Subhajit Sarkar,
DeepTech advisor ,
In the rapidly shifting industrial landscape, few voices offer both strategic depth and practical clarity like Subhajit Sarkar. With over two decades of experience guiding Fortune 500s and mentoring startups, he brings a rare lens to the convergence of DeepTech and business transformation.
In this candid conversation, he shares his journey, insights, and the emerging playbook for leaders navigating the future of intelligent industry.
1) You’ve spent over two decades at the intersection of technology and business strategy, working with global giants and emerging innovators alike. What first drew you into the world of Deep Tech and Industry 5.0, and how has your journey evolved since then?
Ans. It wasn’t just the allure of cutting-edge tech for me, it was the impact potential. Early on, I realised true innovation lies at the intersection of science, business value, and human need.
Deep Tech challenges us to rethink what’s possible—whether it’s AI redefining diagnostics, quantum shaping energy, or advanced robotics transforming supply chains.
But what truly resonated with me was Industry 5.0, a shift from pure efficiency to human-centric, ethical, and sustainable innovation. It’s no longer just about machines working faster; it’s about machines and humans working better—together.
Today, my role has evolved from evangelising technology to enabling transformation—bridging vision with execution, startups with scale, and purpose with performance.
2) What does Industry 5.0 mean in practical terms for businesses?
Ans. While Industry 4.0 was about automation, data, and efficiency, leveraging IoT, AI, AR/VR, and robotics to optimize operations—Industry 5.0 takes a step further.
It’s not just machines doing more now; it’s about machines and humans working together—intelligently, ethically, and sustainably.
In practical terms, Industry 5.0 means:
In short, Industry 5.0 isn’t a rejection of automation but its evolution—a recognition that long-term value comes from aligning technology with humanity, innovation with impact.
3) How are Gen AI, IoT, and AI/ML reshaping traditional industries like Energy & Manufacturing?
Ans. The short answer to this would be: By converging to unlock intelligence at every layer, from the shop floor to the C-suite.
Here’s how it’s playing out in practical and operational terms:
Sensors and edge devices are capturing live data on temperature, pressure, vibration, emissions, and asset health across plants, pipelines, and grids. This is the raw pulse of industrial operations.
Machine learning models ingest that IoT data to predict failures, optimise output, and adjust operations autonomously. Downtime is no longer managed—it’s prevented. Quality control becomes very precise.
Gen AI steps in not to replace engineers or operators, but to amplify decision-making. It translates complex datasets into plain-language insights, drafts maintenance reports, simulates energy mix scenarios, and even guides frontline workers in real time via natural language interfaces.
Example in the Energy & Utilities Sector:
A utility company combines IoT data from smart meters with ML forecasting models to balance grid demand. Gen AI helps operations teams simulate outage scenarios and craft stakeholder communications in seconds.
Example in Manufacturing:
Factories are using IoT-enabled digital twins, where ML predicts machine wear-and-tear, and Gen AI enables engineers to interact with those insights conversationally—accelerating diagnostics and response.
The net results are as follows:
• Smarter operations
• Lower emissions
• Faster decisions
• More empowered humans
This isn’t automation for the sake of efficiency; rather, it’s augmentation for the sake of sustainability.
4) What role do AI agents play in faster, smarter decision-making in industrial environments?
Ans. The answer to this in one word would be: Orchestration.
AI agents are no longer passive analytics tools—they’re becoming active collaborators, capable of observing, reasoning, and acting across complex, high-stakes operations.
Here’s how they’re transforming industrial decision-making:
AI agents continuously scan IoT data streams from machines, sensors, and systems—detecting anomalies, safety risks, or performance dips in real time, often faster than any human.
They don’t just raise alerts—they understand context. Is a temperature spike routine, or does it signal a potential failure downstream? Agents synthesise historical trends, maintenance logs, and environmental variables to offer insightful recommendations—not just raw data.
In complex environments (think oil rigs or smart factories), swarms of AI agents can coordinate across supply chains, production lines, and logistics—negotiating trade-offs (speed vs. cost vs. safety) with near-zero latency.
Through Gen AI, agents now speak the language of humans. Engineers can query operational health conversationally; frontline workers receive step-by-step guidance; planners simulate “what-if” scenarios without code.
By integrating with enterprise systems (ERP, MES, SCADA, etc.), AI agents can trigger workflows—dispatching a technician, reordering parts, or rerouting logistics without manual intervention.
AI agents are moving from advisory roles to trusted copilots—enabling faster, safer, and more resilient decisions in environments where seconds matter.
5) You often speak at platforms like TEDx, NASSCOM, and IIT. What is one key trend or concern you consistently hear from global tech leaders?
Ans. Across prestigious platforms like TEDx, NASSCOM, IIT, etc., I often engage with leaders navigating Deep Tech, Gen AI, and Industry 5.0 frontiers. While the excitement is real, so is the undercurrent of caution:
Technology is scaling faster than organisational readiness.
AI agents, autonomous systems, digital twins—they’re ready. But are our governance models, talent strategies, and ethical frameworks keeping pace?
The world doesn’t need more technology for technology’s sake. It needs translators—leaders who can turn disruption into direction and complexity into clarity.
6) What should business leaders focus on to build a culture that embraces both innovation and human-centric design?
Ans. Simply speaking—innovation without empathy is just disruption.
The most future-ready companies aren’t just tech-savvy—they’re people-savvy.
Here’s what the best leaders focus on:
Innovation must serve a meaningful “why.” Anchor every initiative—AI, automation, new products, etc.—around who it helps and why it matters.
Give teams the freedom to test, fail, and iterate. True innovation thrives in cultures where psychological safety is stronger than hierarchy.
Bring designers, engineers, frontline workers, and customers to the same table. Human-centric design is a team sport, not a function.
Track not just ROI, but user delight, employee engagement, and ethical alignment. If you’re only measuring speed and cost, you’re missing the bigger picture.
The real challenge is:
Balancing bold innovation with deep listening.
Because the most powerful technologies of tomorrow will be shaped by how deeply we understand people today.
7) As someone who mentors startups and advises Fortune 500s, what is the one piece of advice you would give to today’s tech leaders looking to stay relevant in the present era?
Ans. One piece of advice I give tech leaders is this:
In an era defined by Deep Tech, Gen AI, and Industry 5.0, tech relevance isn’t just about adopting the latest tools—it’s about understanding where, why, and how they truly fit.
Not every tech wave needs to be surfed. Leaders must ask: What real problem does this solve? For whom?
To your customers, your teams, your ecosystem. The best solutions are rarely universal. They’re hyper-relevant, ethically aligned, and designed with the user—not just the spec sheet.
Whether you’re scaling a startup or transforming a legacy enterprise, your edge lies not in chasing speed—but in cultivating strategic curiosity with grounded clarity.
The Journey Into Industry
Subhajit Sarkar is an accomplished CXO, startup mentor, and DeepTech advisor with 21+ years of experience at the intersection of technology and business transformation. Leveraging advanced technologies like Gen AI, AI/ML, IoT, and Blockchain, he has led high-impact initiatives for Fortune 500 companies across Energy, Utilities, and Manufacturing. Known for his strategic clarity and hands-on execution, Subhajit focuses on driving Industry 5.0 outcomes—where innovation is human-centric, ethical, and sustainable.
Beyond the boardroom, he is a sought-after voice on global platforms including TEDx, NASSCOM, and IIT, where he shares forward-looking insights on the evolving role of technology in society. With a passion for building purposeful solutions, he continues to mentor startups and advise enterprises on how to navigate complexity with clarity, agility, and impact.
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