With 21+ years of automotive domain, Shekhar has worked in the areas of engine, vehicle, aftertreatment and electric vehicles. He also havevast experience in the design and development of software control and diagnostic algorithms. Products and Services of his company Devise Electronicsare in 20+ EV brands in India across the Two-Wheeler to Bus segments.

Mr. Srinivas Aravapalli was the former Head of Product Development, Automotive Division, Mahindra & Mahindra and he was Senior Vice President at M&M.Also, he was the CEO of M/s Mahindra Graphic Research. He obtained his M.S in Automotive Electronics degree from Coventry University, U.K. He has 33 years of diverse experience in various facets of product development which includes deployment of innovative features & technologies, technology incubation & commercialization through frugal engineering approach.

He held various key roles at both national and international forums. As a Chairman, Mr.Srinivas was leading the Hybrid and Electrical Vehicle initiatives of SIAM. He was an advisor to NATRIP and a member of TIFAC/ CAR board on automotive electronics and infotronics and were representing many forums.

He owns/co-owns 15 patents and 9 publications in international/national conferences to his credit. Technologies developed by Mr.Srinivas have won several accolades. He was instrumental in bringing out several state-of-the-art technologies which have transformed leading OEM’s brand image from “Rural & Rugged to Global & Aspirational”.

He has pioneered several technologies in India such as talking car, tyre pressure monitoring system, Rain sensing Wipers, Reverse park systems, Micro Hybrids, etc. under his leadership. It was more than 25 features of either “first time in the country” or “first of its kind” to his credit.

Samadhan is a Technical Specialist (FuSa), Varroc Engineering. With over 7 years of experience in electronics design and functional safety, he specializes in schematic design, HW architecture design, simulations, DFMEA, WCA, EMI/EMC compliant design, and product testing. His expertise extends to functional safety analysis and ensuring ISO 26262 compliance across all development stages. He leads the functional safety initiatives at Varroc Engineering, driving the implementation of safety standards and practices across multiple product lines. He has extensive domain knowledge in lighting, switches & sensors, e-mobility products, and integrated circuits (IC).

Tanmay comes with over 13 years of experience in product development, specializing in authentication (RFID + NFC), cryptography, and PKI technology. He has played a pivotal role in developing Hardware Security Modules (HSM) in India, designed to protect encryption keys in critical infrastructure, ensuring data protection and privacy. In the banking sector, his expertise extends to the use of HSMs for debit/credit card PIN generation, authentication, and encryption.

Beyond HSM, Tanmay has developed comprehensive enterprise cryptographic solutions, including key management, tokenization, and data encryption (covering data at rest, in motion, and in use). His work in data encryption harnesses the power of processors and built-in trust zones to create secure enclaves, enabling secure application execution and data processing. Tanmay’s extensive background and technical acumen make him a valuable asset in the field of data security and encryption.

Srinivas Vuppula, with his extensive background in technology and leadership, serves as the Executive Director at Hexagon Capability Center India. Educated with a Master’s degree from IISc Bangalore, Vuppula has held pivotal roles at major technology firms such as Intel and AMD before his current position.

Over his 24-year career, Vuppula has been instrumental in managing and directing large technology teams, developing solutions for significant sectors like GNSS, audio, graphics, and manageability security. His leadership extends beyond project management to include strategic planning and execution, particularly in the realms of software development from firmware to user-level applications across diverse platforms.

His expertise is also recognized through multiple patents he has filed, reflecting his innovative contributions to the technology sector. Srinivas Vuppula continues to shape the tech landscape with his strategic vision and deep industry knowledge, making him a key player in the field of embedded systems and technology development.

At the Data Security Council of India (DSCI), Teja leads the Centre for Hardware Security Entrepreneurship Research and Development (C-HERD), a national-level initiative funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, India (MeitY) in partnership with the IIT-Madras and IIT-Kharagpur. C-HERD works on accelerating progress in hardware security by driving groundbreaking research, fostering next-generation startups, propelling the development of innovative products, enabling businesses to create secure products, and building a thriving community of skilled professionals in Hardware Security.

Srikanth Sathiyanarayanan is currently working as Executive Chief Engineer at UNO Minda. In his current capacity, he is leading the advanced technologies in the space of SPACE trends. He comes with 25 years of focused automotive electronics experience with diversified product knowledge, including Safety Electronics, Body Control Electronics, Cockpit Electronics & Electrification etc..,

His experience includes product development, technical sales, strategic & product marketing, project management, people management and product strategies.

He is also elevating academics and industry collaborations through academic teaching on selected topics.

Kannan is a renowned operational technology and IoT cyber security professional/consultant holding IEC 62443 Expert and Licensed Professional Engineer and Many other industrial certifications.Having 16+ years’ experience in similar field andpublished 3 international papers on topics of Cyber security in subsea, security in SMART grids, and much more, alwaysfocus on taking challenging projects in the field. Expertise into OT cyber security assessment, OT red teamer, IoT hardware testing, establishing zero trust architecture for IoT/OT assets, project management, implemented OT security Défense in depth approach.

With over 24 years of experience in the embedded domain, Yugandhar has expertise spanning across various verticals including automotive, smart cards, medical, and drives. Currently serving as a Principal Developer at Kone Elevator India Pvt Ltd for the past 15 years, he has gained extensive experience in software development for elevators, escalators, and doors. Yugandhar’s work is characterized by adherence to safety and security standards, particularly IEC 61508 and IEC 62443, ensuring the development of reliable and secure systems.

Throughout Yugandhar’s career, he have demonstrated a strong capability in managing product development from proof of concept to market deployment. Additionally, he has effectively led multiple teams and projects simultaneously, showcasing leadership and project management skills. With a Post Graduate degree in Engineering from the College of Engineering, Guindy, he combines technical proficiency with strategic oversight to drive successful project outcomes.

Sowmya is an Automotive Functional Safety Consultant in Drivvize. She has around 20 years of experience in Automotive and is an expert in systems and software safety. She develops system safety concepts for complex ECUs and guides teams in following ISO26262 best practises for developing and verifying safety critical SW. She has supported RFQs, functional safety audits, and assessments for several products, regions and OEMs. Her mission is to deliver high-quality, safe and practical solutions that meet the needs and expectations of our customers and stakeholders. She is an avid contributoratFunctionalSafety First blog.

Mr. Parag Inamdar is an engineering graduate in electronics and communications from Gogte Institute of Technology, Karnataka. He has over two decades of experience in Automotive Connected Car and 2-Wheeler Products and Platforms and a proven track record in delivery and technical leadership across various domains, including Digital Cockpit, Connected Tech, Software Defined Mobility, Connected Services, IoT, Telematics, Infotainment, Cloud Tech, e-Mobility, Safety and Embedded ECUs, Security, and Manufacturing software and systems. His involvement in industry consortia like SAE, IEEE, and the World Economic Forum, along with his strategic technology partnerships, university programs, CSR activities, and sustainability initiatives, underscores his dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction.

Currently serving as the Global VP of Software & Connected Systems Center of Competence, R&D at TVS Motors since April 2022, Mr. Inamdar manages the technology and delivery portfolio of software and connected vehicle platforms across all TVS product segments for both domestic and international markets. He is responsible for strategic initiatives in future technology, business growth, new product development, innovation, quality, and talent transformation. His career includes senior management roles at Wipro Technologies, Harman International, Visteon (India), and Ola Electric, contributing significantly to their R&D centers focused on global products and markets, especially in EV and SDV concepts. Mr. Inamdar also engages in academic initiatives, photography, travel, and community-building activities during his free time.

Krishna has over 20+ years of experience in the area of Automotive Software quality and functional safety. He is a certified Functional Safety Engineer – ISO 26262, ASPICE Provisional Assessor and Automotive Cyber Security Practitioner (CACSP). Krishna has a decade of working in the semiconductor industry for Automotive domain taking the organization to achieve ASPICE Level 3 compliance, SW Functional safety compliance. He has been instrumental is process automation by defining the right methodologies, tools to ease the process deployment easier.

Shraddha has 11+ Years of experience in SW development and testing. She has experience in embedded product SW development and testing in the automotive and medical fields.

Her focused working areas are SW development, testing, and quality for organizations like Napino, HCL / John Deere, and Medical equipment organizations.

With over 20 years of working exposure in Automotive E&E development, Satish’s experience spanned OEMs, MNCs, and Tier 1 in the development of Automotive E&E systems with hands-on expertise in the complete product development lifecycle.

He has worked in diverse automotive industries like EVs, 2W,3W,4W & Heavy off highway for organizations like Napino, JCB, Cummins, and Tata Motors.

Mr. Bhat is Sr. Manager at ANSYS for Safety and Embedded Systems technical team, APAC. He mainly works with customers to provide technical solutions in the area of safety and mission critical software development, functional safety analysis and systems simulation solutions.

Prior to ANSYS, he had worked for companies like Esterel Technologies, IBM, Telelogic etc. He has more than 20 years of professional experience, working with customers from multiple domains. He has experience with Software Development LifeCycle including Requirements Management, Software Configuration Management, Model Based design and development of Embedded Real Time Systems and Testing.

He has a master’s degree in software systems from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, BE in Electronics and Communications from VTU and a Diploma in E&C. He is an OMG Certified UML and SysML professional. He is also a certified functional safety engineer from TUV SuD.

Ram Singh comes with around 25 years of experience and has been involved in design evaluation of various avionics system such as Starter Electronics Control Unit (SECU), Digital Hydraulics Control Electronics Unit (DHEU), Engine & Electrical Monitoring System (EEMS) and Integrated Radio Communication System for LCA aircraft, Advanced Communication System for ALH, LCH, HTT-40, Chetah & Chetak platforms and Communication Support System for AEW&C.

He is presently involved in design and implementation of e-Certificaiton, design evaluation of CSM system for Samudrika and R-II, Software defined radio for HAWK aircraft and Audio management units for LCA, LCH, LUH and ALH. Speech processing and coding are his subject of special interest.

Allabaksh Naikodi retired from his industrial career in November 2023 as the Chief Technology Officer of JLNPhenix and currently works as a consultant in the fields of Electric Vehicles (EV), Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles (FCEV), and Energy Storage Systems (ESS). With over 35 years of experience, he has held various leadership and managerial positions in prominent companies such as Royal Enfield, Mahindra Electric, Schneider Electric, ABB, Honeywell, and Tech Mahindra. Notably, he received the “Mahesh Modi Environment Excellence Award-2017” for designing and developing an all-electric car. Influenced by industry luminaries like Prof. Jhunjhunwala, Dr. Pawan Goenka, and Mr. Mahesh Babu, Naikodi is renowned for his expertise in the EV sector.

Mr. Naikodi is also actively involved in national committees working on EV initiatives, including the National Steering Committee for Design and Development and the Project Review and Steering Group under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY). His extensive knowledge spans automation, business development, and strategic planning, making him a respected figure in the industry. He aims to drive growth and innovation, leveraging his rich expertise to lead advancements in the EV domain.

Naga Bharath Daka is one of the co-founders of Skyroot Aerospace, which started in 2018 and is currently serving as its Chief Operating Officer (COO). He is also responsible for Avionics and GNC development at Skyroot. He completed his bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in microelectronics and VLSI design from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.

Before starting Skyroot, he worked as a flight computer engineer at VSSC ISRO and later worked briefly in the semiconductor industry. Over the past five years, Skyroot has emerged as a leading space-tech company and is celebrated for their Prarambh mission, which made them the first private company to send a sub-orbital rocket to space.

Dr. Manju Nanda is a Chief Scientist at CSIR-NAL with over 26 years of experience in safety-critical system design, development, and certification. She specializes in aerospace safety-critical software and embedded system design, focusing on model-based systems engineering, formal methods, and certification frameworks.

With extensive expertise in software engineering processes, Dr. Nanda has contributed significantly to techniques like model-based design & development, verification & validation, and software safety assessment. Her work includes certification of software as per RTCA DO-178B/178C and verification & validation of complex electronic hardware as per RTCA DO-254. She has also provided consultancy in establishing Software Development Lifecycle Processes and V&V for various critical aerospace applications.

Dr. Nanda’s notable accomplishments include the development and certification of the Smart Fatigue Meter and Stall Warning System for SARAS aircraft, as well as consultation on DO-178B and DO-254 processes for critical aerospace projects. Her leadership in formal methods and data analytics addresses future software-intensive aerospace challenges, making her a pivotal figure in the field.

Dr. Dipak Gade is the Global Head for IoT and Manufacturing Operations Management Practice at Cyient, with 23 years of research and development experience in software design, development, testing, review, delivery, systems engineering, and program management. He has handled various projects in IT, embedded software, industrial automation, mining, M2M, digital manufacturing, IoT, Aerospace and Defense domains. Previously, he has worked with reputed organizations such as DRDO, BEL, TATA Advanced System, Israel Aerospace Industries, Patni Computers, Capgemini, Schindler Elevators, Rio Tinto, Cognizant, and Konecranes.

He holds certifications as a Functional Safety Engineer by TUV, trained IEC 62443 Professional, Certified Information Security Professional, and IRCA-accredited Lead Auditor for Information Security Management System ISO 27001 by STQC, Government of India.

Dr. Gade earned his doctorate in Computer Science and Engineering and was honoured with the AWSAR Award in the doctorate category by the Government of India in 2020. He holds two patents in software design and 10 copyright certificates for various innovative solution frameworks. Additionally, he is the author of two ISBN books and has published over 25 research papers in high-impact factor international research journals.

Kaushal is Director of Software Engineering at Uhnder and has a vision to make our world more connected and secure. He is an expert in Automotive SPICE and functional safety (ISO26262, IEC61508). He is an alumnus of IIT-BHU and brings 2 decades of experience in embedded domain and previously worked for Texas Instruments, Samsung and Intel.

As a Regulatory Affairs expert, Madhu plays a crucial role throughout the lifecycle of medical devices, ensuring compliance with ISO 13485, MDR, 21 CFR Part 820 (FDA), IMDR, and other harmonized standards. He is responsible for defining, implementing, and maintaining the effectiveness of the Quality Management System within the company, and ensuring the company’s QA requirements compliance while training team members.
QARA is the cornerstone of product quality, encompassing a comprehensive range of processes and practices from the earliest stages of product design through manufacturing, distribution, and post-market surveillance. By meticulously aligning each phase with established norms, Madhu safeguards against potential risks, fostering a culture of excellence and integrity within the industry.

Manohar Chenekala has over 18 years of experience designing and developing automotive safety-critical systems. He is currently associated with ZF CVS as the global safety expert lead for all commercial vehicle product lines. He is responsible for overall product safety compliance in ZF commercial vehicle systems for safety processes, infrastructure, I3 reviews, coaching and mentoring. He works predominantly on pass car braking systems, ranging from circuit analysis, MBSE, test automation, HIL testing, software safety analysis and safety audit assessments.

Maheswaran Arunachalam is a Functional Safety Specialist at ZF CVS. With over 12 years of experience in product safety and system engineering inthe automotive industry, he focuses on failure analysis, fault management concepts, safety requirements and testing. His expertise includes creating safety concepts for Driver Assistance Systems, Passive safety systems, and electric powertrain systems like Inverters and Vehicle Control Units.Currently, he is responsible forthe development of ASIL D safety concepts for autonomous-driving trucks, ensuring ISO 26262 compliance, and deliveringwork products including HARA, FTA, DFA, software criticality analysis, and safety verification strategies.

Rakesh is a Rolling Stock Engineering & Management Professional with over 28 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing, and production domains, with expertise in embedded and electro-mechanical equipment design, development, installation, qualification testing, and project startup.
Rakesh’s technical expertise spans various aspects of Rail Systems Engineering, including Rolling Stock, Traction Systems, and Train Control & Management Systems. He possesses strong leadership skills and a strategic vision and is adept at evaluating project progress, managing risks, and influencing teams to achieve results with a focus on Quality, Cost, Delivery, and Performance (QCDP).
In his current role as Principal Engineer at Quest Global, Rakesh plays a key role in new product design, product modifications, and mentoring product development engineers. He collaborates with cross-functional teams to provide technical solutions and value enhancements to ensure that all customertechnical requirements are met. He is also responsible for recruiting, hiring, and training top technical talent and developing plans to expand the team’s technical expertise and build robust competencies in his area of domain.

Shrikant Satyanarayan is a Senior Technical Manager with LDRA, specialising in the development, integration and certification of mission- and safety-critical systems in avionics, nuclear, industrial safety and automotive domains. He is a Certified Functional Safety Professional in accordance with ISO 26262 and a “Functional Safety Certified Professional” in accordance with IEC 61508/IEC 61511, with around two decades of experience and a solid background in software development, software testing, and real-time operating systems, Shrikant guides organisations in selecting, integrating and supporting their embedded systems from development through to certification.

Andrew Banks is a Technical Specialist at LDRA with more than 30 years’ experience of high-integrity real-time/embedded software development.

A Chartered Fellow of the British Computer Society, he graduated from the University of Lancaster in 1989, and has spent most of his career within the aerospace, defence and automotive sectors.

Andrew is committed to standards development – he has been involved with MISRA since 2007 and has been Chairman of the MISRA C Working Group since early 2013; he is the Chairman of the BSI “Software Testing” Working Group; and an active participant in other BSI, ISO, IET and SCSC work, including the second edition of ISO 26262.

Deepu Chandran is currently working as a Sr. Technical Manager with LDRA’s India office. He is an ISO 26262 CFSP (Certified Functional Safety Professional) and a “Functional Safety Certified Professional” in accordance with IEC 61508/IEC 61511 with experience in the aerospace, automotive and industrial domains. His research work focuses on embedded system security. He has over 19 years of experience in supporting clients in selecting, integrating, and maintaining embedded systems throughout the development lifecycle.

Anil Kumar N.G is a Senior Technical Manager at LDRA Technology Pvt Ltd in India. He has over 19 years of experience in developing and verifying real-time embedded systems. Anil is an ISA/IEC 62443 certified Cybersecurity Fundamentals Specialist. He is a Functional Safety Certified Professional in accordance with IEC 61508/IEC 61511. Additionally, he is an internal auditor for ISO 13485:2016 Medical Devices Quality Management System, ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System and ISO 27001: 2013 Information Security Management System.

Shinto Joseph is currently working as Director – South East Asia Operations at LDRA Technology Pvt. Ltd. With over 26 years of experience handling embedded software life cycle solutions, he has built many teams and companies in the embedded systems field. Working with cross-border delivery teams, technology partners and industry regulators in the defence, aerospace, automotive, industrial, medical, rail and nuclear sectors is his unique advantage. Today, he concentrates on creating a healthy ecosystem in the mission, security and safety-critical systems domain in South East Asia.

As Operations Director at LDRA, Ian Hennell oversees the development of the LDRA tool suite and strategic direction of LDRA. During Ian’s leadership of the LDRA over the last twenty-five years, the company has substantially grown its US and India operations. With a firm commitment to high-quality software development, Ian maintains LDRA’s well-earned reputation for strong leadership in software quality through providing tools that ease the challenge of meeting programming and certification standards in disciplines such as avionics, medical, automotive, industrial, nuclear and military.

Nikola Velinov is a senior software engineer working in the Business Development team of Green Hills Software. He is leading a technical team which specializes in integrations with third party software components and new hardware platforms. Nikola’s team has successfully integrated embedded toolchains, operating systems, and debugging technologies with AUTOSAR software stacks, middleware components, and automotive grade SoCs. Nikola holds a master’s degree in Software Systems Engineering from the RWTH Aachen University.