The Beginning: NITK Surathkal

In 2012, I joined the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal to pursue a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering. Like many students, I chose the branch based on JEE rank and societal expectations rather than a deep passion for mechanics.

During my second year, I discovered programming. What started as a curiosity about how things worked behind the screen turned into an obsession. I spent nights learning C++, building small projects, and participating in coding competitions.

The Pivot Point: Bosch (2016-2019)

When I graduated in 2016 with a CGPA of 8.88, I joined Bosch as a Software Developer. Yes, a mechanical engineer as a software developer\! This was possible because Bosch was developing embedded software for automotive systems, where mechanical and software engineering intersect.

At Bosch, I worked on:

  • Microcontroller software using C++ and RTOS
  • Communication protocols: CAN, Ethernet, SPI
  • Design patterns for embedded systems

This experience taught me the importance of reliability. When your code runs on a car's braking system, there's no room for bugs. I learned to write defensive code, implement proper error handling, and think about edge cases obsessively.

Aerospace Adventure: Airbus (2019-2022)

From automotive to aerospace\! At Airbus, I worked as both a Software Engineer and Project Manager. This dual role was challenging but incredibly educational.

Technical highlights:

  • Built software using Java, Spring, and Azure
  • Optimized PRA (Probabilistic Risk Assessment) analysis, saving 3 hours per task
  • Led a team of 4 engineers delivering complex engineering models

The project management experience taught me how to:

  • Communicate technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
  • Balance technical debt with delivery timelines
  • Manage team dynamics and individual growth

Startup World: Vahak (2022-2023)

After years in large corporations, I wanted to experience the startup world. Vahak, a logistics platform, offered exactly that challenge.

Here, I:

  • Learned Golang from scratch and became proficient in weeks
  • Built authentication systems (RBAC, JWT) reducing unauthorized access by 50%
  • Optimized ElasticSearch queries improving performance by 35%
  • Created a WhatsApp chatbot that reduced response time from 3 hours to 2 minutes

The startup pace was exhilarating. Decisions that took months in corporations happened in days. But with speed came the responsibility to build things right the first time.

AI Revolution: Kognitos (2023)

At Kognitos, I got my first deep exposure to AI/ML in production. The company was building AI-powered automation agents, and I contributed to:

  • AWS Textract integration for document processing
  • LLM-based automation reducing manual processing by 40%
  • Cost optimization cutting AWS bills by 65%

This experience showed me that AI isn't magic—it's engineering. The same principles of clean architecture, testing, and monitoring apply, just with probabilistic outputs instead of deterministic ones.

Leadership: Osfin.ai (2023-2025)

As Engineering Manager at Osfin.ai, I transitioned from individual contributor to people leader. Managing a team of 6 engineers while staying hands-on was the biggest challenge yet.

Key achievements:

  • Built a Unified Dispute Management System reducing action time from 2 hours to 2 minutes
  • Implemented enterprise SSO with SAML and LDAP
  • Built ETL pipelines processing 250M+ records
  • Promoted 3 engineers to SDE2

The most rewarding part? Seeing engineers I mentored grow and take on bigger challenges.

Today: Tekion Corp (2025-Present)

Now at Tekion as Lead Software Engineer, I'm building AI-powered solutions for the automotive industry. It feels like coming full circle—from Bosch's automotive embedded systems to Tekion's automotive SaaS platform.

Lessons for Career Switchers

  1. Your background is an asset, not a liability. My mechanical engineering foundation helped me understand systems thinking, optimization, and reliability—skills that directly apply to software.
  2. Learn by doing. I didn't take a bootcamp or get a CS master's. I built projects, contributed to open source, and learned on the job.
  3. Seek bridge opportunities. Bosch's embedded software role was perfect because it valued my mechanical background while letting me grow in software.
  4. Be patient but persistent. It took 9 years to go from junior developer to Engineering Lead. Each role built on the previous one.
  5. Stay curious. Technology changes fast. I've gone from C++ to Java to Golang to Python. The willingness to learn new things is more important than any specific skill.

What's Next?

I'm excited about the intersection of AI and software engineering. Contributing to projects like Spring AI keeps me at the cutting edge while giving back to the community that helped me grow.

If you're considering a similar transition, feel free to reach out. I'm always happy to share more details about my journey and help others find their path.