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{{short description|Indian business leader and academic}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Venkat R. Sumantran
| image = Venkat Sumantran.jpg
| alt = 
| caption = Sumantran at Mainforum conference, Monterrey, Mexico in 2018
| birth_name = Venkataramani Sumantran
| birth_date = 
| birth_place =
| nationality = Indian
| other_names =
| occupation = {{hlist| Businessman | author | academic}}
| education = {{ubl
| [[Indian Institute of Technology Madras]] ([[B.Tech]], Aeronautical Engineering)
| [[Princeton University]] ([[Master of Science|M.S.]], Aerospace Engineering)
| [[Virginia Tech]] ([[Ph.D.]], Aerospace Engineering)
}}
| years_active =
| known_for = [[Tata Nano]]
| notable_works =
}}

'''Venkat Sumantran''' is an Indian businessman, academic, and author. He has worked with the auto and mobility industry in the USA, Europe, and India for over three decades.<ref>{{cite web |title=IN Company Profile & Executives - InterGlobe Aviation Ltd. - Wall Street Journal |url=https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/IN/XBOM/539448/company-people/executive-profile/41652546 |website=www.wsj.com}}</ref> He is the Chairman of Celeris Technologies and a member of the board of directors for several organizations in the domains of automotive, electronics, and aviation.<ref>{{cite web |title=TVS Electronics {{!}} Investor Relations |url=https://www.tvs-e.in/investor-relations/ |website=TVS Electronics}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=IndiGo appoints Venkataramani Sumantran as independent director |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/indigo-appoints-venkataramani-sumantran-as-independent-director/articleshow/76093861.cms |work=The Economic Times}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=EV battery maker Grinntech raises $2 m led by Sumantran, Lakshmi Narayanan |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/industry/sme/ev-battery-maker-grinntech-raises-2-m-led-by-sumantran-lakshmi-narayanan/2067655/ |work=The Financial Express |date=28 August 2020}}</ref> Sumantran is one of the inventors of the [[Tata Nano]] 1 lakh car.<ref>{{cite web |title=Tatas Dream Car Poses A Greater Challenge, Says Telco Official |url=https://www.financialexpress.com/archive/tatas-dream-car-poses-a-greater-challenge-says-telco-official/86535/ |website=The Financial Express |date=15 July 2003}}</ref>

==Education==
Sumantran received a B.Tech degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the [[Indian Institute of Technology Madras]] in 1981.<ref>{{cite web |title=Office of Alumni & Corporate Relations |url=https://alumni.iitm.ac.in/acr/latestdaas/dr-v-sumantran/ |website=alumni.iitm.ac.in}}</ref> He subsequently earned his Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from [[Princeton University]] in 1983<ref>{{cite web |title=Princeton University Graduate Alumni Index, 1839-1998 |url=https://library.princeton.edu/mudd-dbs/graduates?page=933 |website=library.princeton.edu}}</ref> where his work involved stability and control of airships.<ref>{{cite web |title=NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) |url=https://ntrs.nasa.gov/search.jsp?R=19860029498 |website=ntrs.nasa.gov}}</ref> He went on to receive his Ph.D. degree in Aerospace Engineering from [[Virginia Tech]] here he worked on low-speed airfoils suitable for the emerging class of remotely piloted aircraft.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Marchman |first1=J. F. |last2=Sumantran |first2=V. |last3=Schaefer |first3=C. G. |title=Acoustic and turbulence influences on stall hysteresis |url=https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/3.9578 |journal=AIAA Journal |pages=50–51 |doi=10.2514/3.9578 |date=1987|volume=25 |issue=1 |bibcode=1987AIAAJ..25...50M }}</ref>

==Career==
Sumantran began his professional career at the [[General Motors Technical Center]] in Michigan in 1985.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sumantran joins IndiGo board |url=https://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/sumantran-joins-indigo-board/article31705197.ece |work=The Hindu |date=29 May 2020 |language=en-IN}}</ref> He returned to India and became Executive Director of Tata Motors Ltd. in 2001,<ref>{{cite web |title=Tata Motors top gun quits |url=https://www.telegraphindia.com/business/tata-motors-top-gun-quits/cid/860081 |website=www.telegraphindia.com}}</ref> where he was responsible for the fledgling Passenger Car business and simultaneously oversaw the company's Engineering Research Centre. During this period, his contributions to [[Frugal engineering]] were acclaimed in relation to his development of the [[Tata Nano]] – the car that gained global acclaim for low-cost innovation.<ref>{{cite news |title=Sumantran,man behind Tata's Rs 1L car resigns - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/Sumantranman-behind-Tatas-Rs-1L-car-resigns/articleshow/1202768.cms |work=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Tata Motor's V Sumantran steps down as director |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tata-motors-v-sumantran-steps-down-as-director/articleshow/1202696.cms |website=The Economic Times}}</ref>

Later, in his role as Vice-Chairman of Ashok Leyland Ltd.,<ref>{{cite news |title=Sumantran appointed as non-executive vice-chairman of Ashok Leyland |url=https://www.livemint.com/Companies/XszH8sA9B4o9jRKxHuVg3O/Sumantran-appointed-as-nonexecutive-vicechairman-of-Ashok.html |work=Livemint |date=4 November 2011 |language=en}}</ref> he founded and was Chairman of Defiance Technologies Ltd, a subsidiary of [[Ashok Leyland]] that went on to help the Renault-Nissan Alliance develop the entry-level global car platform – referred to as the CMF-A architecture.<ref>{{cite news |title=Defiance Tech brings in domain leaders to strengthen presence |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/software/defiance-tech-brings-in-domain-leaders-to-strengthen-presence/articleshow/23646936.cms |work=The Economic Times}}</ref> In May 2020, [[Indigo Airlines]] appointed Sumantran as independent director.<ref>{{cite news |title=IndiGo appoints Venkataramani Sumantran as independent director |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/transportation/airlines-/-aviation/indigo-appoints-venkataramani-sumantran-as-independent-director/articleshow/76093861.cms |work=The Economic Times}}</ref>

===Academia, government, and industry bodies===
Sumantran advises the [[Government of India]] as a member of the Consultative Group for Future Transportation at the Office of the Principal Scientific Advisor. He has served on the Science Advisory Council to the [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]] and on India’s National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council.<ref>{{cite web |title=domain-b.com : National Manufacturing Competitiveness Council Reconstituted |url=https://www.domain-b.com/industry/general/20110926_members.html |website=www.domain-b.com}}</ref> He has served as Chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s National Defence Council.<ref>{{cite web |title=CII |url=https://cii.in/PhotoGalleryDetail.aspx?enc=1Krd0mPE3P2+nvCSN40eSDIBw4HxZK6T1SxF1gfy33ox8gY175m9bSigySNvHQanhfdR8oshvIrX2AB3o91DTbA1oP5SQDYO1McI7NXxL9th7tHiV+o8dJHq/tbZeOQWw9uqx1Aj/4PztCYumRrmYQ== |website=cii.in}}</ref>

He has closely worked with academia and served on the Board of Governors of the [[Indian Institute of Technology Ropar]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Board of Governors |url=http://www.iitrpr.ac.in/board-governors |website=IITRPR}}</ref> He is an Adjunct Professor at the [[Malaysia Institute for Supply Chain Innovation]] (MISI) - a joint initiative between the [[Massachusetts Institute of Technology]] (MIT) and the [[Government of Malaysia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Faculty – Malaysia Institute For Supply Chain Innovation |url=https://www.misi.edu.my/misi2016-v2/about/faculty/ |website=Misi.edu.my}}</ref>

==Awards and honors==
*Sumantran is an alumnus of the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras and awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2012<ref>{{cite web |title=DAA - List of Distinguished Alumnus Awardees |url=https://alumni.iitm.ac.in/daa/list.php |website=alumni.iitm.ac.in}}</ref>
*He was named a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers [[SAE International]], the highest award for outstanding contribution to the automotive industry.<ref>{{cite news |title=Three Indians to be honoured at SAE |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/india/three-indians-to-be-honoured-at-sae/story-6EfnZgyxrxNLzKGdkZ3GUK.html |work=Hindustan Times |date=30 March 2006 |language=en}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
He is the co-author of the book, ''Faster, Smarter, Greener: the Future of the Car and Urban Mobility'', published by the MIT Press in 2017.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Dunn |first1=Steve |title=Faster, Smarter, Greener: The Future of the Car and Urban Mobility by Venkat Sumantran, Charles Fine, and David Gonsalvez (review) |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/article/722429 |website=Transportation Journal |pages=145–147 |language=en |date=23 April 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Faster, Smarter, Greener |url=https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/34540067-faster-smarter-greener |website=www.goodreads.com}}</ref>

==References==
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Sumantran, Venkat}}
[[Category:Indian business writers]]
[[Category:Indian academics]]
[[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:Living people]]

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Venkat Sumantran - Revision history

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