DESIGNED TO WIN : THE TATA ELXSI STORY By S DEVARAJAN

When people think of the Tata Group, names like Tata Steel, Tata Motors, or TCS often come to mind. Few would immediately recall Tata Elxsi — and yet, it is today the highest-valued Tata company, quietly powering revolutions in design, digital engineering, and electric mobility around the world.

In his book, Designed to Win, S. Devarajan takes readers behind the scenes of Tata Elxsi’s extraordinary journey — from a company teetering on the brink of bankruptcy to one of India’s most dynamic success stories. This is not the polished corporate tale one reads in business school textbooks. It is a deeply human story of survival, innovation, and collective determination, told by someone who lived it.

Devarajan offers a rare insider’s view of how vision, clarity, and belief can transform adversity into opportunity. Through vivid storytelling and personal reflection, he charts how a group of engineers and dreamers, united by purpose, rebuilt the company brick by brick — redefining what it meant to innovate within the Tata ethos.

From designing cutting-edge technology for electric vehicles and smart TVs to crafting embedded systems for global brands like Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, Mahindra, Comcast, Panasonic, and Motorola, Tata Elxsi’s story mirrors the evolution of modern India’s technology landscape. It also reveals how a strong culture and unwavering leadership can steer a company through turbulence to triumph.

About The Author

Devarajan (Dev) founded Transmation Consulting with the aim of providing technology companies a platform to accelerate and transform their business strategies. Dev has held several prominent positions in the technology sector. Dev is an independent director on the board of Tata Play Limited and serves on the boards of Prime Focus Ltd and Prime Focus Technologies Ltd. He sits on the board of DNEG India, one of the largest VFX companies in the world, boasting eight Academy Awards (Oscars) to its name. He is also an Independent Director and Board Member of India’s largest staffing company, Quess Corp. Additionally, he is on the board of GVS Software.

Previously, Dev was the managing director of Cisco Systems in India, where he helped set up and managed Cisco’s largest R&D centre established outside the USA. His responsibilities included building a successful offshore development programme and facilitating the establishment of operationally efficient, cost-effective development centres integrated with the company’s R&D labs. During his tenure, Dev played a key role in increasing Cisco India’s workforce to 3,500 employees and advised in establishing the Cisco Development Centre in China.

Before joining Cisco, Dev was the managing director of Tata Elxsi, becoming one of the youngest directors in the Tata Board. He successfully turned around the company from being loss-making to one of the most successful tech companies within the Tata Group.

The official release for the book is in November 2025