My story
From the cockpit to the boardroom, and the road in between
As a boy I was drawn to sport, adventure and the sky. As an NCC cadet I was named the All India Air Force Best Cadet and received the award from Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. I then represented India in the UK as a youth ambassador on the International Air Cadet Exchange. After that came the Indian Air Force and the cockpit of a fighter aircraft.
That discipline carried me through eleven years in global companies: Citibank, Mphasis, Vanguard, Aditya Birla Group and Hewitt, and then HP, where I became one of the youngest vice presidents and a Global Tower Leader. Since then I have consulted, taught and built companies across 30+ countries. Since 2016 I have been fixing roads, first one pothole at a time and then with patented technology.
Along the way I completed doctoral research in management science, rode solo to the world's highest motorable road and never stopped sketching. My credo is the same as ever: live, love, learn, and leave a legacy.
Live. Love. Learn. Leave Legacy.
The journey
Twenty-six years, many cockpits
-
1999
The best cadet in the country
Named the NCC's All India Air Force Best Cadet and received the award from Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. I then represented India in the UK on the International Air Cadet Exchange, where I was named Global Best Cadet by the RAF's Chief of the Air Staff and earned a flying licence from the Royal Air Force.
Receiving the All India Air Force Best Cadet award from Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, January 1999 -
Until 2000
Fighter pilot
Flew with the Indian Air Force as a fighter pilot, including time as the youngest trainer for fighter aircraft. I survived a crash that could have ended everything, and it changed how I think about purpose.
NCC Air Wing: Best Cadet, with the trophy -
2000–2011
The corporate climb
Operations, quality and transformation roles at Citibank, Mphasis, Vanguard and Aditya Birla Group (AVP, APAC quality and certifications). Then Hewitt, as one of its youngest AVPs, and HP, as vice president for global quality, BPM and transformation and a Global Tower Leader at HP GBS. At HP I ran Lean Six Sigma programmes across India, Mexico, Costa Rica and Poland.
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2011–2016
Consultant, teacher, builder
Moved into consulting with BlueTiger (2011), a finishing school and business-process practice, and then Arpitha Associates (2013), running leadership, process-excellence and people-analytics programmes. Clients included Tenaga Nasional, Mashreq Bank, Siemens Healthcare, Landmark Group, Kemin Industries and UEM Group. I also became visiting faculty at IIM Bangalore and other business schools.
“A journey towards excellence”, a session at WeSchool (Welingkar) -
2016
PotHoleRaja
Started GroundReality and PotHoleRaja, a citizen-led movement to fix potholes quickly with eco-friendly methods. It brings together CSR partners, corporate volunteers, citizens and local bodies.
A PotHoleRaja fix on a busy Bengaluru road -
2017
The TEDx stage and the shooting range
Spoke at TEDxLavelleRoad on fixing the world one pothole at a time. Won five Karnataka State shooting medals and served as team manager and coach of India's Paralympic shooting team at the World Cup in Bangkok. PotHoleRaja received iVolunteer's award for Leader in Volunteering Engagement in both 2017 and 2018.
TEDxLavelleRoad, December 2017: “Potholes ahead” -
2019
Everest's Three Passes
Trekked the Three Passes circuit in the Everest region, then spent seven days trekking solo. The same year I spoke at the World Entrepreneurship Summit.
Everest Three Passes trek, Nepal, November 2019 -
2021
GridMats and a doctorate
Launched GridMats®, a patented honeycomb system that uses recycled plastic to build rigid roads and surfaces. I also received my Ph.D. in management science at a convocation in Goa.
Ph.D. convocation, 2021 -
2024
Shark Tank India and Umling La
Pitched GridMats on Shark Tank India, Season 3. In August I rode solo from Bengaluru to Umling La, the world's highest motorable road at 19,024 ft.
Pitching GridMats on Shark Tank India, Season 3 -
2025
Recognition for GridMats
GridMats won the Sustainable Infrastructure Innovator Award at Adani Green Talks.
Sustainable Infrastructure Innovator Award for GridMats, Adani Green Talks, September 2025 -
2026
GroundReality, back and stronger
Relaunched GroundReality as a consulting and advisory practice that takes clients from strategy to working systems, including AI-enabled transformation.
In PotHoleRaja colours
Recognition
Honours along the way
- 1999All India Air Force Best Cadet (NCC), presented by Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee
- UKGlobal Best Cadet, International Air Cadet Exchange, named by the RAF Chief of the Air Staff
- HPGlobal Tower Leader, HP Global Business Services
- 2017Karnataka State Shooting Championship: 1 gold, 2 silver and 2 bronze (10 m, 25 m and 50 m pistol)
- 2017Team manager and coach, Indian Paralympic shooting team, World Cup, Bangkok
- 2017–18iVolunteer Leader in Volunteering Engagement, awarded to PotHoleRaja
- 2018Karnataka State Shooting Championship: 1 silver and 3 bronze
- 2018Rotary Whitefield Central, Service Above Self felicitation
- BaliSarathi “Made a Difference” award, UN DRR and FICCI, presented at the UN conference in Bali
- IIScPitch Perfect winner in construction technology for GridMats, Indian Institute of Science
- MaharashtraState innovation award for GridMats, Government of Maharashtra startup competition
- 2025Sustainable Infrastructure Innovator Award for GridMats, Adani Green Talks
Learning never stops
Education and credentials
Doctorate
Ph.D., management science: social and behavioural science, PPPP and CSR models, road volunteerism, organisation design. Alliance University and CCU Malawi.
Harvard Business School
Executive programmes: ALDP and LNVI.
MIT Sloan
Negotiation and influence (executive education).
Management
MBA, IIMM. Master Black Belt, Indian Statistical Institute. MDAP. MS, statistics.
Foundations
BE, mechanical engineering. BSc, mathematics.
Board-ready
IICA-certified independent director, listed in the MCA Independent Directors Databank.
Certifications
PMP and PfMP (PMI), Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, COPC RC, ISO QMS and EMS lead auditor, SOX, ISABS Human Process Lab, 7 Habits trainer, design thinking.
Writing
Books and papers
Also 25+ research papers and more than 50 articles and blogs.
Performance Excellence
Efficient and effective project management in social organisations
Co-authored with Dr. Kalpana Sampath · Insight Publishers
Conversations with Love
Words and pictures
With Kalpana Sampath · illustrations from my sketch collection
The Real Estate Quarterly
Enabling informed decisions
2013
Project Management & People Analytics
Visiting faculty
- IIM Bangalore
- Christ University
- Alliance University
- IFIM Business School
- Welingkar (WeSchool)
- Jain University
- MS Ramaiah
Boards & advisory
- GroundReality
- SurveyRigor.com
- BlueTiger
- Arpitha Associates
- EFIL
- LearnOD
- Nidarshana Technologies
- Vaidyagrama
Member
- IGBC
- FICCI
- CII
- NASSCOM
- ASSOCHAM
- PMI
Let's build something that lasts
Speaking invitations, board and advisory roles, collaborations, or just a good conversation.