As Renewable Energy technologies mature, robust demand for power will necessitate data driven approaches to maximize the longevity and performance of Solar and Wind assets !
Rituparna Bardhan, our next pathbreaker, works as Operations Manager – Solar, APAC at Zeitview, an aerial data analytics company specializing in providing advanced inspection software and data capture services for energy and infrastructure assets, including solar, wind, and telecom.
Rituparna talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about starting her career in the Geospatial field, and transitioning into a renewable energy organization, building on her experience with GIS.
For students, the dreams we have when we are young often set the direction for how far we can go. So, continue dreaming and transform your dreams into a career !
Rituparna, what were your growing up years like?
I come from a completely academic family—my father is in Solid and Nuclear Physics, my mother in Chemistry, and my brother in Mathematics. I was the only one who chose a path outside the core sciences. My interest in Geography first sparked during my Class 12 days, inspired by my Geography teacher. I was equally drawn to English and History, but I eventually decided on Geography because I wanted to travel and see the world.
What did you do for graduation/post graduation?
I completed my Bachelor’s in Geography Honours from Loreto College, University of Calcutta. The program gave me a strong theoretical foundation across all areas of Geography—Climatology, Geomorphology, Geology, Hydrology, Social and Economic Geography, and more. Wanting to apply this knowledge in a more practical way, I pursued a Master’s in Applied Geography at the University of Madras, where I specialized in Geoinformatics. That specialization opened up a whole new dimension for me.
So basically, I studied Geography Honours with Economics, Mathematics, Political Science as the major electives from Calcutta University and then I went on to pursue Applied Geography with specialization in Geoinformatics.
What were some of the key influences that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional, and unique career in GeoInformatics?
During my internships at INCOIS and NIRD in Hyderabad, I taught myself how to operate various tools and software, which deepened my interest in Geoinformatics.
During my internships, I focused on projects like Watershed Management, Land Use–Land Cover analysis, and studying spatio-temporal changes with social significance.
In contrast, the work I did at Trimble was in Transportation and Navigation—showing me a completely different set of GIS applications.
By the end of my studies, I knew that if I pursued a career, it would be in this field. Soon after graduation, I received an offer from Trimble Inc.—and that became the start of my professional journey.
Outside my academic and professional background, I am also a certified Calligrapher, have cleared Spanish Level 2 with distinction, and completed the first year of Japanese studies (though I could not continue further). I have also published poems and written blogs earlier, which reflects my creative side alongside my academic journey.
I started my career in the Geospatial field, where I worked for about 7–8 years. Later, I transitioned into the role of Data Processing/Operations Manager in a renewable energy organization, building on my experience with GIS. The real motivation behind this shift was the opportunity to explore a different domain and expand my skills beyond the technical side.
In this role, I took on responsibilities that were completely new to me—managing large-scale project pipelines, keeping track of OKRs, coordinating with managers across different regions, and ensuring that projects were progressing smoothly and delivered to clients on time. It was a steep learning curve, but it gave me exposure to operations and leadership in a way that broadened my perspective and strengthened my career path. At this point, I love the operations and everything that is entailed in this domain and subject. I am trying to learn the subject not much in theory but more in practice.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path
At the beginning of my career, I worked as a Geospatial Analyst/Engineer at Trimble, and one of the things I enjoyed most was helping to build the team in Chennai alongside some brilliant colleagues. I loved learning projects from scratch, preparing documentation, reviewing work, and constantly finding ways to improve. The people there made the experience even better.
We were building a Transportation Management solution with Fleet Routing & Scheduling Optimization apps that improve Transportation Efficiency and Costs. Our main customers are shippers, carriers, 3PLs, postal, parcel, and courier companies, field service companies, food and beverage delivery, utilities, oil and gas, construction, emergency services, and K-12 and U.S. Department of Defense (DOD).
At Trimble India, I was primarily responsible for the production of data, ensuring data quality, QA/QC, and preparing maps and reports for both internal and external clients—meeting customer requirements while adhering to internal performance measures. I served as both a core technical lead and a team lead, balancing hands-on technical work with team management responsibilities.
However, I didn’t want to remain stagnant in the same position. I knew that to truly grow in my career, I had to expand my horizon. When I got the opportunity to move into management—first as a Team Lead and later as a Manager—I embraced it fully. Both roles have been incredibly rewarding and have shaped me into who I am today.
As I am about to complete 10 years of my professional career next month, I feel very grateful, especially to my uncle and aunt who have been guiding lights for me throughout my professional journey.
How did you get your first break?
I had gotten to know about the opening through my friends and then applied in Trimble through their career portal.
What are some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
When I started my career back in 2015, GIS and GeoInformatics were still relatively new, though not unheard of. Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry have always been around and continue to be widely used. Institutes like IIRS, DRDO, INCOIS, and NIRD run long-term projects leveraging these technologies.
Where do you work now? What problems do you solve?
I am currently working at Zeitview as the Solar Operations Manager, APAC. Zeitview is an aerial data analytics company specializing in providing advanced inspection software and data capture services for energy and infrastructure assets, including solar, wind, and telecom.
Aerial data analytics is the process of analyzing data collected from aerial sources, such as drones, aircraft, and satellites, to extract actionable insights and make informed decisions
I wanted to move up the career ladder, which meant I needed to either change my domain or expand the scope of what I was doing. That’s when I joined my current company as Operations Manager, a role that required experience in team and project management, overseeing a team of 20+ people, managing operations, and achieving team OKRs. My GIS experience was certainly an added advantage.
However, no previous experience could have prepared me for the 7–8 rounds of interviews I had to go through before finally being selected for the role—it was quite an experience!
Over the last two years, my learning curve has been immense. I transitioned from being an individual contributor to becoming a functional head—and nothing could have prepared me for the sweetest reward: my team. Young, kind, understanding, and cooperative, they welcomed me as their own and helped me find my footing in this role.
Through this journey, I have been able to cultivate my communication and listening skills, along with project planning, negotiation, and diplomacy. It has been both a professional and personal growth experience, and I feel grateful for the support and trust that continue to shape me in this role.
How does your work benefit society?
It’s a Renewable Energy company focused on maximizing the longevity and performance of Solar and Wind assets. That’s all I can say!
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
We were in the middle of a very high-pressure project, one that had the entire office watching closely for its completion. The timeline was about 5–6 months, and by the 4th month, we still had a long way to go. The team was giving their best—especially the young Team Leaders and Senior members—who worked tirelessly to ensure capture, processing, QA/QC, and delivery all stayed on track.
During this period, we had a townhall meeting with our Directors and VPs. As usual, they spoke about business, analytics, and finance. But what stood out that day was when my team seniors each presented the summary of our projects—both drone and aircraft. Each one of them owned a part of the project, and when they spoke, they spoke with ownership, clarity, and passion.
For many of them, it was the first time standing on such a stage. Some spoke with confidence, others with a touch of nervousness—but all of them shone. Watching these young leaders take the stage, speak about their work, and feel that sense of recognition was one of the proudest moments of my career. It was exhilarating—not just for them, but for me as well.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
From my own experience, I can say that the dreams we have when we are young often set the direction for how far we can go. Many times, we make plans, and when they don’t work out, we start feeling as if we are failing. That’s why it’s so important to have not just a Plan A, but also a Plan B and even a Plan C if needed.
But the biggest lesson I’ve learned is patience—and keeping an open mind to learn from whatever comes your way. You may study Engineering, but later discover a love for photography or vlogging strong enough to turn into a career. Life has a way of surprising us, and staying flexible allows those surprises to become opportunities.
Future Plans?
I want to continue growing and learning in the areas of Planning and Strategy, and I will always look forward to opportunities that allow me to do so