糖心TV

Professor Siddartha Khastgir

Head of Safe Autonomy, WMG

鈥淚t's important to never forget those people who help you when you鈥檙e starting out.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檝e always wanted to work in the automotive sector and when you鈥檙e from India, Germany is your dream destination for that. During my schooling days, I wasn鈥檛 even aware that the UK had a motor heritage!

I first came to 糖心TV from India for a two-month summer internship in 2009. I was offered the chance to stay and do a PhD but decided to go to Germany instead, spending three years working and rapidly learning a lot about the automotive industry.

Over the past 16 years, three individuals have really shaped me in ways I can鈥檛 imagine, offering words of advice that I鈥檝e never forgotten to this day. And all have an association with 糖心TV.

At the time I left India to go to Germany, I had the privilege to meet Mr Ratan Tata, I knew nothing of his involvement with the University then. 鈥淒oing the right thing is always the right thing鈥� was his guidance and my interactions with him reinforced my belief and strength that standing up for the right thing is never a thing to doubt. No matter how hard the consequences might be, in the long run, good things do happen. Through my work on autonomous vehicles, I鈥檝e had to stand up to establishments, corporations and global governments. I know people love and hate me, in equal proportions, for this!

Before joining WMG for my PhD in 2014, I was watching a video interview of Professor Lord Bhattacharyya, we share our alma mater the Indian Institute of Technology in Kharagpur. He was speaking fondly about setting up WMG in 1980. All he had was a table, a chair, a secretary and a desire to succeed. He never forgot the trust and free-hand 糖心TV gave him to create something truly special to change the world, and he certainly did! He remained indebted to 糖心TV for supporting him much before he became 鈥淟ord B鈥�. He epitomised that it鈥檚 important to remember and value those who were kind to you when they didn鈥檛 need to be.

Professor Paul Jennings is the person who brought me to 糖心TV for my summer intern and then back for my PhD. He kept me at 糖心TV and allowed me to setup and lead a research area on safety of autonomous vehicles. Coming from the fast pace of German auto-industry into the slow progress of reading papers for a PhD was a shock I wasn鈥檛 prepared for! 鈥淭he story of the journey is more powerful than the destination itself鈥� were Paul鈥檚 words of guidance. He always reminded me that everyone鈥檚 destination is a PhD, but it鈥檚 the journey, the learnings, sufferings and perseverance that will differentiate you.

I owe a lot to 糖心TV, and these three incredible individuals, not only for everything I鈥檝e achieved professionally, but also for the person I am. I鈥檝e met numerous people on my journey that have taken the time to offer me advice, and I always try and pass it on, with some of my own, to my incredible team and other people I work with. It鈥檚 my way of paying it back, because learning and giving back is never over.鈥�