AKSHATHA P RAO - Test Lead / R&D Designer Test - Nokia Networks Pvt. Ltd.

Summary

Test lead and senior test engineer with over 10 years of experience in telecom and cloud-native environments. Expertise includes 5+ years in Kubernetes and containerized microservices testing, specializing in IMS domain validation and cloud-native deployment verification. Demonstrated success in leading automation initiatives for large-scale customer deployments and enhancing quality engineering practices across distributed teams. Key skills encompass cloud-native testing, Kubernetes operations, validation, automation framework development, and production deployment support.

Overview

10

years of professional experience

Work History

Test Lead / R&D Designer Test

Nokia Networks Pvt. Ltd.

Bengaluru

01.2016 - Current

Lead cloud-native testing activities for IMS microservices deployed on Kubernetes.
Design and execute end-to-end validation strategies for telecom core deployments.
Drive automation initiatives using Robot Framework and Python to improve regression efficiency.
Review test plans, architecture documents, and feature specifications to ensure quality coverage.
Provide direct customer deployment support and technical troubleshooting for large operators.
Coordinate with development, DevOps, and operations teams to resolve critical production issues.
Automating installation, upgrade, and verification workflows for telecom entities across BareMetal and Virtual environments.
Implementing automation for Kubernetes scheduling validation, including Node Selectors, Taints and Tolerations, and Priority Classes.
Supporting IMS deployments for major telecom customers including RJIO and Verizon.
Improved regression testing efficiency through scalable automation adoption.
Technologies & Tools: Kubernetes, Docker, Robot Framework, Python, Linux, JIRA, RIDE

Education

M.Tech - Information Technology

National Institute of Engineering

Mysore

01-2016

B.E - Computer Science Engineering

SJMIT

Chitradurga

01-2014

Skills

Kubernetes Architecture
Pods
Deployments
StatefulSets
Services
RBAC
Namespaces
Scheduling
CNI Networking
Cluster Troubleshooting
Rolling Upgrades
GitLab Pipeline Automation
Cloud Native Testing
End‑to‑End Testing

Regression Testing
Test Strategy & Planning
Test Bed Setup
Defect Management
Robot Framework
Python
Test Automation Framework Design
IMS Architecture
Telecom Core Network Validation
Agile / SAFe Methodology
Cross‑Team Coordination
Customer Support
Stakeholder Communication
Technical Leadership

Languages

English

Kannada

Hindi

Custom Section

Cloud Native Quality Engineering
Kubernetes Validation
DevOps & Platform Testing
Telecom Core Modernization
Test Leadership

Websites, Portfolios and Profiles

www.linkedin.com/in/akshatharao25041993

Awards

Women Achiever Award (2x)
Nokia Excellence Award (4x) for outstanding performance and contributions
Certificate of Appreciation for Quality Test Execution
Led and organized cross‑team events demonstrating leadership and coordination skills

Hobbies and interests

Travelling and Music is the hobby

Timeline