Can you tell us about your background and how you ended up at FieldAssist?
‍I graduated from IIT Dhanbad in 2015, originally from a mining engineering background. Over time, I realized mining wasn’t what I wanted to pursue, and I had always been intrigued by the impact of product technology. I eventually ventured into building a product with a couple of co-founders, developing a citizen journalism platform. That experience gave me a strong foundation in product development and software engineering, which led me to join FieldAssist in 2017.
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How did building your first product shape your engineering and leadership skills?
Building that first product—where citizens could report issues to their elected representatives—was a real learning experience. I had to learn coding, work on frameworks like PHP and Bootstrap, and even managed to build a mobile app. The challenges in scaling the product taught me essential lessons in tech and business models. I also learned the importance of having the right team—my first team member was someone who hacked into our system but ended up joining the company and has been with me for over 10 years.
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‍You started with a small team at FieldAssist. How did you manage scaling the tech team?
When I joined FieldAssist, we were a small team of seven to eight engineers. Over time, as we scaled, it became clear we needed more structured processes. Initially, we had only a few QA members, but as the team grew, we realized we needed dedicated QA teams to maintain the quality and pace of our product releases. We now have a 110-person team, including 70 engineers and 25 QA professionals, all working across different pods to manage microservices, which has significantly improved efficiency.

How did the pandemic impact your team and operations?
COVID was a challenging time for us. We were scaling rapidly, working on several products simultaneously, but suddenly faced uncertainties like attrition and disrupted hiring cycles. During this period, we moved from a monolithic structure to a more flexible microservices architecture, creating smaller pods that could handle specific tasks. This not only helped in managing teams better but also enabled us to adapt to remote working conditions effectively.

‍You’ve mentioned embracing AI as a core focus. How does AI fit into FieldAssist’s future?
AI has become central to our innovation efforts at FieldAssist. We recently launched the FieldAssist Innovation Lab (FAi) to explore AI-based solutions like route optimization, product recommendations, and performance tracking. Our goal is to leverage AI in a meaningful way that creates real value for our customers, rather than just implementing AI for the sake of it.Leadership in a Fast-Paced Environment.

‍You’ve led a fast-growing team and faced numerous challenges. What advice would you give to engineering leaders?
One of the most important things I’ve learned is to tackle problems step by step. Don’t try to implement all solutions at once—focus on what’s most critical today. Be open to improvisation and out-of-the-box solutions, especially when conventional approaches don’t work. For instance, when we struggled with QA hiring, we onboarded talent through unconventional channels like Internshala, which helped us stabilize our team.Another key is the concept of “failing fast”—but with a caveat. While it’s important to learn from failures, always strive to succeed and give every initiative your best shot. Failing should never be the goal.

‍You’ve mentioned playing sports regularly. How does that contribute to your role as a CTO?
I play badminton for about an hour every day, and it’s my way of meditating. Sports teach you humility, discipline, and resilience. Whether I’m losing or winning, the game keeps me grounded, and it’s a philosophy I carry into my work. No matter how challenging a situation is, if you follow the right process and stay focused, you can always turn it around.Embracing Open Source and Future-Forward Thinking

What’s your final advice to tech leaders?
As we scale and evolve, one thing that has helped us is embracing open-source technologies. It reduces costs and helps your team stay innovative. Also, build your tech team with a clear organizational structure as you grow—don’t rush the process, but ensure every step forward is well-planned.Lastly, AI is becoming a critical part of the future of tech. If you’re not already embracing AI, start now, and ensure your team is equipped to integrate these technologies in meaningful ways.