S. Ananth
Chennai
Summary
Accomplished leader with extensive experience at Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd., driving NPI project management and program delivery. Spearheaded a 20% reduction in cycle time, leveraging strategic planning and collaboration. Proficient in R&D lifecycle management and CAD modeling, excelling in team leadership and stakeholder communication to deliver innovative, high-quality products.
Overview
26
26
years of professional experience
Work History
General Manager – PMO
Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd.
Chennai
02.2003 - Current
- Managed NPI project management and end-to-end program delivery of TAFE, MF, Eicher, and IMT brand tractors for domestic and export markets, engines for tractors and stationary applications, and farm equipment.
- Championed Stage Gate process, NPI Governance, Resource management and risk management – 15% improvement in schedule adherence, 20% reduction in NPI cycle time and 20% improvement in resource utilization
- Established systems and processes for NPI project prioritization, implemented WIP/WIQ methodology for project admittance, and developed productivity metrics and dashboards for enhanced visibility across NPI lifecycle
- Served as NPI project manager and design head for new agricultural tractor projects valued over INR 200 crores.
- Headed R&D teams entailing New Product Design Engineering, Product Development and Project Lifecycle from requirement analysis, finalizing specifications, concept maturation, 2-D / 3-D modelling, detailed designing, technology finalization, prototype development, design reviews & documentation, proto-build & testing to pilot development
- Front-leading R&D strategy, objectives, project planning and execution with key focus on project planning for 3 to 5 years’ horizon
- Established Cabin CoC (Centre of Competency) in TAFE
- Headed prototype manufacturing at R&D for 2 years – implemented various process enhancements and brought in design quality focus
- Supporting design reviews with both internal and external stakeholders, including conducting drawing and specification reviews
- Finalizing Engine, Transmission, Cooling System, Exhaust System, Operator Cabin, AC and Heating System, Electrical System, Operator Space Design, Steering System, Seating Layout, Hydraulic System, Weight and Space Optimization, and many other factors by following Vehicle Performance and Comfort Engineering aspects including ergonomics and NVH requirements
- Concept creation, design calculation/verification and DFMEA based on requirements; designing the product considering various aspects like design for tooling / manufacturability / assembly / environment / aesthetic / ergonomics & cost
- Conceptual study of product requirements for vehicle performance, overall weight and dimensions, functional & technical requirements & preparing specification and vehicle feasibility report
- Comparative study on various proposals using PUGH Matrix, discussion with customers, development of SOW for various aggregates, benchmarking, technical review, identification of technical risk, project review, detailed planning and execution
- Creating & reviewing several types of drawings and design documents such as DFMEA, DVP&R, DFA, DFS, DFM, DFE, FEA, Engineering Drawing, ECN (Engineering Change Document), Design Guidelines, SOR for the First Time Right Tractor Designs
- Supervising Design Verification & Validation Testing; conducting RCA, analyzing product issues, identifying non-conforming designs & ensuring corrective actions for delivery of high-quality products
- Spearheaded resource planning, mapped resource utilization, balanced resources, and managed product planning, portfolio management, and budget planning
- Making recommendations for the planning of R&D improvement and quality improvement initiatives, budgets and capital expenditures
- Liaising and networking with Design Consultants, Educational Institutions, Government Agencies, Suppliers & Patent Attorneys for creating designs that can be produced economically to improve the company’s competitive position and managing IPR / Patents
- Built and mentored high-performance teams of project managers and functional leads, enabling them to achieve their objectives effectively
- Started as an engineer and received multiple promotions, including Senior Engineer, Assistant Manager, Deputy Manager, Manager, Senior Manager, Divisional Manager, Assistant General Manager, Deputy General Manager, and Chief Engineer; currently serve as General Manager – PMO.
- Key Projects:
- 200+ new products and variants launched in the first 2 years of PMO responsibility, including new markets such as Europe, Turkey and Mexico
- Designed, developed and launched first ever luxury cabin tractors for TAFE in Turkey market in 50-75 HP segment
- Effectively directed and delivered 4 economy cabin tractor projects for African markets with various tractor and cabin styling
- Designed and developed luxury cabin tractors while meeting European Mother regulations and latest emission norms
- Led various Vehicle Programs for advanced markets with state-of-the-art technologies and styling
- Successfully delivered cabin tractor projects for Western Europe, Russia and Eastern Europe markets
- Delivered electrical functional design for various projects in domestic and international markets, introducing number of new electrical features such as Smart Key Safety System, LED Lights, Reed Sensors, Digital Instrument Clusters, Gear Reduction Starter Motors, Compact Internal Fan Alternators, Electric Driveline Controls, Operator Presence Safety Module, Electrical Wiring Safety and so on
- Managed Value Enhancement Projects such as VA/VE cost saving, perceived quality enhancement and reliability improvement
- Successfully engineered and delivered NPI Process and System Architecture Deployment
- Worked with.
- AGCO Corporation and ITG, Italy on Tractor and Cabin Design
- WMG Consultants on NPI, Fit & Finish Projects
- RDW, Netherlands for homologation of new tractor projects as per statutory and regulatory requirements
- DSIR (Department of Scientific & Industrial Research) for R&D recognition and registration renewal / approvals
Development Engineer - R&D
Lucas - TVS Ltd.
Chennai
07.2000 - 01.2003
- Designed and developed new starter motors for TATA Motors LCVs, TAFE, John Deere, and Escorts Tractors
- Redesigned starter motor, achieving 20% cost reduction
- Highlights:
Education
M.Tech. - Automotive Technology
IIT Madras
Chennai01-2011
MBA - Operations Management
IGNOU
01-2006
B.E. - Mechanical Engineering
Govt. College of Technology
Coimbatore01-2000
Skills
- R&D Project Lifecycle Management
- NPI governance
- Stage gate management
- Program delivery
- Product portfolio
- Tractor engineering
- Product design optimization
- Requirements Engineering
- Concept design
- Validation and Verification
- CAD software expertise
- Process Optimization Techniques
- Financial Performance Improvement
- Resource planning
- Planning decisions
- Strategic implementation
- Strategic analysis
- Decision making
- Technical Proposal Development
- Team leadership
- People Manager
- Collaborator
- Stakeholder communication
- Business Leader
- Decision making
Personal Information
- Title: General Manager - PMO
- Date of Birth: 1979-04-15
PERSONAL DETAILS
Languages Known: English & Tamil
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
Gold Medalist in B.E. and M. Tech.
Publications
- Indian Patent: 390228 - Security System for Off-road Vehicles and a Smart Key
- SAE Paper – 2012-01-1908 - Study of vibration from steering wheel of an agricultural tractor, presented in SAE 2012 Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress held at Illinois, USA and published in SAE Journal
CERTIFICATIONS / TRAININGS
- Undergoing TAFE LEAD (Leadership Excellence and Development) program under the mentorship of CEO – 2024-26
- Skill Soft Percipio Accelerated Learning for Leaders 2.0 and 3.0 – 2020/21
- Design Thinking and Innovation Masterclass by Patrick Collings in 2017
- Achieving Excellence in New Product Innovation by Micheal J. Wiebe – 2014
- Management Development Program - Bharathidasan Institute of Management - 2012
- Performance Leadership Program for Business Leaders – 2011
- Execution Excellence Workshop by Franklin Covey - 2011
- The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Franklin Covey - 2011
- ISO 9000 Training Program – TUV NORD – 2008
GROWTH PATH in TAFE
- Engineer (Member-R&D) Feb'03
- Asst. Manager (Sr. Member- R&D) Apr'06
- Manager (Principal Member-R&D) Apr'07
- Divisional Manager (Principal Member- R&D) Apr'09
- Deputy Chief Engineer- R&D Jul'11
- Sr. Manager (Principal Member-R&D) Apr'13
- Asst. Chief Engineer-R&D Apr'16
- Chief Engineer- R&D Jul'18
- Sr. Engineer (Member - R&D) Oct'20
- General Manager – Project Mgmt. Jan'23
- Jan'25
Timeline
General Manager – PMO
Tractors and Farm Equipment Ltd.
02.2003 - Current
Development Engineer - R&D
Lucas - TVS Ltd.
07.2000 - 01.2003
M.Tech. - Automotive Technology
IIT Madras
MBA - Operations Management
IGNOU
B.E. - Mechanical Engineering
Govt. College of Technology