Engineer’s Day 2023: Indian technology leader Dr. Gopichand Katragadda to take over as first Indian president of international body, the Institution of Engineering and Technology
Dr. Katragadda will succeed as the 142nd President of the IET, one of the world’s oldest and largest global engineering institutions.
Dr Gopichand Katragadda, Founder and CEO of Myelin Foundry, has been appointed as the 142nd President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), a UK-headquartered international professional engineering institution. He will be the first Indian in the history of the IET to assume this role, including the first Indian to assume the presidency of a global engineering body.
Dr. Gopichand will assume office from 1 October 2023, taking over the role from Prof. Bob Cryan CBE, Vice Chancellor and CEO of the University of Huddersfield. Prior to him, the IET was led by prominent leaders in the industry, such as Sir Robin Saxby, Founder and Ex-CEO, ARM Holdings and Naomi Climer CBE, former Vice-President of Sony Professional Solutions Europe and co-Founder and co-Chair of the Institute of Work.
“The influence and impact of the IET has grown significantly over the past few years, with our past presidents leaving a fantastic legacy of determination and expert leadership. It is indeed a momentous occasion to have Dr Gopichand Katragadda taking over the reins as a highly respected thought-leader in the field of Artificial Intelligence, and our first Indian president. With an illustrious career to his credit, I am certain that he will play a key role in steering the IET towards our vision of engineering a better world,” said Ed Almond, Chief Executive and Secretary, The IET.
A seasoned technologist and executive leader, Dr. Gopichand Katragadda is the Founder of Myelin Foundry, an AI company with a vision to transform human experiences and industry outcomes. He is also an Independent Director of Bosch India Limited and ICICI Securities.
Until January 2019, Dr Gopichand was the Group Chief Technology Officer and Innovation Head of Tata Sons. At Tata Sons, he facilitated the development of pioneering products and services, strategic technology collaboration, and innovation across the $100 Billion Tata Group. He also set up and managed the ongoing Tata research collaborations with Harvard and Yale.
India has been taking several strides towards establishing its prowess and competence at a global scale, with the G20 presidency being the most significant marker of the same. The country pioneered an inclusive and solution-oriented model of diplomacy that set a great example for global collaboration. With aspects like sustainability and women-led development being key parts of India’s agency, the country has modeled an impact-first approach for the rest of the world. In this context, Dr Katragadda’s presidency is sure to follow the same example and ensure global progress towards driving engineering excellence for social impact.
With several other achievements to India’s credit such as Rishi Sunak being elected as UK’s first Indian Prime Minister, Vivek Ramaswamy becoming a US presidential candidate and Sundar Pichai being appointed as Google CEO, Dr. Katragadda’s appointment to this role further solidifies India’s strong leadership acumen and global prowess.
“We are delighted to witness Dr Gopichand Katragadda make history by being the first Indian to be leading The IET as its president. He is a true visionary in AI and technology innovation, and we are confident that his expert guidance will propel IET to new heights. Under his guidance, we anticipate a year filled with innovation, progress, and transformative change within the engineering community”, said Shekhar Sanyal, Country Head and Director, IET India.
In his presidential year, Dr Gopichand will work closely with the IET to shape the organization’s directives and strategize the advancement of engineering and technology in society. He will represent the IET at various events and conferences, advocating for its interests in society. Dr Gopichand will also play a pivotal role in supporting the continuous professional development of IET members and participate in initiatives aimed at advancing innovation and research in the engineering community, especially in the AI space.
Note: Dr Katragadda’s inaugural address, ‘Engineers and AI: The key to delivering a resilient future’, will take place on Wednesday 4th October at 19:00 BST at IET London: Savoy Place and will broadcast live via the IET’s YouTube channel. In his address, Dr Gopichand will explore the themes of AI as a transformative force critical in achieving a sustainable and progressive future. Find out more and register to watch, here.
