Pankaj Goyal is now onboard as a Co-Founder and COO & I.V. Rao as the Board Director of AutoNxt Automation.

Photo Credit : AutoNxt Automation,

AutoNxt Automation, an electric tractor venture in the wake of launching its Electric self-driving tractors has recently boosted its board and founding team with experienced industry professionals, Pankaj Goyal & I.V. Rao. 

Goyal is now onboard as a Co-Founder and COO and Rao as the Board Director of AutoNxt Automation.

Pankaj Goyal has joined as the Co-Founder and the COO as AutoNxt was looking for an experienced professional executive to come on board, to help them go from the R&D stage to the production stage. Goyal is a seasoned leader having led senior roles in big corporate across Indian and European countries, having established own school with own brand Brainwaves International, now focusing on his passion for automobile and EV technology with the potential for automation to leverage digital in Agriculture applications being a Co-Founder and COO for start-up Autonxt Automation. 

He has managed 0.5 Billion Euro’s P&L for Schneider Electric for its Nordic-Baltic Zone business, been a member of the top management team for Schneider Electric Greater India Zone, having a turnover of over 10,000 Cr, after almost a decade in Nordic countries and France in leadership positions with Schneider Electric. He has led Smart Cities Segment for Greater India and built a global Technology Centre for Schneider Electric in Bangalore from 2004 to 2010. 

I.V. Rao is a visiting senior fellow in Centre for Sustainable mobility group of TERI (The Energy Research Institute), a renowned think tank based in New Delhi (2019). Rao has over 36 years of experience in auto industry and overall 46 years of professional experience. In an accomplished career at Maruti Suzuki spanning 36 years, he made significant contribution in different roles in the areas of Technology Transfer, New Product Planning & Development, Component Localisation, Quality Assurance & Service and Manufacturing Engineering functions.

He held key positions in different industry/ government bodies as: Member, Group of Experts for formulation of future regulations for auto industry – Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Participated in all the discussions as SIAM representative with MoRTH / MOEF for formulation of Mass emission regulations and Safety standards from 1996 onwards and for formulation of various safety standards and CMVR related charges. I.V. Rao was an Executive Council member – SIAM (Society of Indian Automobile manufacturers (2005-2015).