Suraj Pillai

Software Engineer

Bengaluru, Karnataka, India19 yrs 11 mos experience

AI EnabledAI ML Practitioner

Key Highlights

Expert in designing scalable AI and API platforms.
Proven track record in real-time analytics and event-driven architectures.
Strong focus on governance and cost optimization in multi-cloud environments.

Stackforce AI infers this person is a SaaS architect specializing in AI and data platforms with a focus on governance and scalability.

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Skills

Core Skills

Ai InfrastructureApi PlatformsReal-time AnalyticsDistributed SystemsEvent-driven ArchitectureStreaming ApplicationsIntegration ArchitectureApi Design

Other Skills

LangGraphApache PinotPresalesApache KafkaStarTree CloudSOAWeb ServicesXMLEAIJava Enterprise EditionOracleTIBCO iProcessBusiness Process DesignJMSSOAP

About

Staff Solutions Engineer focused on AI, data platforms, and enterprise architecture. I work with enterprises to design and scale systems that handle both AI and data workloads, helping teams manage LLM traffic, build data-driven applications, and optimize cost, performance, and governance across platforms. My experience sits at the intersection of: • AI infrastructure and model orchestration • API platforms and distributed systems • Observability and real-time analytics pipelines I partner with platform, data, and engineering teams to translate complex requirements into scalable, production-ready architectures — from early design and proof-of-concepts to large-scale deployments. Increasingly focused on how AI and data converge in production systems, especially around routing, cost control, and governance across multi-model and multi-platform environments.

Experience

19 yrs 11 mos

Total Experience

2 yrs 6 mos

Average Tenure

2 yrs 4 mos

Current Experience

Kong inc.

Staff Solutions Engineer

Jan 2024 – Present · 2 yrs 4 mos · Bengaluru

Partnered with enterprise customers to design and implement AI and API platforms, enabling secure and scalable handling of LLM traffic across multiple providers (OpenAI, Gemini, Bedrock)
Led architecture discussions around AI gateway patterns, including model routing, fallback strategies, and token-based cost optimization across production workloads
Built and delivered proof-of-concepts for GenAI use cases, integrating APIs, data pipelines, and LLMs to demonstrate real-world enterprise adoption scenarios
Advised platform and security teams on enforcing governance, authentication, and policy controls for AI and API traffic in multi-cloud environments
Designed solutions incorporating observability and real-time analytics pipelines (logs, metrics, traces), enabling visibility into API and AI workloads
Worked closely with customers to optimize performance, scalability, and cost, including rate limiting, caching, and traffic shaping strategies
Translated complex technical requirements into business-aligned solutions, supporting deal cycles from discovery through technical validation and closure

LangGraphAI InfrastructureAPI Platforms

Startree

Enterprise Architect

May 2023 – Jan 2024 · 8 mos · Bengaluru

Worked closely with customers post-deployment to ensure successful adoption of real-time analytics platforms (Apache Pinot) in production environments
Designed and optimized end-to-end streaming and analytics pipelines, integrating Kafka ingestion with low-latency OLAP systems
Led troubleshooting and performance tuning for high-scale, real-time workloads, including query optimization, indexing strategies, and cluster scaling
Partnered with engineering teams to resolve complex technical issues and improve system reliability, latency, and throughput
Guided customers on best practices for operating distributed analytics systems, including monitoring, capacity planning, and scaling strategies
Acted as a technical bridge between customers and product teams, feeding back insights to improve platform capabilities and usability

Apache PinotReal-time AnalyticsDistributed Systems

Confluent

2 roles

Staff Solutions Engineer

Jan 2023 – Jul 2023 · 6 mos

Designed and evangelized event-driven architectures using Apache Kafka, enabling enterprises to build real-time data pipelines and streaming applications
Worked with engineering teams to implement stream processing, data integration, and microservices-based event flows
Delivered POCs demonstrating real-time data movement and integration across systems, supporting use cases like fraud detection, monitoring, and personalization
Guided customers on scalability, reliability, and governance for streaming platforms in production environments

PresalesEvent-driven ArchitectureStreaming Applications

Senior Solutions Engineer

Jul 2020 – Dec 2022 · 2 yrs 5 mos

Presales

Tibco

Presales Solutions Architect

Apr 2019 – Jul 2020 · 1 yr 3 mos · Greater Bengaluru Area

Partnered with global enterprise customers to design integration, API, and event-driven architectures, enabling modernization of legacy systems into scalable, distributed platforms
Led technical presales engagements including architecture design, solution workshops, and proof-of-concepts, supporting complex, multi-region deal cycles
Designed solutions for real-time data integration and application connectivity, bridging systems across on-premise and cloud environments
Advised customers on transitioning from legacy architectures (SOA/BPM) to microservices and event-driven systems, improving agility and scalability
Collaborated with business and technical stakeholders to align integration strategies with data-driven and real-time use cases
Translated complex enterprise requirements into production-ready architectures, balancing performance, reliability, and operational considerations

PresalesIntegration ArchitectureAPI Design

Reliance industries limited

2 roles

Principal Architect

Promoted

Jun 2018 – Mar 2019 · 9 mos

I led the SOA CoE here for Reliance Retail serving multiple platforms such as Ajio, Trends, Jio etc. We strived to build the next-gen SOA platform.
Responsibilities included -
Working closely with Product Management team to understand and refine the business requirements across different platforms such as Ajio.com, RelianceTrends.com, etc.
Grooming JIRA stories and assigning tasks to team members and making sure that the tasks meet deadlines
Leading the SOA CoE and laying down the best practices. The SOA CoE serves different platforms such as Ajio.com, RelianceTrends.com, etc.
Mentoring team members – communicating with team members their strengths as well as the areas where development is required
Forming and laying down the vision for the SOA platform which would ensure that the platform would scale

Technical Architect

Oct 2016 – Jun 2018 · 1 yr 8 mos

Tibco software inc.

Senior Consultant

Jun 2010 – Apr 2016 · 5 yrs 10 mos · Pune Area, India

I have been a key player on various BPM projects delivered by Tibco Global Services, Pune and have worked in geographically diverse locations such as Pune,Singapore and Europe.
Responsibilities in the various projects i have worked on includes - gathering the requirements, sketching the architecture and initial design in various projects, leading a team and delivering projects into production.