Electric Vehicles do have tremendous potential in accelerating our progress towards a greener society, as long as we address the bottlenecks in their widepread adoption !

Vishwas Swarup, our next pathbreaker, Senior Manager at Accenture, works on all kinds of problems for the entire auto industry be it for OEMs, Suppliers, Dealers or any other ecosystem player.

Vishwas talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about his transition from core automotive product development to consulting in order to work on the ground realities.

For students, don’t be afraid to make mistakes and take risk early on, there is time to settle and there is no pressure during the initial phase 

Vishwas, can you share your background with our young readers?

Hey Vishwas here, an auto enthusiast from Bangalore. I’m a 5th generation Bangalorean, proud to say I’m OG Bangalorean. 

I’m a Mechanical engineer with close to 14 years of work experience in the automotive industry spanning product development and consulting, of which I have spent a significant amount on Electric Vehicles. 

I have always been passionate about physics and mechanical engineering. This was mainly due to my childhood. My father used to run a small industry in Peenya and I used to spend the majority of my summer vacation visiting the factory. The machines and manufacturing processes sparked a lot of interest in my young mind. I also remember sleeping with my toy cars always, the love of automotives was already embedded in me. So, it was an easy choice of picking mechanical engineering for my BE, I didn’t have any doubt at all. 

While football was my main stress buster, I always wanted to build things on my own. So, I ended up in all extra-circular activities which had an element of design and building like ship modelling (working ones). I built a drone for my final year project 😊 

What did you do for graduation/post graduation?

I have a Bachelors in Mechanical engineering and Masters in Automotive engineering with specialization in EV and hybrid vehicles. 

Tell us, why did you choose a career in Automotives?

I was strongly influenced by lot of my older cousins, who were also auto and mechanical engineers 

Quite few people had big impact in my career till date, few of my ex-supervisors, super seniors, Jack Ma, Elon Musk (not because of tesla alone), Abdul Kalam, as well as Auto shows, SAE teams during my Bachelors 

I was always clear about working in the auto industry 😊 

Tell us about your career path

I was very clear about the auto industry as a choice, but which function within that was still unclear — whether I should be in design, manufacturing, supply chain, or front end (sales, service). This thought was lingering in my mind as I edged towards my BE graduation. I was focused on applying only for mechanical and auto jobs, so I ensured I prepared well and in the right way. After a lot of effort, I ended up in Toyota Kirloskar Motor as a quality engineer, where I learnt real-world auto industry nuances and operations.

A first job, irrespective of which team you are in, is filled with experiences and learning, way beyond what a four-year degree can give. This first job helped shape both my future and my present really well. And I tell any fresher the same thing: your first job is not just the break you need; it’s the biggest degree you will ever get.

At Toyota, I was quality engineer for their powertrain components (Engine, Transmission). I was involved in root cause analysis and counter measure implementation for field failures. This involved interactions with design, manufacturing and suppliers for design and process improvements to enhance part quality. 

While Toyota allowed me to grow as an automotive engineer, Madhu’s garage, which was my next job, gave me an opportunity to understand the business side of the automotive world. As product manager for automotive diagnostics tools, I was incharge of a team where we focused on development of tools, and marketing and sales of the same as well. Since this was more B2B sales, focus was on product demo and customizations. 

As I progressed in my first job, it became clear to me that I loved being a product development guy. I wanted more challenges, and was not afraid of failures. I also realized I needed some additional academic backing. Hence, I started exploring the possibility of a master’s degree. But I was clear it had to be something new and futuristic, and hence I took the path of EVs. I pursued my master’s at the University of Michigan in Automotive Systems Engineering. This also exposed me to a new country and a new experience. Being in the heaven for automotive engineers (Detroit), had a lot of advantages. 

While pursuing my masters, I started off in a full-time role at Fiat Chrysler, working as a Powertrain Validation Engineer. Covering new features like hybrid and start-stop systems. This was my first step towards development work. 

Next, I got an opportunity to work at Ford as a Transmission and Electric Propulsion Engineer, where I grew as a product development person and thoroughly enjoyed it. In both the roles I was part of core system engineering team, where we defined product specifications based on simulations and testing. 

  • Development of hybrid/electric powertrains for commercial vehicle applications.
  • System level analysis for power-pack sizing, selection and packaging.
  • Trade-off study for performance, fuel economy and emissions.
  • Support proto vehicle builds for any assembly or hardware issues by identifying the root-cause and implementing the countermeasures.

After a few years there, I wanted to come back to India and join the EV revolution here. That’s how I transitioned to Mahindra Electric. With 8+ years in auto and EV, this transition was not difficult. At Mahindra, I made the next big move of my life, I became a manager, which opened up the experience of leading teams (trust me, this is not easy).

My role at Mahindra was very similar to the one I did at Ford, except that I was leading a team here with multiple programs in parallel. 

After traversing this technical and managerial journey, I wanted to try something radically different (I get bored too soon if the work becomes monotonous). I wanted to try my hands in sales or consulting. After a few interviews and discussions with my advisors, I made the choice to join consulting.

The consulting world is full of opportunities, but it comes with a lot of pressure. It made me a better person both personally and professionally. I was not someone who was good with presentations, both making them and presenting them, but those are essential skills everyone needs. Consulting gave me this break and opportunity. I grew and learnt so much that it felt like a live MBA class. I grew from being a manager to a manager’s manager.

Is consulting my last true calling? Maybe, maybe not. I like to keep my options and life open.

How did you get your first break?

After a few interviews and discussions with my advisors, I made the choice to join consulting from technicak product development.

What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?

Challenge 1: Getting a Mechanical or auto job in 2010. This was the golden period of IT and I was in an industry which had limited scope. There will always be challenges, if you are clear and focused on your goals, nothing can deter you. I made the choice and worked towards it, ensured I prepared well and spoke to people and networked with them to help me crack the interview. 

Challenge 2: Making a change to Consulting from product development role. In consulting, your tech experience is not enough, you need a lot of business experience, and MBA seemed bare minimum. So, for someone with neither, the transition seemed like searching for water in the desert. But perseverance and hard work is key and pays off, also the thirst for learning and readiness to learn from anyone (I mean should be ready to learn even from a fresher) are important tools. 

Where do you work now? 

I work as Automotive and Mobility Consulting Senior Manager at Accenture. I solve all kinds of problems for the entire auto industry be it for OEMs, Suppliers, Dealers or any other ecosystem player. We help in creating products and services which will benefit everyone and ensure the companies offering these products/services earn revenue and thrive at the same time.

In my current role in consulting, I have been focusing on market entry strategy, market/product assessment and intelligence, operations transformation and supply chain topics within the automotive area, while leveraging AI for above areas. 

What are the skills required for your role? How did you acquire them?

The skills you need for this job are mainly industry knowledge, business and financial acumen, and ability to use technologies like AI etc. Consulting is one job where everyday is different and every project is different, very rarely will you end up doing the same stuff over and over again. It’s exciting and intense. 

How does your work benefit society? 

It’s about creating sustainable and affordable mobility for everyone. We help companies thrive, thus saving jobs 😊 

Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!

Solving an engine issue during my early career, the problem used to give me nightmares but the day we found the solution and implemented it, it felt like a personal victory and which gave me the satisfaction that I did something meaningful and impactful. 

Your advice to students based on your experience?

  • Don’t be under peer pressure, each one has different passion 
  • When you follow your passion, money and fame will follow you (this is not a cliché, it’s the truth) 
  • Don’t be afraid to make mistakes and take risk early on, there is time to settle and there is no pressure during the initial phase 
  • Keep skilling yourself, it can be simple; it will help someday. 

Future Plans?

Maybe start an EV company one day or retire at 45 with a farm house. I don’t have a long term plan today, not that I’m confused but feel I have time to plan it out.