Venkat Sumantran
Venkat R. Sumantran | |
|---|---|
| Born | Venkataramani Sumantran |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, Author, Academic |
| Known for | Tata Nano |
Venkat Sumantran is an Indian business leader, technocrat, academic and author. He has been closely engaged with the auto and mobility industry in the USA, Europe and India for over three decades. He is the Chairman of Celeris Technologies and a member of the board of directors for several organizations in the domains of automotive, electronics, and aviation.[1][2][3]
Sumantran is the technical brain behind Tata Nano 1 lakh car.[4]
Career
Venkataramani Sumantran started his journey at the General Motors Technical Center in Michigan, US. in 1985.[5] He returned to India to the role of Executive Director of Tata Motors Ltd. in 2001[6] where he was responsible for the fledgling Passenger Car business and simultaneously oversaw the Engineering Research Centre for the company. During this period, his contributions to Frugal engineering, were acclaimed in recognition of the role he played to lead the development of the Tata Nano – the car that gained global acclaim for low-cost innovation.[7][8]
Later, in his role as Vice-Chairman of Ashok Leyland Ltd.,[9] he founded and was Chairman of Defiance Technologies Ltd, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland that went on to help the Renault-Nissan Alliance develop the entry-level global car platform – referred to as the CMF-A architecture.[10]
In May 2020, Indigo Airlines appointed Venkataramani Sumantran as independent director.[11]
Academia, Government and Industry Bodies
Venkataramani Sumantran advises the Government of India in his role as a member of the Consultative Group for Future Transportation at the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India. He has served on the Science Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of the Government of India and on India’s National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council.[12] He has served as Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s National Defence Council.[13]
He has closely worked with academia and served on the Board of Governors of the Indian Institute of Technology Ropar.[14] He is an Adjunct Professor at the Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation (MISI) - a joint initiative between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the Government of Malaysia.[15]
Awards and honors
- Venkataramani Sumantran is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2012[16]
- Honoured with the title of “Fellow” of the Society of Automotive Engineers SAE International, the highest award for outstanding contribution to the automotive industry.[17]
Bibliography
He is the co-author of the book, Faster, Smarter, Greener: the Future of the Car and Urban Mobility, published by the MIT Press in 2017. The book explores a future beyond the auto industry, where modern society will strive to significantly transform urban mobility architectures in the twenty-first century.[18][19]
References
- ^ "IN Company Profile & Executives - InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. - Wall Street Journal". www.wsj.com.
- ^ "TVS Electronics | Investor Relations". TVS Electronics.
- ^ "IndiGo appoints Venkataramani Sumantran as independent director". The Economic Times.
- ^ "Tatas Dream Car Poses A Greater Challenge, Says Telco Official". The Financial Express. 15 July 2003.
- ^ "Sumantran joins IndiGo board". The Hindu. 29 May 2020.
- ^ "Tata Motors top gun quits". www.telegraphindia.com.
- ^ "Sumantran,man behind Tata's Rs 1L car resigns - Times of India". The Times of India.
- ^ "Tata Motor's V Sumantran steps down as director". The Economic Times.
- ^ "Sumantran appointed as non-executive vice-chairman of Ashok Leyland". Livemint. 4 November 2011.
- ^ "Defiance Tech brings in domain leaders to strengthen presence". The Economic Times.
- ^ "IndiGo appoints Venkataramani Sumantran as independent director". The Economic Times.
- ^ "domain-b.com : National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council Reconstituted". www.domain-b.com.
- ^ "CII". cii.in.
- ^ "Board of Governors". IITRPR.
- ^ "Faculty – Malaysia Institute For Supply Chain Innovation". Misi.edu.my.
- ^ "DAA - List of Distinguished Alumnus Awardees". alumni.iitm.ac.in.
- ^ "Three Indians to be honoured at SAE". Hindustan Times. 30 March 2006.
- ^ Dunn, Steve (23 April 2019). "Faster, Smarter, Greener: The Future of the Car and Urban Mobility by Venkat Sumantran, Charles Fine, and David Gonsalvez (review)". Transportation Journal. pp. 145–147.
- ^ "Faster, Smarter, Greener". www.goodreads.com.