N V D Ashok Kumar Karaka
Bangalore,India
Summary
Technical leader with 14+ years of experience in embedded systems and HIL/SIL automation for safety‑critical rail applications. Leads multi‑site V&V teams to define test strategies, enforce requirements traceability, and drive risk‑based validation across complex locomotive programs. Owns validation leadership for Locotrol® initiatives in the U.S., coordinating with product, systems, and software stakeholders to ensure standards compliance, comprehensive test coverage, and on‑time releases. Builds and scales test governance frameworks (test plans, reviews, metrics, and defect reporting) and lab infrastructure to improve quality, cycle time, and delivery predictability. Effectively communicates test outcomes to executives and customers while mentoring cross‑functional teams in global Agile environments
Overview
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Engineering Technical Leader – LOCOTROL
GE Transportation, a Wabtec Company
Bangalore
10.2025 - Current
- Leading global validation strategy, governance, and delivery for LOCOTROL® Distributed Power & Brake Systems.
- Managing teams across India and USA; responsible for productivity, coaching, planning, and competency growth.
- Leading customer programs directly from US site for North American clients.
- Ensuring traceability, requirement alignment, test sign‑offs, and release quality.
- Led project planning, execution, communication, risk management, and delivery within timelines and budget for software testing.
- Coordinated project timelines and resource allocation to meet production deadlines effectively.
- Collaborated with management to set strategic goals aligned with organization objectives and priorities.
- Applied standard processes and methodologies to enhance efficiency in project development.
- Led cross-functional teams for successful project execution while maintaining strong collaboration among team members.
- Resolved conflicts between stakeholders in a timely manner.
- Developed and implemented training programs to improve team performance and safety compliance.
- Executed comprehensive field testing at customer sites to validate system performance.
Staff Quality Assurance Engineer – LOCOTROL
GE Transportation, a Wabtec Company
Bangalore
10.2021 - 09.2025
- Implemented process improvements to enhance testing efficiency.
- Provided technical guidance to junior quality assurance engineers.
- Monitored defect resolution activities for prompt issue addressing.
- Reviewed test cases created by team members before execution.
- Tested functionality performance and compliance against design specifications.
- Led integration testing across multiple sites for tower operations.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to identify and troubleshoot validation-related issues, enhancing product reliability.
- Designed and implemented improvements to lab infrastructure and automation systems.
- Developed and executed validation plans for complex transportation systems to ensure compliance with industry standards.
- Mentored junior engineers on best practices in validation methodologies and regulatory requirements, fostering team development.
- Presented compelling product demonstrations to leaders across teams, highlighting value and technical strengths
Senior Quality Assurance Engineer – LOCOTROL
GE Transportation, a Wabtec Company
Bangalore
10.2018 - 09.2021
- Showcased new product features and functionality to clients, managers, and team members, enhancing stakeholder understanding.
- Managed team of testers responsible for delivering various test strategies and improvements for the business.
- Validated software requirements for diverse customers, ensuring delivery of high-quality software.
- Conducted various testing levels for RDP, WDP, RCL, and OCU systems.
- Performing static and dynamic testing.
- Developed test equipment and improved test boxes for accurate timing simulations.
- Designing test plans, test reports, test cases and test procedures.
- Developed three distinct test procedures for 20 baselines, streamlining testing processes.
- Designed common test procedure for different LXA customers.
- Early defects identification at system level testing and deliver zero defect software.
- Commissioned CCBII-IR with MIPM for designing and validating Indian railway project.
- Conducted product demonstrations and showcased functionality to customers, team leaders and colleagues.
- Collaborated with developers to identify root causes of defects found during testing cycles.
Quality Assurance Engineer
GE Transportation, a Wabtec Company
Bangalore
07.2016 - 09.2018
- Developed and executed test plans for software applications in transportation systems.
- Conducted manual and automated testing of software features and functionality.
- Reported software defects and tracked resolution progress using defect management tools.
- Participated in root cause analysis to address recurring quality issues effectively.
- Created detailed reports on the results of quality assurance tests conducted.
- Documented, triaged, and managed defects in software and worked with developers to facilitate timely resolutions.
- Created and maintained database of common and known testing defects.
- Met project scope and delivery dates by planning optimal testing schedules.
- Participated in product design reviews to provide input on functional requirements, product designs, schedules, or potential problems.
Sr. System Engineer – Brakes
Tech Mahindra, Alstom
Bangalore
02.2016 - 07.2016
- Competent in Braking and Air supply system of Locomotives and Metro trains, pneumatic valves and its control.
- Apply existing products to meet customer specific requirements.
- Concept design to finalisation of product.
- Document customer/internal requirements.
- Detailed drawing check verification of assembly.
- Ensuring product design are released in conformity to the technical specifications.
- Design and documentation of new product concepts, features, and enhancements.
- Developing products/components by reverse engineering.
- Document specifications for software/mechanical/electrical where appropriate.
- Client: Indian Railways, BRM & Lucknow metro
- Highlights
- Designed Modular Computer Controlled Brake system II piping diagram for BOB locomotives.
- Designed Electro pneumatic brake system piping diagram for metro
System Engineer – Brakes
Knorr-Bremse India Pvt. Ltd.
Delhi
01.2012 - 02.2016
- Responsible for engineering design and development for integration of electronic air brake component on Indian Railway locomotives.
- Co-ordinated with suppliers, sourcing, internal engineering teams, product management for execution & delivery.
- Product demonstrations to end customer & acceptance for requirements, design, validation and deployment.
- Created requirements, purchase specifications & qualification plans for brake supplier
- Created electrical schematics, bill of materials (BOM), mechanical & pneumatic interfaces.
- Conducted FMEAs, system validation & toll gate reviews for approvals.
- Executed System validation, customer demonstrations and deployment of the final product.
- Communication with external customer on queries, project updates to leadership & co-ordination with suppliers on execution.
- Responsible for providing Root Cause Analysis (RCA), holding customer discussions, issuing whitepapers for reliability issues.
- Client: Indian Railways
- Highlights
- Successfully validated 250 brake systems fitted in Indian railways.
- Successfully led 2 teams for electromagnetic wall testing, performance system of particular systems, NYT testing by using software like 1847 PTU, WPTU, & ST03, MPLAB IDEV8.91.
Customer Support Engineer – TCC
Siemens India Pvt. Ltd.
Bangalore
07.2011 - 12.2011
- Engaged in servicing and fault analyses of the AC/AC and AC/DC traction converter system installed in Locomotives
- Monitored & maintained downloading fault archive (data) from locomotives PLC /EMBEDDED software, analysed faults, troubleshooting work, & servicing, installed embedded software provided by Siemens and EMD in the locomotives when necessary and tested the same
- Performed activities like instrumentation planning for proper calibrated values from sensors and testing and troubleshooting of microprocessor-controlled system.
- Client: Indian Railways
- Highlights
- Successfully retrofitted the Alco locomotive fitted with KM direct control to PLC control.
Education
MBA - HR & Marketing
JNTUK
AP01-2015
B.Tech. - Electronics & Communications Engineering
Nova College of Engineering, JNTUK
AP01-2011
Skills
- Test Management
- V & V strategy
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Team leadership
- Risk management
- Coaching and mentoring
- Technical documentation
- Technical mentoring
- Embedded Systems Testing
- HIL/SIL Environments
- Agile / Scrum
- System Integration & Qualification Testing
- Test Planning & Estimation
- Process Improvement
- Automation Strategy
- Project & Stakeholder Management
- Technical Ownership
- Requirements Management (DOORS, ALM)
- Delegation
- Systems development lifecycle management
Accomplishments
- Engineering Excellence Award (Org Level, 2023): Led the architecture and design excellence of the DRONE Train Control System, ensuring safety, scalability, and regulatory compliance.
- Spot Award (Team Level, 2021): Recognized for exceptional ownership and cross‑team collaboration, consistently going beyond role expectations to unblock delivery.
- Engineering Excellence Award (Org Level, 2021): Played a key leadership role in enabling DP product upsell to Indian Railways, aligning technical capability with business strategy.
- Impact Award (Org Level, 2019): Led the commissioning of Modular CCB integrated with DP systems in electric locomotives, driving successful field deployment.
- Above & Beyond Silver Award (Org Level, 2019): Delivered CN DP software on schedule through proactive risk management and execution discipline.
- Above & Beyond Silver Award (Org Level, 2017): Recognized for delivering results in a high‑uncertainty environment, balancing technical trade‑offs and delivery commitments.
- Above & Beyond Bronze Award (Org Level, 2016): Identified and drove resolution of a critical system defect, preventing potential downstream failures.
Training
- Attended “Early Leadership Development Program” by Wabtec in 2021
- Attended “Leadership Skills Program” by Wabtec in 2020
- Attended “The Project Management Program” by Wabtec in 2020
- Attended training on “Delivering Customer Impact” by GE Crotonvill in 2019
Customer Facing & Product Deployment Experience
- Vale Vitoria Railroad, Brazil Mar 2022 – August 2022 Commissioned of DRONE Train Control system Presented Field plan Integration testing Performing Static & Dynamic testing Integration testing of the first phase software Hardware pin testing of all the IOs on the initial DTCS hardware sample
- GE IR 1000, Indian Railways Nov 2021 – Nov 2021 Commissioned DP system in IR1000 locomotives Successfully demonstrated DP capabilities for the customer
- CN Railroad, Canada Feb 2020 – Mar 2020 Hardware pin testing of all the IOs on the initial ECU hardware sample Integration testing of the software, analysis of interfaces & system req. Software integration and release for all the vehicle variants
- CLW, Indian Railways Nov 2018 – Nov 2018 Commissioned DP system with CCB II in electric locomotive Integration testing Performed Static testing
- GY, LGD & VSKP April 2014 to Feb 2016 Performed NYT testing on 250 Air brake system Successfully demonstrated Computer controlled brake system II customer
Accomplishments & Awards
Received Org level “Team mentor Award” in 2022 – for successfully leading the LOCOTROL test team, Received “Team level “Spot Award” in 2021” – for going extra miles, Received Org level “Engineering Excellence Award” in 2021 – for enabling DP product to upsell to Indian Railways., Received Org level “Impact Award” in 2019 – for commissioning Modular CCB with DP system in Electric locomotive., Received Org level “Above & Beyond Silver Award” in 2019 – for delivering CN DP SW on time., Received Org level “Above & Beyond Silver Award” in 2017 for delivering results in uncertain world., Received Org level “Above & Beyond Bronze Award” in 2016 & nominated for technology excellence awards for finding critical defect.
Languages
English
Full Professional
Telugu
Native or Bilingual
Hindi
Limited Working
Timeline
Engineering Technical Leader – LOCOTROL
GE Transportation, a Wabtec Company
10.2025 - Current
Staff Quality Assurance Engineer – LOCOTROL
GE Transportation, a Wabtec Company
10.2021 - 09.2025
Senior Quality Assurance Engineer – LOCOTROL
GE Transportation, a Wabtec Company
10.2018 - 09.2021
Quality Assurance Engineer
GE Transportation, a Wabtec Company
07.2016 - 09.2018
Sr. System Engineer – Brakes
Tech Mahindra, Alstom
02.2016 - 07.2016
System Engineer – Brakes
Knorr-Bremse India Pvt. Ltd.
01.2012 - 02.2016
Customer Support Engineer – TCC
Siemens India Pvt. Ltd.
07.2011 - 12.2011
MBA - HR & Marketing
JNTUK
B.Tech. - Electronics & Communications Engineering
Nova College of Engineering, JNTUK