroom, that come to mind. We weren’t always the most well-behaved students, and there were times when we tested the boundaries, both with faculty and fellow students. For example, there was an incident where we managed to make a faculty member cry, but we took responsibility for our actions, apologized, and made amends. Outside of class, living with hundreds of young students in a hostel led to all sorts of memorable events. We even created underground newsletters during college festivals, sharing behind-the-scenes stories and secrets. These experiences, though challenging at times, taught us the importance of accountability and learning from our mistakes. On the technical side, working on our final year
project where we wandered into some really new domains and delivered a system that was appreciated by the internal and external judges definitely stands out.
Can you describe how accessible the faculty are to students at MIT?
At MIT, faculty accessibility extended beyond availability to their openness and attitude toward students. I noticed a distinct difference among faculty members. Some were confident in their knowledge and comfortable admitting what they didn’t know. They welcomed challenges and questions from students, even from curious 17- or 18-year-olds. This openness fostered a collaborative learning environment where meaningful exchanges took place. In contrast, some faculty preferred to shut down questions, insisting students simply follow instructions. From those experiences, I learned the importance of encouraging curiosity and dialogue. The most impactful faculty interactions were with those who admitted when they didn’t have an answer, often saying, 'Find out and let me know too'. That humility and willingness to learn alongside students were far more valuable than just receiving notes. These lessons have stayed with me and shaped how I approach learning and leadership.
What is the most valuable lesson or experience you took away from your time at MIT?
Reflecting on my time at MIT, the most valuable lesson I gained was the importance of meaningful conversations. While lectures and textbooks played a role, I learned the most through interactions, whether with faculty, friends, or others around me. These exchanges, both positive and negative, provided a two way flow of ideas and information that truly added value. This realization came to
Can you describe how accessible the faculty are to students at MIT?
At MIT, faculty accessibility extended beyond availability to their openness and attitude toward students. I noticed a distinct difference among faculty members. Some were confident in their knowledge and comfortable admitting what they didn’t know. They welcomed challenges and questions from students, even from curious 17- or 18-year-olds. This openness fostered a collaborative learning environment where meaningful exchanges took place. In contrast, some faculty preferred to shut down questions, insisting students simply follow instructions. From those experiences, I learned the importance of encouraging curiosity and dialogue. The most impactful faculty interactions were with those who admitted when they didn’t have an answer, often saying, 'Find out and let me know too'. That humility and willingness to learn alongside students were far more valuable than just receiving notes. These lessons have stayed with me and shaped how I approach learning and leadership.
Gabin Kattukaran is a Computer Scientist turned Manufacturing Entrepreneur with 25 years of experience in delivering toptier resis- tance welding solutions to the manu- facturing industry. Over the years, he has expanded his expertise to include Industrial Automation for material handling, assembly automation, inspection systems and quality assurance, as well as special purpose machine for critical jobs.
What is the most valuable lesson or experience you took away from your time at MIT?
Reflecting on my time at MIT, the most valuable lesson I gained was the importance of meaningful conversations. While lectures and textbooks played a role, I learned the most through interactions, whether with faculty, friends, or others around me. These exchanges, both positive and negative, provided a two way flow of ideas and information that truly added value. This realization came to
me quite early during my time there.
What key milestones and challenges have shaped your career and brought you to where you are today?
I’ve been working for about 30 years now. The first five or six years were spent in the field I trained for computer science and engineering. After that, I made a significant shift into manu- facturing, entirely different from my academic background. While my education and early career were rooted in computer science, moving into manufacturing brought fresh challenges. However, the core approach of problem solving in engineering remained consistent, even though the nature of the problems evolved with the context. The major milestone in my journey was transitioning from technology to manu -facturing. Over the years, I’ve held various roles within the organization, starting on the manufacturing side and gradually moving to customer-facing positions. This trajectory has shaped my professional path over the past three decades.
How would you characterize your leadership style? What principles do you follow as a leader?
I view my role as a leader more as an enabler of discussions and conversations rather than someone who simply tells people what to do. If I’m giving instructions all the time, then I’m not adding enough value, and neither are they. Instead, I focus on creating situations where individuals can showcase their expertise. I make sure the people I work with know they are in their positions because they are the best for the job. My role is not to tell them how to do their work, but to guide them in the right direction when needed.
What is the direction you're aiming for in the future?
We’ve built a strong reputation in the markets that we operate as a company known for taking on difficult jobs. We tend to tackle challenging projects with ease and sometimes make simple tasks more complex because of the approach we bring to our work. Moving forward, we need to bridge the gap between being a niche, specialized organization and expanding our reach. Economically, it makes more sense to appeal to a broader market and provide solutions to a larger group of people, which is something we're actively working on.
What key milestones and challenges have shaped your career and brought you to where you are today?
I’ve been working for about 30 years now. The first five or six years were spent in the field I trained for computer science and engineering. After that, I made a significant shift into manu- facturing, entirely different from my academic background. While my education and early career were rooted in computer science, moving into manufacturing brought fresh challenges. However, the core approach of problem solving in engineering remained consistent, even though the nature of the problems evolved with the context. The major milestone in my journey was transitioning from technology to manu -facturing. Over the years, I’ve held various roles within the organization, starting on the manufacturing side and gradually moving to customer-facing positions. This trajectory has shaped my professional path over the past three decades.
How would you characterize your leadership style? What principles do you follow as a leader?
I view my role as a leader more as an enabler of discussions and conversations rather than someone who simply tells people what to do. If I’m giving instructions all the time, then I’m not adding enough value, and neither are they. Instead, I focus on creating situations where individuals can showcase their expertise. I make sure the people I work with know they are in their positions because they are the best for the job. My role is not to tell them how to do their work, but to guide them in the right direction when needed.
What is the direction you're aiming for in the future?
We’ve built a strong reputation in the markets that we operate as a company known for taking on difficult jobs. We tend to tackle challenging projects with ease and sometimes make simple tasks more complex because of the approach we bring to our work. Moving forward, we need to bridge the gap between being a niche, specialized organization and expanding our reach. Economically, it makes more sense to appeal to a broader market and provide solutions to a larger group of people, which is something we're actively working on.