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Dr Sandeep Kumar

Chief Executive, L&T Semiconductor Technologies Limited

Dr Sandeep Kumar is the Chief Executive of L&T Semiconductor Technologies Ltd. 

A seasoned technology executive with over 35 years of experience, Dr Sandeep Kumar has a proven track record in building and scaling technology businesses globally. 

As a pioneer in the Indian semiconductor industry, he has co-founded multiple technology ventures and holds leadership positions in several high-growth companies. His expertise spans technology development, finance, M&A, and global partnerships. 

Currently, Dr Sandeep Kumar also serves as the Chief Mentor for the Indian government’s AI CoE, Neuron. He also chairs the boards of Qritrim (enterprise AI), Bhartel (communications, networking, and energy systems), and Mekumi (EdTech). He is also a Partner at Kizki Japan Fund, TMPC Japan, and Global Ascent Partners. 

An active investor and advisor, Dr Sandeep Kumar is involved with numerous start-ups, MSMEs, and MNCs worldwide as a board member. His deep industry knowledge and extensive network make him a sought-after leader in the technology ecosystem. His global reach extends to the US, India, Japan, China, Taiwan, Chile, Mexico, Israel, and Russia. 

Prior to his entrepreneurial pursuits, Dr Sandeep Kumar held key positions at established corporations. He was a Managing Partner at TechRanch incubator and held leadership roles at Texas Instruments, where he headed the Broadband Business Division and the Global Microcontroller R&D Division. He has also been a Partner at venture capital firms JVP and Crimson. 

Parthiban Arunasalam

Chief Product Officer

Parthi is a global semiconductor manufacturing and technology executive with two decades of leadership across North America, Asia, and Europe. As Chief Product Officer at L&T Semiconductor Technologies, he leads worldwide semiconductor manufacturing operations, advanced packaging, and technology organizations, including SoC packaging, module integration, and widebandgap power electronics packaging. 

He previously served as President & CEO of DunAn Microstaq, Inc., where he drove growth in MEMSbased sensor and actuator technologies and SysteminPackage solutions for sensor drive electronics, expanded global manufacturing partnerships, and advanced sustainability and datadriven innovation. A technologist at his core, Parthi holds 33 U.S. patents and more than 30 international patents in semiconductor devices, packaging, control systems, and control algorithms. 

Parthi’s education includes graduate studies at the State University of New York at Binghamton, a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Arkansas, and both a Master’s and Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universiti Sains Malaysia, with research focused on electronic packaging and advanced optimization methods.

Dhirendra Verma

Chief Business Officer

Dhirendra Verma brings multiple decades of product development experience in the software and automotive industry at OEMs, hardware and software suppliers, and start-ups. Across all these roles, he has focused on innovation and technology development towards meeting business goals. 

Most recently, he has led teams for the development of perception, planning and control systems for autonomous driving and in-cabin occupant monitoring systems at suppliers such as Continental and Harman. In the past, he also had P&L responsibility for multiple business units and successfully launched both software and hardware products at Chrysler, Covisint, and PTC. 

He holds a Bachelor of Technology from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, an MS and PhD in Engineering from Case Western Reserve, and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Sanjay Gupta

Chief Development Officer & India Country Head

Sanjay Gupta is a seasoned semiconductor technology professional with more than 29 years in the global and hi-tech industry and holds distinguished experience in semiconductors, embedded software, and electronics system design. 

Sanjay Gupta started his career with Motorola as a fresh college graduate from Delhi College of Engineering in 1996 and rose to become the Global Vice President of Engineering and Managing Director for NXP India Technical Innovation Centres. Later on, he did an MBA from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, with recognition on the Dean’s List. Prior to joining L&T Semiconductor, Sanjay Gupta was spearheading Minda Corporation’s Advanced Technologies Business vertical, as President & CEO. 

Sanjay Gupta is widely recognised for his collaborative leadership style, with a proven track record of building high-performing teams from the ground up and transforming them from ‘Good to Great’ through innovation-driven programmes, strategic initiatives, and a relentless focus on continuous improvement. 

He has been working extensively with government bodies, industry stakeholders, and academic institutions to advance the Indian semiconductors and electronics ecosystem. He served as the Chairman and Board Member of the IESA Executive Council as well as the Skill Council of India. He has also been a key industry advisor and stakeholder to the Indian Government (MeitY) for various policy formulation and launches, and is an active member of various start-up incubator forums. 

Sanjay Gupta is a technologist at heart and holds multiple US patents and numerous technical and business publications. 

Rahul Nilosey

Chief Financial Officer

Rahul Nilosey has been the Chief Financial Officer at L&T Semiconductor Technologies Limited since July 2024. 

Prior to this, he was the CFO of L&T Metro Rail (Hyderabad) Ltd. since 2021. He was also appointed as the Chief Risk Officer there in 2022. As part of LTMRHL, he completed the refinancing of ₹13,000 crore of bank loans through capital markets and M&A deals of ₹2,000+ crore. 

Prior to Hyderabad Metro, he was part of the corporate finance team at L&T since 2014, where his primary responsibilities were resource raising for L&T and the group companies. He was also responsible for performance monitoring, resource allocation, and capital structuring for the group companies within L&T. 

Prior to joining the L&T Group, he worked for about 10 years at the investment banking divisions of organisations like Tata Capital, Edelweiss Capital, and UBS Investment Bank, where he advised companies on capital raising and mergers & acquisitions. 

He is a BTech graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration. He has also completed his Master’s in Finance from Bentley University, USA. 

Kabilan Jayathungan

Chief Human Resources Officer

Kabilan is a graduate in mathematics from Madras University and holds an MBA from LIBA (Loyola Institute of Business Administration). He is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt with 35+ years of experience in various facets of the human resources function across industries, including NGO, steel manufacturing, advertising, FMCG, medical devices, and engineering, contributing to culture change and profitable business growth.

Kabilan Jayathungan joined L&T Construction in 2018 as the Head of HR of the Buildings & Factories Independent Company, where he played a key role in driving strategic HR initiatives. Since January 2023, he has been heading HR at Divisional Corporate. He also led the team of Skill Development Centres of L&T and facilitated their establishment. 

Prior to joining L&T, he led various HR roles in MNCs such as KONE Elevator, Tyco Healthcare, and Kodak India. 

Former Chairman of Texas Instruments, Japan

K. Balasubramanian is a veteran of the global semiconductor industry with a distinguished 37-year career at Texas Instruments. After completing his B.E. from Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai, he earned his M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Rhode Island, USA, before joining Texas Instruments in 1969 as a design engineer.

He was one of three engineers tasked with the pioneering development of a single-chip calculator, an industry-defining innovation that laid the foundation for TI’s leadership in semiconductors. Over the course of his career, he held leadership roles spanning design, worldwide manufacturing, global businesses, and quality systems, and was promoted to Senior Vice President in 1993. In 2000, he was appointed President of Texas Instruments Japan, leading the company through a transformative six-year period and strengthening its global presence. He was also instrumental in establishing TI’s design center in Bangalore, contributing to India’s emergence on the global semiconductor map.

Following his retirement from TI, he served on the boards of Freescale Semiconductor and MetroCorp BankShares, Inc., bringing his strategic expertise to both technology and financial sectors.

In recognition of his contributions, he has been honoured as an Outstanding Alumnus by both Madras Institute of Technology, Chennai, and the University of Rhode Island.

Former Director General (MDSC), Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO)

Dr Keshav Dattatraya Nayak is a Distinguished Scientist and former Director General of DRDO, having superannuated in 2016 after more than three decades of distinguished service. He specialises in microelectronics and microwave engineering, MMIC design and fabrication, VLSI, ASIC design and fabrication, high-performance computing systems, security products, and cybersecurity, and is regarded as one of the leading experts in these domains.

In 1986, as a core member of the founding team, he helped establish GAETEC (Gallium Arsenide Enabling Technology Centre) at Hyderabad. In 1994, he went on to establish SITAR (Silicon Technology and Applied Research), India’s first 1-micron CMOS VLSI MIL-qualified silicon foundry, at Bangalore. SITAR has since been used for manufacturing silicon ICs, while GAETEC (space qualified) has produced gallium arsenide-based MMICs for communication and radar systems. As Director of Anurag and later as Chief Controller & DG, he continued to nurture both SITAR and GAETEC until his retirement in 2016.

Dr Nayak has been the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the Integrated Guided Missile Programme (IGMDP) Award in 1989, the IETE-IRSI (83) Award in 1997–98 for outstanding contributions to radar and microwave systems, the Technology Day Invention Award by NRDC in 2000, DRDO Scientist of the Year in 2006, and the DRDO Technology Leadership Award in 2013.

He completed his PhD in Microelectronics from IIT Bombay in 1981. Between 1979 and 1981 he worked as a solar cell researcher, and from 1981 to 1984 he was part of the Advanced Centre for Research in Electronics (ACRE) at IIT Bombay. He has published over 40 technical papers in national and international journals and conferences, and has filed three copyrights.

Following his retirement from DRDO, Dr Nayak has remained active through a wide range of advisory and leadership roles, including:

• Member of the Consultation Group on Science & Technology at NITI Aayog
  
• Member of the Technical Advisory Committee, National Supercomputing Mission (NSM)
  
• Member of the National Fab Committee for establishing a semiconductor fab in India
  
• Co-chairman of the Fabless VLSI Design Mission under MeitY, Government of India
  
• Member of the Expert Committee for review of the SAIF Programme under DST, Government of India
  
• Associated with the Cyber-Physical Systems Programme under DST, Government of India
  
• Member of the Governing Council of NITTE Meenakshi Institutions
  
• Member of the Governing Council of the CR Rao Mathematics Institute in Hyderabad
  
• Advisory Committee Member for the Department of Electrical Engineering, IIT Bombay
  
• Advisor to the Director of IIT Gandhinagar
  
• Advisory Board Member for L&T Semiconductors
  
• Conceptualised and guided the formation of a Centre of Excellence for microwave, millimetre wave, photonics, and RF ecosystems at the Central University of Kalaburagi
  

As an independent thinker, he continues to shape and steer industry-wide collaboration for the development of indigenous software-defined radio (SDR) IP, 5G communication technologies, trusted network products, and the broader semiconductor design and manufacturing ecosystem, all with the vision of transforming India into an Atmanirbhar Bharat.

Chairman, Panasonic India & Panasonic Life Solutions India

Manish Sharma is the Chairman of Panasonic India & Panasonic Life Solutions India and currently serves as the Chair of the Resource Efficiency and Circular Economy Industry Coalition (RECEIC), an initiative formulated during India’s G20 Presidency. With a career spanning more than three decades, he brings extensive experience across consumer electronics, manufacturing, and the technology sector.

He also serves as Chair of the FICCI Electronics & White Goods Committee, where he has been instrumental in advising industry stakeholders and policymakers to drive innovation, smart manufacturing, backward integration, and export growth. In addition, he chairs the FICCI Energy Storage Committee, is Co-chair of the India–Taiwan Business Cooperation Committee, and was the longest-serving President of the Consumer Electronics and Appliances Manufacturers Association (CEAMA) from 2014 to 2018.

His contributions to the industry have been widely recognised. He was honoured as Man of Electronics by CEAMA in 2019, received an award from ELCINA in 2016–17 for his outstanding contribution to the growth of the electronics industry, and was nominated for the prestigious Asia Business Leaders Awards (ABLA) in 2017.

Manish Sharma holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from BIT, Bhilai.

Head, Electronics, Semiconductors & Simulation, Siemens Digital Industries

Based in Munich, Katharina Westrich brings a strong background in semiconductors, electronics, and business, combining technical expertise with strategic insight.

She currently leads Siemens’ global activities for Electronics & Semiconductors and Simulation, heading an international team that supports semiconductor manufacturing across the entire value chain. In addition, she is an elected member of the Governing Council of the Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC), where she contributes to advancing the consortium’s mission of reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the global semiconductor industry.

Prior to her current role, Katharina Westrich served as Head of Vertical Management Semiconductor and earlier as Head of Siemens Research & Pre-Development. Over her career, she has held several strategic positions within Siemens, gaining significant experience in consulting and mergers & acquisitions.

Katharina Westrich holds a Master of Science degree from the Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and is an alumna of INSEAD.

Head, L&T Precision Engineering and Systems (PES)

Arun T Ramchandani is the Head of L&T Precision Engineering and Systems and a veteran technology leader with four decades of experience at Larsen & Toubro. Joining the company in 1984 as a Graduate Engineer from IIT Delhi, he has played a pivotal role in growing L&T’s corporate R&D into a world-class centre for multi-disciplinary product development, with a particular focus on defence and aerospace systems.

Over his career, he has led R&D at L&T’s PES IC, headed the Guns & Armoured Systems Business Unit, and now oversees the Defence & Aerospace Independent Company. His expertise spans systems engineering, multi-disciplinary systems design, and simulations, contributing to the design and development of critical equipment and new products for India’s strategic sectors.

A recognised technology professional and defence industry specialist, Arun Ramchandani is a Fellow of the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) and an Honorary Fellow of the Indian Society of Systems for Science and Engineering (ISSE). He has also been honoured with the Eminent Engineer Award by the Institution of Engineers (India).

Beyond L&T, he contributes actively to industry and national initiatives. He serves as Chair of the CII National Committee on Defence, is a member of the USIBC Global Board, the Board of Governors of the National Academy of Defence Production, and the Technology Advisory Group to the Empowered Technology Group, chaired by the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India. He has also chaired the Defence & Aerospace Committee under FICCI.