Dr. Keshab Panda is a Non-Executive Director on the Board of Larson & Toubro Technology Services (LTTS) Limited and Senior Advisor PE & Startup and Principal Mentor – Tech Services for Global Companies. He obtained his Ph.D. degree from IIT Bombay in Aero Servo Elasticity – (Control system fly by wire aircraft), in 1994. He also obtained an advanced management degree ‘Executive Management’ from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania in 2011.
Dr. Panda has over 31 years of global industry experience in research, conceptualizing, creating, operationalizing and turning around complex technology and engineering services businesses. He started his career as a Research Scientist in Indian Space Research Organization and worked at the Aeronautical Development Agency, Ministry of Defense, Government of India, as a scientist/engineer for over 8 years from March 1987 to June 1995. As a scientist at ISRO and DRDO, Dr. Panda has contributed to some of India’s landmark programs such as: his actively involved with India’s first communication satellite INSAT 2 in component design system and as a control structure interaction engineer, he actively participated in control law design, Load & Flutter analysis for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), and technology transfer for LCA. He also participated in Agni missile failure analysis committee.
He joined the Larson & Toubro (L&T) Group as Chief Executive of L&T Integrated Engineering Services (IES) in 2009. After L&T-IES was rechristened as L&T Technology Services in 2012, Dr. Panda was appointed as its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director and he led the company through a very successful (Initial Public Offering) IPO in September 2016.
He has led LTTS to a market valuation of over $2 billion with annual revenue of $781 million. He pioneered the rise of engineering services in India making the country a preferred hub for high end R&D innovation. LTTS became the bellwether for engineering services in the country, with 816 product patents and a dozen breakthrough platforms and solutions.
Dr. Panda has been closely associated with leading industry bodies such as NASSCOM, CII and the Indo American Chamber of Commerce (IACC). Under his leadership, LTTS has been contributing to the NASSCOM Engineering and Research and Development (ER&D) Council to build India as a preferred destination in engineering and technology. He has also spearheaded discussions with the CII on measures to ensure the growth of emerging technologies such as AI, Machine Learning and Edge Analytics, across various forums.
As the Head – Americas, Mahindra Satyam & Head of Europe Operations, Satyam Computer Services Limited, Dr. Panda, played a significant role in deepening and expanding Indo-U.S. business ties and has led various initiatives for cross leveraging of technologies between the two nations. At Satyam, his contribution towards the business include:
• As global program manager, grew GE account revenue from USD 3 million to USD 40 million in a 5-year period driving engineering programs out of its
India development centers,
• Was CEO of Satyam-TRW JV from 2000 to 2003
• Over a 3-year period led an 80-member European sales team across 30 countries as Europe Regional Head
• Ramped up North American sales team to 110 and led business generation in the $1.5 Billion U.S. market across all sectors, from BFSI to Manufacturing and Utilities
• Set up a 250-seater overseas Engineering Center of Excellence in Hungary and Romania
For his contributions to his field of work, he has won accolades and recognitions from all three leading industry bodies which include CEO of the Year by CNBC Awaaz 2019, CEO of the year ET NOW (2018), Business Leader Awards Committee (2018); Indian government’s Department of Science and Technology award for
Best contribution to Mechanical Engineering; Indo American Chamber of Commerce conferred LTTS with the Company of the Year in 2017 and 2019 for its contributions towards India-U.S. trade. Dr. Panda was also recognized by CII as Most Innovative Indian Company (Services category) in 2018 and 2019 and was awarded NASSCOM Artificial Intelligence Game Changer Awards 2018 for AiKno™ and Digital Skills Award for 2017.