Discover the future of technology leadership with CTO CREST®

Do you have the drive to take charge in a fast-paced, ever-evolving technology landscape? CTO CREST is a distinctive program designed to equip strong R&D leaders with 10+ years of experience aspiring to be Chief Technology Officers (CTOs) with the skills required to succeed and lead in a technology-driven world. Join us today to shape the future of technology.

Start Your Journey

Boost your significance as a CTO to drive organizational success

Reserve My Place

Imagine leading the pathway in a world increasingly driven by technology. Needless to say, technology touches almost every aspect of our lives, from smartphones to self-driving cars. That’s why the role of a Chief Technology Officer has become more vital. CTOs are responsible for driving innovation and ensuring that their organization stays ahead of the curve in technology trends and advancements. As organizations become more tech-focused, the importance of the CTO role will only grow in the context of business success.

Accelerate Your Career

The CTO CREST program aims to train R&D leaders and early-stage CTOs to be accomplished CTOs. Through our full-chain program, the R&D leaders with 10+ years of experience gain the skills and knowledge to take your organization from concept-to-commercialization, from research-to-revenue. It is your time to take the lead and influence the tech industry by making informed business decisions that drive innovation and fuel growth. CTO CREST will equip you with the tools and insights to ace as a CTO in today’s rapidly changing enterprise landscape.

Key objectives of the CTO Crest® program

Sharpen your business acumen

Transform into an inspiring tech leader by improving your business sense, honing your decision-making process and utilizing your expertise to lead an organization to success.

Leverage innovation at every step

Innovate consistently to differentiate your organization from competitors and ensure a competitive edge in the market, be it for a product or a business model.

Collaborate for strategic gain

Foster mutually beneficial strategic partnerships through collaborations for optimizing resource cost, enriching the quality of products and services, and expanding the target market.

About the Program

Program Topics

Understand world order. Analyze tech landscape. Shape enterprises' priority.
Manage corporate R&D. Leverage IP & innovation. Enrich product array.
Sharpen decision-making. Imbibe lateral thinking. Define business moat.
Compose diverse teams. Influence group dynamics. Operate with metrics.
Infuse open innovation. Collaborate with the ecosystem. Consolidate CTO R&R.

Program Duration and Timing

Cohort #10, 12th and 13th Sept (offline), City Center Hotel, Pune
One week of practice at work; Follow up session on 20th Sept Morning (online)
"Open format" cohort in Chennai; Corporate "In-premise" cohorts in any city
One week of practice at work; Follow up session online.
A total of 20-hours Coaching

Delivery Format

Two days: offline and one day: online.

Snapshots from Successful Cohorts

Enroll today for the upcoming CTO Crest program

Program fee

₹ 22,000/-

Plus GST

36 Seats available

Venue - Pune

(Cohort #10)

Program Dates

Offline - 12 & 13 Sep 2025

Online - 20 Sep Morning

Early Bird Discount:

Pre-register between 01 May and 31 Aug 2025 to get an Early Bird Discount of ₹3,000/-

Venue - Bangalore

(Cohort #11)

Program Dates

Offline - 13 & 14 June 2025

Online - 21 June Morning

Early Bird Discount:

Pre-register between 24 Feb and 30 April 2025 to get an Early Bird Discount of ₹3,000/-

Meet the person behind the program

Dr. Aloknath De

R&D Missionpreneur, Public Speaker, Inspiring Mentor, Angel Investor
Dr. Aloknath De, recognized in Top50 Global CTOs, is a renowned technologist and innovator who has dedicated his career to crafting cutting-edge solutions that enable enriched human-machine collaboration and build a better-connected world.
With over 32 years of experience in corporate R&D, Dr. De is a distinguished expert in cyber-physical systems and has extensive knowledge of the intersection of B5G, AI, IoT, and Blockchain technologies. With Dr. De’s guidance, participants will gain the tools and insights needed to succeed in today’s rapidly evolving tech landscape and drive innovation that will shape the future.

CVP and CTO

Managing Director

Engineering Director

Resources by Dr. De

Leadership

Dr. De, with his strategic thinking, communication skills, and visionary leadership, inspires and motivates his team to achieve excellence.

Expertise

Dr. De, a seasoned specialist in cyber-physical systems with knowledge in B5G, AI, IoT and Blockchain, guides his team to strive for meaningful innovation.

Coaching Style

With mentorship experience spanning over 32 years, Dr. De’s coaching style is engaging and informative, prioritizing real-world applications.

What you can expect from this program

Reserver My Place

Understand CTO roles & responsibilities in an enterprise context

Sharpen the primary and secondary skills required to perform the CTO role

Work on real-world projects and learn from product-service case examples

Master the art of being a CTO with our proven blueprint

Grasp emerging technology and business landscape in a meaningful way

Acuminate lateral thinking, team influencing and decision making processes

Be part of an invite-only R&D network with a community of techno-biz professionals

Guest Speakers Gain valuable insights from accomplished CxOs

Dr. Gopichand Katragadda

Founder & CEO, Myelin Foundry Former CTO, Tata Group (Cohort#1, Bangalore)

Dr. Gopichand is an executive leader and an astute technologist. He is the CEO of Myelin foundry and former CTO of Tata Group company. He served as MD for GE John F. Welch Technology Center. He is spearheading various committees in IET, CII and other professional bodies. Currently, he is also an independent director for Bosch India and ICICI Securities.

Mr. Ashish Khushu

CTO, Larsen & Toubro Technology Services, (Cohort#1, Bangalore)

Mr.Ashish is currently CTO at L&T Technology Services, India's biggest pure-play Engg and R&D service provider. He drives the company’s technology roadmap to develop IP's, Platforms and Solutions around high-growth areas and also drives the Innovation Charter. Under his leadership, the company offers consultancy, design, development and testing services across medical devices, transportation, telecom and industrial products.

Mr. Vinod Sood

Co-founder and Managing Director, Hughes Systique (Cohort#2, New Delhi)

Vinod is currently MD at Hughes Systique and has been Head of R&D and Global Engineering at Hughes Software Systems (HSS). With an exceptional track record of building profitable and sustainable institutions from conceptualization to maturity, Vinod is a veteran of the hi-tech software industry. He has been engaged with Nasscom and CII on R&D, Digital transformation and AI. He is a TiE charter member and mentors young entrepreneurs.

Mr. Jagdish Mitra

Chief Strategy Officer, Tech Mahindra (Cohort#2, New Delhi)

At Tech Mahindra, Jagdish leads the global agenda of business growth driven by strategy, powered by digital and manifested in brand experiences. Previously, he served as CEO of CanvasM. He is on the Executive Council of NASSCOM; and member of CII- Future Business Council. He regularly mentors startups in B2B Tech space like SKTA in Silicon Valley. Jagdish is a sought-after speaker in the international leadership circle.

Mr. Adishesha CS

Senior Technical Fellow, Collins Aerospace (Cohort#3)

Adishesha is Director of Technology & Innovation at Collins Aerospace. He is a Systems Engineering leader in Aerospace, Automation & Healthcare Industries including Philips, Honeywell, DRDO and ISRO. He has held increasing responsibilities in New Product Development and Technology Management. With 24 patents to his credit, he has delivered high-impact results to businesses and contributed to complex missions in Aerospace and Defense Industries.

Mr. Raghu Krishnananda

Chief Product and Technology Officer, Myntra (Cohort#3)

With 25+ years experience in Product Development, Raghu has been holding senior management positions in E-commerce, Consumer Internet and Finance-domain enterprises. He is experienced in leading large high-performing teams, and mentoring senior technical talent. Raghu is well-versed in Agile methodologies and dimensions of Project Management. He is an innovative and strategic thinker with emphasis on Cloud Platforms and Machine Learning.

Mr. Karthikeyan Natarajan

Executive Director and CEO, Cyient (Cohort #4, Hyderabad)

Karthikeyan (Karthik) has three decades of experience in the engineering industry, with a strong focus on product development, digital transformation, and R&D. As CEO of Cyient, he is responsible for global business operations, including sales, delivery, and business development. Prior to this, he built the integrated engineering services at Tech Mahindra into a billion dollar business. Karthik is a thought leader and is in the Nasscom Executive Council.

Padmasri Krishnamurthy

Vice-President, Head of Technology & Innovation, ABB

Dr. Shankar Venugopal

Vice President, Mahindra & Mahindra (Cohort #6: Bangalore)

As VP at Mahindra, Dr. Shankar is reimagining mobility and reskilling mobility engineers. He has a strong track record in Innovation and New Product Development. Shankar has been managing global cross-functional teams to deliver technologies that are critical to business growth. He leads a CTO Forum in CII, Chennai. He is skilled in translating technology ideas into products; and loves working in the interface of technology and management.

Dr. Venkat Padmanabhan

Dy MD, Microsoft Research India (Cohort #6: Bangalore)

As Deputy MD of Microsoft Research India, Venkat leads a team of global researchers and conducts his own research in mobile and networked systems. He is a Fellow of ACM, IEEE and INAE. Venkat, an alum of IIT-Delhi and UC-Berkley, was previously with Microsoft, Redmond for ~9 years. His current work centers on the intersection of sensor systems, and mobile computing and communication.

Manu Saale

Managing Director & CEO at Mercedes-Benz R&D, India

Ganesh Sahai

Chief Technology Officer, Nagarro

Manoj Chugh

Former President India & SAARC, Cisco, Dell-EMC

Notable learning outcomes
of the CTO CREST® program

Reserve My Place

Global
perspective

Develop a global perspective on technology and beyond so as to anticipate their impact on business and society.

Strategic
thinking

Develop the ability to use lateral thinking for strategic decision-making in complex environments.

Innovation
leadership

Develop skills to lead in-house and open innovation efforts and enrich product experience.

Business
transformation

Develop business acumen and the ability to align technology initiatives with customer expectations.

Collaborative
outcome

Develop competency to make the pie bigger through win-win collaboration with partners for a better outcome.

Sustainable
growth

Develop dexterity to build products in a profitable yet sustainable and environment-friendly way with novel technologies.

Industry leaders on Dr. Aloknath De

"I had the privilege of being part of the first cohort of the CTOcrest Masterclass. The programme offered me a unique opportunity to learn from experts, mentors and peers, who challenged me to think outside the box, to innovate and to collaborate. The programme also empowered me to take action and make a difference in my community and beyond. I encourage anyone who wants to unleash their potential and make an impact to join the programme."

Hemanjaneya Reddy

Technical Expert, Mercedes-Benz

"I had the privilege of attending Dr. De's CTO Crest Leadership Training. This comprehensive program equips aspiring R&D leaders with an essential Playbook, Mindset, Decision-making skills, Handling uncomfortable discussions, Innovation strategies, and the art of influencing. Dr.De's insights were truly inspirational and left a lasting impact. Thank you Dr. Aloknath De."

Bhanu Prakash P.

Head of Product Lines, Continental

"It was a great privilege for me to be part of this program conducted by Dr. Aloknath De. Dr Alok along with leaders Gopichand Katragadda and Ashish Khushu shared their vast experience in building products leveraging emerging technologies. Indeed, this experience gave me a new perspective on how to build products for future. It's a great learning experience!!"

Prasath Soundararajan

Head of Product Lines, Continental

"Alok is a Technology Leader and Innovator with deep understanding of business objectives. He is a thought leader in the DeepTech space and mentor/advisor to early-stage startups, educational institutes and industry bodies in defining their technology roadmap as well as creating an innovation culture. At Hughes, he kickstarted India centre's participation in global standard bodies and also facilitated garnering new business streams."

Mr. Vinod Sood

Co-founder and Managing Director, Hughes Systique Corporation

"While working in Samsung, I have seen Dr De, as CTO, taking many products from research to commercialization. In discussions, he could always provide insights on the specific technical aspects that would be key to commercial success. That learning immensely helps me in my present role to build software solutions in medical domain."

Mr. Ashes Gangualy

Chief Technology Officer, SigTuple

"For close to a decade, I have worked under Dr Alok's leadership in ST-Ericsson. He mentors and empowers people for their success. He seamlessly navigates across technologies, applies lateral thinking and leads teams with positive attitude. His approach to handle difficult situations with calmness is remarkable."

Mr. Chawan Mehra

Senior Director, Intel

"Dr. De is a luminary in the field of innovation and has played an instrumental role at Samsung by fostering the growth of IP assets. This enabled business value creation in B2C, B2B as well as B2G. A committed mentor, Dr. De has been pivotal in establishing strategic collaborations, such as T-Hub partnership, the Samsung Digital Academy initiative with IITs towards advancing cutting-edge technology and nurturing young minds."

Mr. Deepak Bhardwaj

CEO, Launchspace

"Technology is changing rapidly and we see that vividly in our EV workspace. As a mentor-investor of ObenEV, Dr De has always been available at the critical junctures. I believe his rich academic and industry experience would give a mileage to the attendees of Technology Leadership program."

Ms. Madumita Agrawal

Co-founder and CEO, Oben Electric

"I have had the privilege to work with Dr. Alok while he is profoundly impacting IEEE leadership positions. He is patient, approachable, and a great mentor. He has provided tailored guidance and constructive pathway on several occasions. His commitment to growing next-gen leaders has benefitted me personally and professionally; and is helping shape the future of the Electronics and Communication Industry."

Mr. Anindya Saha

CTO, Saankhya Labs

"I have found Dr. Alok to be an exceptional leader with a striking ability to combine strategy, research, technology and ecosystem at everyday work. He inspires product designers and engineers to dive deep and find opportunities to take big jumps. He has also been driving teams to blend judiciously own creations with open innovation to make solutions richer."

Mr. Nishant Sameer

Vice-President (Product strategy), JusPay

"I am glad to hear that Dr Alok De is launching a coaching program on R&D leadership in India. For last 20+ years, I have interacted with him and heard him speaking lucidly in various National and global forums and trade bodies. I also had the pleasure of launching his 6G book recently. I wish him all success in this much needed initiative.”

Mr. Bharat Bhatia

President, ITU-APT Foundation of India and Vice-Chairman, WWRF (APAC)