Tata Sons appoints Gopichand Katragadda as Group CTO

Tata Sons has appointed Gopichand Katragadda as Group Chief Technology Officer, effective 3 August 2014, reporting to Chairman Cyrus P Mistry.

Katragadda will be responsible for technology at the group level and share his expertise in managing R&D operations, leveraging cross-company synergies, creating technology strategies for white spaces, and acting as an evangelist for innovation across group companies.

Prior to joining Tata Sons, Katragadda served as managing director of GE India Technology Centre, leading GE's India technology team of over 5,000 engineers and scientists.

In his 12 years with GE, based at the John F. Welch Technology Center in Bangalore, Katragadda built new technology teams, facilitated funding of cross-business innovation, championed the commissioning of new research labs, and helped create what is today GE's largest integrated multidisciplinary R&D centre.

Before joining GE, Katragadda worked with Karta Technologies, San Antonio, Texas, as Vice President (R&D). He also was an adjunct professor at the University of Texas and served on the board of directors of Texas Public Radio.

Katragadda has over 30 publications and five patents to his credit.  He has authored a book on innovation, titled S.M.A.S.H: Innovation: Smashing The Hand-Mind-Market Barrier.

A champion of innovation across India, he serves as a member of various important forums, like the government of Karnataka's Vision Group on Information Technology, and is an advisor to various industry bodies.

He had served as the chairman of the board of directors of GE-BEL, and is on the Industry Advisory Board of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.