Sujata Tilak, Founder & Managing Director, Ascent Intellimation.

Can you share about your journey in the manufacturing world and how you got started in your current role and venture?

I did Instrumentation and Control engineering from College of Engineering, Pune. I was fascinated by software as well as automation and control. Combining the two, I decided to pursue a career in industrial automation software. I worked for Alfa Laval and KPIT before starting Ascent Informatics in 2000.

The experience has been very interesting, but there were a lot of challenges too. Ascent Informatics was started as a captive unit of a German company to fulfill their requirements of industrial automation software. This is not an easy field as one has to integrate with various types of hardware, the software is expected to be very reliable, robust and with high performance. Thus, one has to deal with many technological challenges on a daily basis. But I got good exposure to advanced systems in Europe and USA and that broadened my outlook.

I was always interested in creating my own products and this journey started in 2006. I started promoting the idea of ‘remote monitoring of industrial assets’ on various platforms. This was amalgamation of my exposure and understanding of both automation and IT technologies. We built a precursor to our IIoT platform PlantConnect in this period. But we were too early. Finally, around 2012, IoT started gaining ground and we shifted the company's focus from services to IIoT solutions. Ascent Informatics pivoted to Ascent Intellimation in 2015 and now we are exclusively providing Industry 4.0 solutions and consulting based on PlantConnect and other technologies.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in a leadership role, and how did you
overcome them?

At the start of the career, the challenge was to manage work and home with equal commitment. As you know industrial automation demands travel, working in plants in remote places. In this phase, family support is very crucial and I got ample support from my husband Arvind, in-laws and most importantly, my kids.

Entrepreneurs have to prove their capability and commitment every single day. Women probably a bit more than men, especially in manufacturing. Few years ago, customers would have doubts about my ability to deliver the challenging solutions that we provide. You have to get over such reservations by demonstrating your knowledge and leadership abilities!

Who has been your significant mentor or role model, and how have they influenced your
career?

There have been many mentors throughout my journey. You keep learning constantly from seniors and peers.

How do you foster innovation and creativity within your business?

We provide solutions in Industry 4.0 space. This is an evolving area and everyone has to constantly learn and innovate. However, it’s not easy to motivate people to do this. It is said that need is the mother of innovation. We encourage people to go onsite and experience customer problems, expectations and priorities first hand. This motivates them to think of innovative ways to improve the product and to apply it to solve customer’s problems.
What strategies do you employ in building and leading a successful team?

Motivation, ownership, confidence and pride are the guiding qualities for our team. We conduct periodic sessions to brainstorm on these qualities and their application in day-to-day work. This energises everyone to give their best. I am a hard task master and at the same time believe in guiding and mentoring the team. My doors are open to anyone to discuss ideas, achievements and problems. People are free to make mistakes and learn from it…but making the same mistake again and again is a big no-no! I have a good team at 2nd level who independently manages respective areas. Initially I was not very good at delegation, but have learned it since.

How important is workplace culture to you, and how have you contributed to shaping it?

Workplace culture is very important. Ideally every organisation should have an open, transparent and inclusive culture where people are encouraged to innovate, learn, be proactive, take ownership and deliver value every day. In AIPL, we give utmost importance to being ethical and trustworthy with customers, partners and peers. This is the age of collaboration and these qualities go a long way in building lasting relations. Innovation is encouraged and so also doing your work with quality and meeting the timelines. Setting the right expectations and then adhering to it without dilution is an important part of culture. We have worked in a hybrid model since the pandemic. But come together for 1 week every quarter. This period helps the team to engage more closely and have fun!
How do you balance professional responsibilities with your personal life?

For me, family comes first! This is the reason I chose to work free-lance when my kids were young. Now I am done with all the familial responsibilities with both kids married and settled. I and my husband Arvind are business partners. This comes in handy as we support each other on business and personal fronts. I am the grandmother of 3 beautiful grandkids and enjoy every second of the time I spend with them.

What advice do you have for women aspiring to become entrepreneurs?

It is an excellent time for being an entrepreneur. Everything from mentoring, funding and technology is easily available for young startups. If you have a great idea with good market potential, don’t hesitate to jump in. But you have to be ready for a lot of hard work, only smart work won’t do. You have to lead from front, accept failures and reinvent. The success belongs to your team, but failures are yours alone!
How would you describe your life in 3 words?

Happy. Blessed. Grateful.

What would you write on your own fortune cookie?

‘Stay connected!’

A successful entrepreneur and technologist, Sujata Tilak is the Managing Director, Ascent Intellimation Pvt Ltd (AIPL), a leading solution provider of Industrial IoT (IIoT) solutions. She has earned a B.E in Instrumentation & Control Engineering from COEP Technological University.

Sujata is a thought leader in Industrial IoT and the convergence of Industrial Automation and Information Technology. She has led Ascent Intellimation as a leading provider of Industrial IoT solutions. Her focus is to help organisations recognise and embrace diverse ways in which manufacturing data can be beneficially used by various stakeholders.

Sujata is also the Volunteer Leader and Past President, Pune Section, International Society of Automation (ISA). She works on various ISA committees at the global level as well as the District 14 (India) level. As Former President and active volunteer leader, she is involved in all activities of the Pune Section. Sujata is also a TiE Charter Member, where she is involved in various activities of TiE Pune Chapter including Nurture program and TiECON. Sujata is very vocal about women entering the technology and manufacturing fields.

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