BS People: Gopichand Katragadda

Renaissance man to propel GE's innovation

It is the defining ambition of many a technologist to work for General Electric as the company is famous for being a global innovator. Gopichand Katragadda is now one such person. Katragadda has been picked to head the company’s largest R&D centre outside the US. "I had been with GE for a long time and was heading the energy division prior to my present role. It is always exciting when you work with lots of innovators," he says.

The India technology centre of this global behemoth is spread across three cities—Hyderabad, Mumbai and Bangalore. Katragadda clearly loves challenges, whether it is in his professional or personal life—the last 15 years saw him attempting to decipher the complex Indus script, not exactly a job for the fainthearted.

In his new role as the Managing Director, GE India Technology Center Katragadda's aim is to similarly find solutions to complex problems. He says that he wants to make the GE India Technology Center a national asset, where technology is developed to solve the world's and India's toughest problems in a responsible way.

With an experience spanning 10 years and various roles in the company, he is in charge of 5,500 people who contribute significantly to the various portfolios of GE globally. Prior to this, he served as the GM for GE Energy Infrastructure's India Engineering Operations overseeing, 2,000 employees in Bangalore, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

With over 400 patents filed by GE India Technology Centre last year alone, Katragadda expects to see a flood of innovations coming out of the India centre. He also predicts a huge opportunity in the field of energy, locomotives, transportation and healthcare.

Katragadda holds a Bachelor's degree in Electronics Engineering from Bangalore University and both his master's and doctorate in electrical engineering from Iowa State University. He is also a writer and a painter.