Closing a Chapter at PSI Software SE, Opening One in Entrepreneurship
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After nearly 14 years at PSI, I'm launching SandurTech to bring governed AI to manufacturing. Reflections, cherished moments and six lessons for the next generation.
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Today marks my last day at PSI Metals India Ltd, part of PSI Software SE. After nearly fourteen years, I am stepping away to build SandurTech Private Limited, my own company focused on bringing governed, practical AI into manufacturing.
This afternoon, in an online farewell meeting, I had the opportunity to thank the colleagues I have worked alongside for so many years and to share a few reflections with the younger members of the team. This article expands on those reflections: where my journey began, what my years at PSI taught me, the moments I will always cherish, and where the road leads next.
A career rooted in the plant floor
My career began in 2000 as a Trainee on the shop floor of JSW Steel, in mechanical maintenance. Those early years gave me something no classroom could: a first-hand understanding of how a steel plant actually runs, what operators need, and how equipment, people and processes depend on one another.
In 2003 I moved into IT, and over the following years worked across Saksoft, Algorhythm, USIT in Pune, and AEGIS in the Essar Group. Steel remained the constant, spanning Level 2 automation, MES, APS and ERP. Each organisation added a layer to my understanding, from shop-floor systems to enterprise planning, and from technical delivery to business consulting.
Nearly fourteen years at PSI
My PSI journey began at Broner in the UK, where I joined as a Project Manager. I went on to serve as Solution Designer, then Interface Lead, and finally Department Manager.
Each role broadened my perspective. Project management taught me the discipline of delivery and the importance of managing expectations honestly. Solution design taught me that every plant has genuine specificities, and that good software must respect the physics and practices of the operation it serves. Leading interfaces taught me that the most complex challenges in enterprise systems often lie at the boundaries between systems and between teams. Leading a department taught me that delivery ultimately depends on people: building competencies, allocating resources wisely, managing risk, and creating an environment where talented professionals can do their best work.
Working in the steel industry also means working through its cycles. I have seen periods of rapid expansion and periods of significant constraint, with projects paused, rescoped and restarted. Those cycles taught resilience, adaptability, and the value of teams that stay committed through difficult phases. They also taught me that the relationships built with customers during hard times are often the ones that endure the longest.
Moments that made the journey
A career is measured in projects and milestones, but it is remembered through moments. Some of my most valued experiences at PSI took place away from desks and deadlines, and each of them, in its own way, strengthened me, my team, our company and our relationships with customers.
The mid-afternoon pause. A short rest after lunch became one of my most dependable productivity practices. In a profession where days often stretch across time zones and evening calls, a brief recharge restored focus and sharpened judgement for the hours ahead. It also reminded me that sustainable performance depends on managing energy, not just time, a lesson I have encouraged my team to take seriously.
Life on onsite assignments. Customer site visits were demanding, yet they came with their own rhythm. Ending an intense day with a swim at the hotel where we stayed, such as Hyatt Place, helped the team reset and return the next morning with clear minds. Those shared routines turned colleagues into a close-knit unit, and customers noticed the difference in a team that worked well together.
Hampi through a host's eyes. Some of my proudest weekends were spent accompanying international colleagues to the monuments of Hampi, close to my home town. Serving as their guide, sharing the history and architecture of the Vijayanagara empire, I felt a deep sense of pride. Those visits built lasting personal bonds across cultures and gave our global colleagues a richer understanding of India, which in turn strengthened collaboration long after they returned home.
Coffee and Maggi at midnight. Critical go-lives and tight deadlines sometimes kept us working late into the night. A cup of strong black coffee, or a hot bowl of Maggi ordered through room service, became small rituals of those long hours. They were moments of camaraderie that carried the team through pressure, and they reflected the commitment we brought to every customer when it mattered most.
Vada pav on the road to Dolvi. During onsite trips to Dolvi, stopping at highway stalls for hot, spicy vada pav became a cherished tradition. Those simple roadside breaks brought the team together in ways no formal team-building exercise could, and the conversations over them often produced ideas and solutions we carried back to the project.
Release days in Berlin. Release celebrations in Berlin were a highlight of working in a global organisation. The Indian team brought tremendous energy to the dance floor, and our games of Antakshari in Hindi drew colleagues from many nationalities into the celebration. Those evenings honoured shared achievements and built genuine friendships across borders, reinforcing the sense that we were one team, wherever we were based.
Exploring Europe. My visits to Europe gave me the opportunity to spend several days in beautiful cities such as London, Berlin, Düsseldorf and Aachen, as well as Brussels, with weekend trips to Paris, Amsterdam, and many other places. I happily lost myself in the woods of Düsseldorf and enjoyed a memorable visit to the Berlin Zoo. One of the most striking experiences was the former ironworks near Duisburg, the Landschaftspark Duisburg-Nord, now transformed into a public park and tourist attraction. For someone whose career began on a steel plant floor, walking through a blast furnace complex given a second life was deeply moving. It stood as a powerful reminder that industrial heritage can be reimagined for new generations, much as our industry itself continues to reinvent. These travels broadened my perspective on culture, history and ways of working, and deepened my appreciation for the global organisation I was part of.
Trekking around Pune. The hills around Pune offered weekends of trekking and climbing with colleagues. Reaching a summit together mirrors the experience of a successful project: shared effort, mutual support and a view that makes the climb worthwhile. Those treks built resilience, trust and a spirit of adventure that I carried into my work.
Wildlife on the JSW campus. Our stays on the JSW campus brought unexpected encounters with nature. One of the most memorable was spotting a wild bear strolling through the green vegetation in search of food, having wandered in from a nearby sanctuary. We also came across foxes, peacocks, snakes and wild hares, and the view across the campus lake offered a calm backdrop at the end of demanding days. These experiences were a reminder that industry and nature can coexist, and that the environments in which we build our solutions deserve care and respect. They also gave the team shared stories that brought us closer long after the project concluded.
Good times at the local pizza shop. The local pizza shop became an informal gathering place for the team. After long working days, sharing a meal there created a relaxed space to unwind, exchange ideas and simply enjoy each other's company. Many of the strongest working relationships I formed were nurtured over those casual evenings, where conversations moved easily between project challenges, family and life beyond work. Such simple settings often build the trust that makes teams effective when it matters most.
And many more. These are only a few among countless moments that made fourteen years not just a career, but a meaningful chapter of my life. Together they taught me that strong teams are built as much through shared experiences as through shared objectives, and that the relationships formed in these moments are what ultimately sustain great work for customers.
What endures
What remains after fourteen years is not the software, the deadlines or the projects themselves. It is the people.
I have had the privilege of working with exceptionally capable colleagues and customers. We debated solutions rigorously and did not always agree, but those disagreements were grounded in mutual respect. PSI has consistently fostered a culture of collaboration and open communication, where one could challenge an idea without diminishing the person behind it. That culture shaped me profoundly as a professional.
Six lessons for the next generation
In today's farewell, I shared some of these lessons with the younger team members. There were others I had hoped to share but could not within the time available, so I am including them here. Together, I believe they hold for anyone building a career in industrial technology.
Respect the plant floor. A solution succeeds only when the people who operate the plant trust it. Spend time on site, listen to operators, and understand the process before designing for it. Adoption matters more than architecture.
Embrace role transitions. Moving from maintenance to IT, and from project management to design, integration and leadership, was uncomfortable at every step. Each transition, however, expanded my capability. Growth rarely happens within comfort.
Guard against complacency, and move forward with confidence. Comfort can quietly become the biggest risk to a career. When routines feel settled and success feels assured, that is precisely the moment to question, learn and stretch further. At the same time, meet change with confidence rather than hesitation. Trust the experience you have built, take ownership of new challenges, and ride each wave of change instead of waiting for it to pass.
Use downturns to build depth. The steel industry is cyclical. Periods of slowdown are opportunities to deepen domain knowledge and broaden skills, and they often define the trajectory of a career.
Separate ideas from individuals. The strongest solutions emerge from rigorous debate among people who respect one another. Challenge ideas firmly, and preserve relationships deliberately. Over a long career, colleagues become partners, customers and collaborators in ways you cannot predict.
Communicate with clarity and brevity. Clear, concise communication builds trust and accelerates decisions. It is a skill worth cultivating deliberately throughout one's career.
The road ahead: SandurTech
I am now devoting myself fully to SandurTech Private Limited, based in Bellary, Karnataka, close to where my career began.
Manufacturing is at an inflection point. Agentic AI is moving from pilot projects into operational environments. The central question is no longer whether plants will adopt AI, but how decision authority is defined, governed and trusted when AI participates in operational decisions. Most AI initiatives begin with the model. I believe they should begin with the decision, and with the people accountable for it.
SandurTech exists to help manufacturers address that question: to design and deploy AI that is governed, practical and trustworthy, beginning with steel and extending across manufacturing. The company brings together decades of plant-floor experience, enterprise systems expertise and a structured approach to decision intelligence.
Moving from a leadership role within an established organisation to founding a company is a significant transition. It brings new responsibilities and new uncertainties, and I approach it with both conviction and humility. The lessons of the past twenty-six years, and particularly of my time at PSI, form the foundation on which I intend to build. The very advice I offered my team, to step out of complacency and move forward with confidence, is the advice I am now following myself.
With gratitude
To my managers, colleagues, team members and customers across India, the UK, Germany and beyond: thank you for your trust, your candour and the opportunities you gave me. I wish PSI and every one of you continued success. The industrial software community is closely connected, and I look forward to our paths continuing to cross.
