Dr Shuktij Singh Rao — Director of Engineering
Former Indian Air Force officer and technology leader working at the intersection of AI, telecom networks and strategic digital infrastructure policy. I am a former Flight Lieutenant of the Indian Air Force with over three decades of professional experience spanning defence, telecom networks, digital technologies and strategic industry sectors. Over the past 16+ years I have held CXO and senior leadership roles, leading large organisations and complex businesses across global and Indian companies including Nokia, ZTE, the Tata Group and the Confederation of Indian Industry, working at the intersection of technology, industry and public policy. I currently serve as Director – Regulatory & Government Affairs at Rakuten, engaging with government, regulators and industry stakeholders on policy and regulatory frameworks shaping the future of Artificial Intelligence, telecom networks and digital infrastructure. My professional interests include technology governance, telecom policy, digital transformation and the evolution of strategic technology ecosystems across sectors such as aerospace, defence and space. I contribute to policy discussions through engagements with the B20 Global Taskforce, the Special Purpose Group on AI at India International Centre, and the CIO Taskforce of ASSOCHAM. I am particularly interested in fostering platforms for thoughtful and balanced dialogue on technology governance, Artificial Intelligence and telecom policy, bringing together perspectives from industry, government and academia.
Stackforce AI infers this person is a strategic leader in AI and telecom policy with extensive experience in digital infrastructure.
Location: Gurugram, Haryana, India
Experience: 30 yrs 7 mos
Skills
- Ai Policy
- Telecom Regulation
- Digital Transformation
Career Highlights
- Over 30 years of experience in defence and telecom sectors.
- Expert in AI policy and digital infrastructure governance.
- Leader in strategic technology ecosystems and digital transformation.
Work Experience
India International Centre
Member SPG on Artificial Intelligence (3 mos)
ASSOCHAM
Member CIO Taskforce (9 mos)
Rakuten Symphony
Director Regulatory and Government Relations (1 yr)
B20 South Africa
Member - Global Taskforce on Digital Transformation (2 yrs 5 mos)
Confederation of Indian Industry
Executive Director – Technology Policy & Digital Transformation (1 yr 1 mo)
Sujan Group
Chief Executive Officer/Strategy Leadership (2 yrs 4 mos)
The Tata Power Company Limited - Strategic Engineering Division (Tata Power SED)
Chief of Infrastructure (6 yrs 9 mos)
Bharti Infratel Limited
Chief Operations and Maintenance Officer (6 mos)
ZTE
Chief Operating Officer/Senior Vice President (2 yrs 6 mos)
Nokia
Senior Leadership Roles (7 yrs 2 mos)
Ericsson
Project Manager (1 yr 10 mos)
Indian Air Force
Flight Lieutinant (6 yrs 11 mos)
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited
Graduate Engineering Trainee (10 mos)
Education
Short Intensive Course at Harvard Business School
Executive Program at Harvard Business School
FPM at IMI Delhi
MBA at Management Development Institute, Gurgaon
Diploma at 2 Guided Weapons Training Institute
Aeronautical Engineering at Air Force Technical College
B.E. at BUNDELKHAND INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY, JHANSI
AISSE at St. Joseph's Senior Secondary School Kanpur
