Smitha Rao, Cofounder, Utthunga.

With over 20 years of experience in the industrial automation domain, what motivated

you to co-found Utthunga and build a global presence in the industry?

Back in 2007, the humble journey of Utthunga started with 4 passionate engineers and a core team that contributed to build the company of today. Industrial Automation domain is the core offering of Utthunga since its inception and now, I am happy to witness Utthunga being considered as the thought leader in the Industrial Automation space. Gratitude to industry veterans who joined hands in shaping Utthunga. Personally, coming from a business family background, when I had the opportunity to join hands with Krishnan KM, Sanmangala MS and Gopalakrishnan, it was a natural choice.

As the Managing Director of Utthunga GmbH, how do you balance global expansion with maintaining the core values of the company?

Back in 2021, during Covid time, I took over the responsibility of expanding the European region and subsequently took over charge as MD of Utthunga GmbH. Utthunga has a global presence spanning India, USA, Japan, Europe and is planning to expand in the Middle East. Each region comes with its own challenges and expectations, and as a company, we need to adapt ourselves to cater to each one of them.

For instance, European companies believe in long term relationship built based on trust and competence. They value work life balance and employee well being, they also expect every person in the team, irrespective of their position and experience, to participate in the meetings to create a collaborative environment. On the other hand, Japanese culture expects to follow the hierarchical path for any decision making. Both approaches work. So, committing to our core values of Collaboration, Customer satisfaction by keeping Innovation at its heart helped us to serve our customer globally.

Your efforts have grown Utthunga's European market, 5 times within three years. Could you share the strategies and challenges involved in achieving this milestone?

I was head of Europe Business from 2021 to 2024, and we grew 5 times during this period expanding the customer base in Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Netherlands, France, UK, etc. And I have realised that each European region comes with its own priorities, culture and openness to work outside their community. It was challenging to get the acceptance in the beginning without knowing their language and cultural preferences. However, our Industry Association helped us to get the first few customers and with that reference, we grew significantly. Growing the Key Account, focusing on building long term association and focusing on Innovation, helped us to achieve these milestones.

As an OPC Hub India Steering Committee member and a liaison officer for multiple industrial groups, how do you foresee the future of interoperability in industrial automation?

The mission of the OPC Foundation is to manage a global organisation in which users, vendors and consortia collaborate to create data transfer standards for multi-vendor, multi-platform, secure and reliable interoperability in industrial automation. OPC Hub India Steering Committee is the Indian regional Chapter of the global OPC Foundation.

In the manufacturing space, building the seamless communication between the different machines and systems across the value chain is crucial, particularly in the context of Industry 4.0. Future of interoperability looks brighter than before, as industrial leaders consider it as a stepping stone for improved efficiency, enhanced decision making, supply chain optimisation, etc.

Your expertise in OPC UA and standards like Ethernet/IP has been instrumental. How do these contributions impact the larger industrial automation ecosystem?

Expertise in these standards help in understanding the deeper purpose for the existence of these industrial standards. In larger industrial automation ecosystems, this helps in getting the real-world perspective to know where the industry is heading. Agentic Process Automation, Collaborative Robotics, Additive Manufacturing, AI/ML, AR/VR, etc., have revolutionised the Industrial Automation ecosystem.

The book you authored, ‘Unlocking the Power of OPC UA’, has gained attention. What inspired you to write it, and what key takeaways would you like readers to grasp?

Authoring a book was a journey in itself. The main motivation was to make the technology or any standard easy for the decision makers and product owners to make the informed decisions. I am glad that it has gotten good attention in the market space.

Key takeaways:

1. How OPC UA provides transformative impact and offers the organisation to revolutionise their operation for enhanced efficiency.

2. Bursting myths about OPC UA technology

3. Real world implementation of OPC UA

Being awarded ‘Women Entrepreneur of the Year’ by STPI, Government of India, is a remarkable achievement. What does this recognition mean to you, and how has it shaped your entrepreneurial journey?

Sanmangala MS (other cofounder of Utthunga) and I, were honoured with ‘Women entrepreneur of the Year – IT’ by STPI, Govt of India in the early years of Utthunga. This has helped us, as well as Utthunga, in gaining recognition in the industry. This award instilled confidence in our journey and challenged me to achieve more.

You’ve been a panelist in various entrepreneurship and technology forums. Which discussion or panel left the most lasting impact on you, and why?

I would like to recall the discussion that I had in Jain University, Bangalore, where one faculty asked me a question on ‘What success means to me’? And this question had a deep impact on my mind to rethink the priorities of my life. In the initial years of our journey, adding a new logo to our portfolio was a success; now, it's all about growth. Definition of success changes over time. I have also realised that success should not be linked to professional achievement, it is individual priority and their perspective.

What is your opinion on the role of Industrial Automation magazine in showcasing industry trends and empowering women in technology and automation?

Industrial Automation magazine is the top publication and has been an invaluable source of knowledge, insights and latest trends in the Industrial Automation space. Their content has been well researched and engaging, bringing new perspectives to the readers. The magazine also encourages Women in technology and provides the platform for them to showcase their expertise.

What are the three words that best describe how it feels to be a finalist in the Women in Tech 2025 competition?

Motivated. Honoured. Blessed.

(The views expressed in this interview are personal, not necessarily of the organisation represented)

Smitha Rao, Co-founder of Utthunga, has 20+ years of experience in the IT Industry and was heading Utthunga’s Europe Business until recently. She was responsible for strategic association with Industrial Consortiums like OPC Foundation, FieldComm Group, FDT Group, ODVA, PNO, etc. Smitha is also a steering committee member of OPC Hub India Chapter and responsible for promoting OPC Technology for Asian Market. She has several technical specifications and research papers and IEEE publications to her credit and has authored a book, ‘Unlocking Power of OPC UA’. Armed with a Master's from BITS Pilani and BE (Computer Science) from MIT, Manipal, Smita Rao is the recipient of ‘Women Entrepreneur of the Year’ Award by STPI, Government of India.

Note: This interview was recorded in early 2025. Smitha Rao has since moved on to explore new horizons.