October 05, 2022
NEMA continues its Executive Q&A Series with a profile of Raj Batra, President of Siemens Digital Industries. In his NEMA interview, Batra extols the value of education, both in the classroom and in the field. He also explains how the “industrial metaverse” is changing manufacturing for the better.
How did you get to where you are today?
I’ve always enjoyed pairing classroom instruction with practical experience. When I was working on my electrical engineering degree, I also took part in a co-op program at Ford Motor Company to couple hands-on experience with academic training. That prepared me for fairly technical roles early in my career and gave me real-world insights into the automotive and aerospace industries. The rest, as they say, is history. Gradually, as I took on more responsibility, I added a master of business administration degree.
Of course, formal education is only part of the story. I’ve had great learning opportunities from inspiring mentors I’ve met through living and traveling abroad. There’s enormous value in being surrounded by brilliant people at all levels, as I am at Siemens Digital Industries (DI). Our success in the last few years is just as much theirs as mine. I’m proud to serve as the leader of such a high-performing organization.
What will be the biggest change to the electroindustry in the next three years?
Digitalization of industrial operations will become the norm. During the pandemic, innovative companies accelerated their digital transformation programs because it was so evident that going digital was a great way to prepare for disruption. That might mean getting into a stronger position to tame your supply chain, attracting top talent, or achieving more flexibility when you need to ramp up production.
The technology at our fingertips today is so powerful. We can now leverage photorealistic, physics-based digital twins embedded in what is becoming an “industrial metaverse.” These twins offer enormous potential to transform our industries, including companies of all sizes. As the name “industrial metaverse” implies, it’s about creating a virtual world where people can interact and collaborate to solve real-world problems.
Collaboration is at the heart of the advances we need to make in many areas. Here I’m talking about making our industrial operations more sustainable, productive, and inclusive. The human element of digitalization is just as important as the technological one.
What advice would you give to someone starting in the industry today?
Pay attention to the culture of your organization. It’s one of those intangibles that can have a make-or-break impact on the performance of your people. Make sure you give everyone a chance to speak freely, be heard, and feel valued. When you do this, teams can make so much progress and overcome hardships that might otherwise seem insurmountable. Culture has always been important at DI, but the importance became even more obvious during the pandemic. Our teams found ways to stay connected, innovate, and have fun. And the secret ingredient to making that happen was our culture.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
I have three very active teenagers who keep my wife and me busy with all sorts of competitive sports and hobbies. Family is very important to us; luckily, our extended family is nearby here in Michigan. It’s also wonderful to spend time with my mother, who is now 85 years old, who raised us as a single mother and did more with her two hands and desire than anything material could provide. Despite busy careers, it’s important to all of us to stay connected, and we always make time to do just that.