India to play central role in our global expansion, says Radha Krishnan, Detroit Engineered Products – EQ
In Short : Radha Krishnan, CEO of Detroit Engineered Products (DEP), stated that India will be central to the company’s global expansion. With its growing industrial sector, skilled workforce, and emphasis on innovation, India offers strategic advantages for DEP’s operations. The company plans to invest in R&D, manufacturing, and green technologies, aiming to leverage India’s strengths for global growth and competitiveness.
In Detail : With India emerging as a key hub for engineering and technology innovation, US-based engineering solutions company Detroit Engineered Products (DEP) looks to strategically leverage the country’s talent pool to fuel its global expansion, said a top executive.
“India provides a solid foundation for us to expand both our engineering services and product development capabilities. Our presence in five cities—Chennai, Bangalore, and others—allows us to tap into regional expertise, driving innovation in sectors like automotive, aerospace, and renewable energy,” said DEP president and founder Radha Krishnan in an exclusive interview with TechObserver.in.
“As we strengthen our presence in India, it will play a central role in our global expansion, particularly by serving as a key centre for innovation and research,” he said.
We are employing several key strategies to maintain resilience and drive growth. First, we continue to focus on technological innovation through our proprietary CAE platform, DEP MeshWorks, which is central to optimising product development and reducing costs for our clients. By enhancing design efficiency and enabling virtual product testing, we help companies respond to evolving customer demands while shortening time-to-market. Secondly, geographic expansion remains a key pillar of our strategy. We are strengthening our presence in key markets such as India, Japan, Europe, and the USA, allowing us to tap into diverse regional opportunities and stay connected with global trends. Third, we recognise the importance of agility in the face of shifting supply chains and market conditions.
By fostering local talent, particularly in regions like India, and building a flexible, innovation-driven culture, we ensure that we are well-positioned to meet both current and future client needs. Our strategic collaborations with industry leaders further enable us to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, ensuring that we can provide sustainable, cutting-edge solutions in an ever-changing world.
With India emerging as a hub for engineering and technology innovation, how are you leveraging this ecosystem, and what role do you see India playing in the global expansion of DEP’s solutions?
You are right; India is emerging as a key hub for engineering and technology innovation, and we are strategically leveraging this ecosystem to fuel our global expansion. With a rich talent pool, strong educational institutions, and a rapidly growing industrial sector, India provides a solid foundation for us to expand both our engineering services and product development capabilities. Our presence in five cities—Chennai, Bangalore, and others—allows us to tap into regional expertise, driving innovation in sectors like automotive, aerospace, and renewable energy.
In the automotive sector, we are closely collaborating with OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to develop cutting-edge solutions like electric vehicles and advanced powertrain systems. India’s growing focus on renewable energy also aligns with our commitment to sustainable technologies, including the development of high-efficiency engines and emission-reduction sensors. In aerospace, India’s expanding role in space exploration and commercial aviation provides an exciting opportunity for us to contribute with our CAE and product development solutions.
As we strengthen our presence in India, it will play a central role in our global expansion, particularly by serving as a key centre for innovation and research. By combining India’s technological ecosystem with our expertise, we are poised to lead in shaping the future of engineering solutions worldwide.
In your views, how simulation and digital twins will reshape traditional manufacturing and product development over the next decade?
Over the next decade, I believe simulation and digital twins will fundamentally reshape product development and manufacturing by enabling a shift from traditional physical prototyping to more efficient, data-driven processes. We are already seeing the power of tools like the MeshWorks platform, which integrates simulation and virtual testing to accelerate design cycles and reduce costs. By creating accurate digital replicas of products and systems, digital twins will allow manufacturers to optimise performance in real time, test different configurations, and foresee potential issues before physical production begins.
This not only reduces waste and time-to-market but also enhances product quality and sustainability. As industries like automotive, aerospace, and renewable energy embrace these technologies, the convergence of simulation and digital twins will revolutionise traditional manufacturing, enabling companies to deliver smarter, more efficient, and sustainable solutions to meet the growing demands of the global market.
What role do you see emerging technologies like AI and data analytics playing in achieving greener engineering solutions?
We believe that AI and data analytics are pivotal in creating greener engineering solutions. We leverage advanced AI/ML technologies like Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and Deep Neural Networks (DNNs) to streamline product development and optimise designs for sustainability. By applying machine learning models early in the design phase, we can predict and refine product behaviour, enhancing energy efficiency and reducing material waste. Our AI-powered tools enable dynamic visualisations that provide real-time feedback on how design changes impact performance, allowing engineers to make data-driven decisions that minimise environmental impact.
Also, the ability to generate predictive models from geometric data alone significantly reduces the need for physical prototypes, lowering material consumption and accelerating the development cycle. This not only reduces costs but also fosters innovation in lightweighting, energy efficiency, and resource optimisation. I think sustainability should be embedded into the product development process from the very beginning, enabling companies to achieve greener outcomes while maintaining a competitive advantage.
With the acceleration of AI and machine learning in engineering applications, how do you approach ethical considerations in AI-driven design, and what safeguards or frameworks are in place to ensure transparency and fairness in the solutions you provide?
At DEP, ethical considerations in AI-driven design are paramount. Our AI and machine learning models are designed to be explainable, allowing clients to understand how decisions and predictions are made. We prioritise using accurate, representative data and continuously train our models on real-world data to prevent biases and ensure relevance. In addition, our AI-driven tools are designed to support responsible innovation—empowering clients to optimise designs with a focus on sustainability and efficiency.
We enable designers to visually assess how geometric changes impact product performance early in development, reducing the need for costly physical testing. We also regularly review and update our AI models to maintain their accuracy and fairness. These safeguards ensure that our solutions are not only cutting-edge but also ethically sound, fostering trust and long-term value for our clients.
What are the key applications of drones in protecting aerial assets, and which industries are adopting them?
Drones are rapidly becoming a vital tool for protecting aerial assets across various industries, offering advanced surveillance, monitoring, and security capabilities. In sectors such as aerospace, energy, and defence, drones are used for real-time aerial inspections of infrastructure like power lines, wind turbines, and oil rigs, detecting potential issues or security breaches before they escalate. In agriculture, drones help monitor large expanses of land for crop health, pest infestations, and environmental risks, which are critical for protecting assets like machinery or high-value crops.
Moreover, drones play a crucial role in military and defence, where they provide intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) to safeguard sensitive locations. In industries like logistics and warehousing, drones are being deployed to monitor goods in transit or at storage sites, reducing theft and damage. We see immense potential in drone technologies. As industries adopt drones for more proactive asset protection, the need for innovative solutions—combining AI, machine learning, and real-time analytics— will keep on growing.
