Keynote speakers

Topic: Leading AI implementation Programs in Defence Manufacturing

Mr. Jayant D Patil served on the Board of L&T as a Whole Time Director (Defence & Smart Technologies) and also served in Executive Committee of Management (ECOM) of L&T. He is currently the Trustee – L&T Employee Trust (LTET), Director – L&T Welfare Company Limited (LTWCL) and Director – L&T Employee Welfare Foundation Private Limited (LTEWFPL). Mr. Patil is an alumnus of IIT Mumbai, having pursued M. Tech (Mechanical Engineering) in 1978.

He has a rich, nearly five-decade long career in L&T, and has been instrumental in growing the nascent Technology and Product Development Group of L&T’s corporate R&D with a focus on top end inter-disciplinary Product Development.

Mr. Patil spearheaded the L&T’s foray in the Defence sector since the inception of this segment in L&T in mid-eighties; a decade and a half ahead of the opening up of Defence Production for participation by Private Companies in 2001 (licensing it in 2002). He led the development efforts for realization of weapon delivery systems for DRDO and for Indian Navy. Over the years, under his leadership, L&T built a portfolio of indigenous, in-house products, systems, technologies and platforms both on its own and by teaming up with DRDO and with the Indian Armed Forces, and is today engaged in design-to-delivery of solutions across its chosen Defence segments.

Mr. Patil was instrumental for growth of L&T’s Defence Business in focus areas of Naval Platforms (Submarines & Warships), Naval & Land Weapon Launch & Engineering Systems, Guns Systems, Missile Systems, Armoured Systems, Radar Systems, Military Communication Systems, Unmanned Systems & Avionics. He was instrumental in establishment of dedicated Defence Production Centres at Talegaon (near Pune), Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam and Kattupalli, besides specific dedicated centres at L&T’s Powai, and Hazira complexes as well as Technology Development Centres, Design Centres, & Prototype Development Centres at Powai & at Bengaluru.

Concurrently, he contributed, oversaw & mentored L&T’s Space business, for past nearly four decades and provided leadership to strengthen L&T’s position as the longest and most mature industry partner of ISRO (spanning more than five decades) towards development and serial production of main lift-off Solid Boosters through entire range of Space Launch Vehicles (SLV-3, ASLV, PSLV, GSLV, LVM3) including the SSLV and including those for Chandrayaan, Mangalyaan missions and Human rated boosters, crew module hardware for manned missions as also for development of special test facilities, such as Hypersonic Wind tunnel, high-altitude shock tunnel, ultra-precision angular motion simulators, range instrumentation like Precision Instrumentation Grade Radars, Deep Space Communication facilities, etc. Under his leadership L&T contributed ISRO build strategic material independence. The relationship with ISRO matured to include host of other hardware such as payload heat shields & Deck panels in advanced composites, solar array deployment devices, interstages, etc.

He guided the growth of Smart Cities, Safe Cities and Communication business with a focus on making our cities Smart and Safe. In this sector L&T has emerged as the largest Indian player in this sector with series of success stories such as Prayagraj Kumbh mela, Odisha costal storm warning system, and transforming 26 major cities of India into smart cities.

He also oversaw & mentored incubation of multiple new technology businesses for L&T. These included L&T-NxT – targeted at providing Digital transformation solutions leveraging IIoT, Geospatial solutions, AI, Big Data, Augmented Reality based Visualisation, Cyber security, later merged into Mindtree Limited; L&T Semiconductor Technologies Limited, a first major Indian fabless company for designing & delivering SoC’s globally.

Besides being Trustee & Director in L&T Employees Trust & Welfare Companies, he currently serves as President of Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE), an Apex National Peer Body in Engineering and Technology promoting the practice of Engineering & Technology and the related sciences for their application to solving problems of national importance. He is the Founder Chairperson of Indian Space Association (ISpA), a society dedicated to the cause of Space Sector. He is the ACC appointee on the Board of IN-SPACe (Indian National Space Promotion & Authorisation Centre) the regulator and promoter for Space sector. He was past President of Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers – a unique society representing Indian Defence Manufacturers with focus on indigenising the Defence Sector, and was founding

Vice President of SIDM, setup under the aegis of the CII and continues in the past president’s council and executive committee of SIDM.

Earlier he served as Director on the board of L&T Defence IC, Director on the board of L&T Heavy Engineering IC, Director on the board of L&T Special Steel & Heavy Forging Limited, Chairman of the Board of Directors of L&T MBDA Missile Systems Limited, the Director on the board of L&T Semiconductor Technologies Limited, and Non-Executive Director on the board of Mindtree Limited and Mindtree foundation. Further, he has also served earlier as Member of Steering Committee, National Executive Committee and Chairman Defence & Aerospace Committee of FICCI. He served as member of CII National Committee, and chairman of CII committee on Strategic Manufacturing, Mr Patil was requested by CII to Chair National Committee on Space to leverage CII’s international reach out for the Indian Space Industry. He was also a member of CII’s ASCON Council & currently mentor to the Space committee and member of Trade Council of CII. He also serves on the Project Management Associates (PMA) India Managing Committee and has been conferred Honorary Fellowship in recognition of exemplary contribution made towards successful projects of National importance.

He led the Apex Industry chambers for over two decades to advocate policy change by the Government of India pre and post opening of the Defence Sector for participation by Private Sector Companies. The policy initiatives through unstinted engagement with MoD saw continual reforms over past two decades to encourage & embrace Private Sector in Defence, Level Playing Field, facilitate R&D for self-reliance and the growth of a Defence Industrial Base in the country.

He has been conferred by IIT Bombay, his alma mater, with the prestigious Distinguished Alumnus Award in the Diamond Jubilee Year of IITB. He has also been conferred Honorary Membership by Indian Institute of Metals (IIM). Further, Mr. Patil is featured in ‘100 Great IITians’ for his dedication & service to the nation building, this achievement is extended to only those Indian IITians who refused to be lured by the west and contributed significantly to India’s growth. Mr. Patil is also serving as Advisory Board Member of Center for Research Excellence in National Security (CRENS), a unique board established at BITS Pilani, Hyderabad Campus to guide towards advanced research to meet national security challenges and focus towards futuristic technologies & needs.

Having joined as Engineer Trainee, Mr Patil has been groomed by L&T through series of in-house Executive Development programs as well as Management Development Programs of eminent institutions in India and abroad. Notable among them are the Administrative Staff College of India’s Middle Management Level Program, MDI Gurgaon’s Senior Management Level Program, Manchester Business School’s Technology Management Program, London Business School’s Senior Management Program, and Customized Top Management program by Harvard Business School.

Fmr. Chairman, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)

Dr S Somanath, an eminent aerospace engineer and visionary leader, is widely regarded as one of the India’s foremost experts in launch vehicle systems and space technology.  He combines deep technical expertise with a strategic vision for national advancement and scientific progress.

As the 10th Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary, Department of Space (2022–2025), Dr. Somanath led India through a defining period of accomplishment. Under his leadership, India achieved the historic Chandrayaan-3 soft landing near the Moon’s south pole, making India the first nation to do so. He guided major missions including Aditya-L1, XPoSat, INSAT-3DS, NVS-01, Oceansat, GSAT-24, SpaDeX, as well as multiple commercial PSLV and LVM3–OneWeb launches.

As Secretary, he led the formulation of the National Space Policy. He was instrumental in outlining Space Vision 2047, charting India’s long-term roadmap for exploration missions, human spaceflight expansion and lunar human missions.

Dr Somanath played a crucial role in shaping the architecture of Gaganyaan, India’s maiden human spaceflight mission, including the successful test vehicle flight for abort demonstration.

He has been honoured with numerous awards, including the Space Gold Medal, the National Aeronautics Prize, the ISRO Performance Excellence Award, the IAF Hall of Fame, and distinguished alumni recognitions from IISc, IIT Madras, and IIT Kanpur.

Beyond his technical and administrative achievements, Dr. Somanath has published extensively in areas such as structural dynamics, materials modelling, dynamic analysis of separation systems, and launch vehicle design, and has represented India at major international forums including UN-COPUOS and the International Astronautical Federation.

Dr Somanath currently serves as the Chancellor of Chanakya University, bringing to the role nearly four decades of pioneering contributions to India’s space programme, and a vision to develop the University as a hub of scientific excellence, indigenous innovation, and global relevance, dedicated to nurturing future-ready leaders grounded in values, knowledge and purpose.

Speakers

Anand Louie is a distinguished strategist and thought leader at the forefront of India’s industrial transformation. With a career dedicated to advancing manufacturing competitiveness and digital transformation, he has consistently shaped frameworks, platforms, and practices that enable enterprises to achieve operational excellence and sustainable growth.

He is a key architect and curator of the Manufacturing Thought Leaders Summit (MTLS) 2025 and the National Awards for Manufacturing Competitiveness (NAMC)—two of India’s most influential forums for recognizing and celebrating industrial excellence. Through these programs, Anand has led the evaluation of over 500 factories across India, providing deep insights into their competitiveness, operational maturity, and growth prospects. His work has helped organizations identify performance gaps, implement transformative practices, and build resilience in highly competitive markets.

Anand is widely recognized for his ability to translate megatrends into actionable strategies. His contributions include the development of structured frameworks for digital maturity, customer experience, and factory competitiveness, all of which have become valuable tools for enterprises navigating complex and fast-changing environments.

He also strongly advocates sustainable thinking and leadership in project management as critical levers for enabling India to fully participate in the nation’s technical and infrastructure transformation journey. By integrating sustainability into industrial strategy, Anand champions a future where growth and responsibility are seamlessly aligned.

As a respected facilitator, mentor, and keynote contributor, Anand has been instrumental in shaping conversations around manufacturing resilience, leadership deployment, and the future of industrial ecosystems in India. His work reflects an enduring commitment to nation- building through industry advancement and to fostering environments where excellence, adaptability, and sustainability thrive.