Devika K.

I began my career as an Assistant Professor and progressed to become a

My ambition was to earn a doctorate while pursuing a PhD. Consequently, I completed my M.E in VLSI Design and joined as an Assistant Professor at an engineering college in Andhra Pradesh. At that time, I was not interested in a software job or corporate culture. Being an active learner, I found the repetitive nature of teaching unfulfilling. I decided to explore new fields that were unfamiliar to my community and circle. This led me to discover railways, particularly signalling, interlocking, and their operations. My career began as an assistant designer for railway signalling, where I gained experience in various projects from the UK and Singapore. I also hold a Designer licence certified by IRSE UK.

I work on Smartlock Interlocking SML400 UK mainline wiring designs.

Currently, I am working as an IXL Design Lead. My responsibilities include understanding client and site requirements and acting accordingly. I maintain frequent communication with clients to gather necessary inputs and ensure all deliverables are completed on time without any delays. My role also involves ensuring that trackside information is communicated smoothly with the Smartlock interlocking system. In my field, anyone new to their allocated work needs mentorship until they gain hands-on experience. I have provided mentorship to individuals based on their specific needs.

Working with a product-based company like Alstom is amazing every day.

Alstom is a strong competitor in the rail industry, known for its sustainability, reliability, and ease of maintenance. The company continuously improves its technology to provide easy access to the public. Similarly, I aim to upgrade my knowledge to stay aligned with the latest technological advancements.

Life is short, we need to learn & respond positively to each situation

As I mentioned, I am an active learner and I am not afraid to learn from juniors or superiors. Learning is essential for our development. If I make a mistake, I learn from it and ensure I do not repeat it in the future. In my opinion, making mistakes teaches you how to live.

Awarded a gold medal for my contributions to employee engagement.

I'm not a workaholic; I believe in balancing work with fun. In my team, I noticed that people were always working without much engagement. So, I took the initiative to start and implement employee engagement activities with some of our colleagues, similar to what was already happening at other sites. This effort was recognised and awarded, and I felt great about the transparency at Alstom.