Yesterday’s magic is today’s reality. Today’s enchanting and impossibilities will be tomorrow’s realism. That’s how everything is changing at a pace which might feel supersonic to a person from the 19th century if that person is not Dr. Pratap Nair, the legendary Founder, President & CEO of igenero.com.
As in a time that saw the birth of the world’s tech marvel in the form of internet, or ‘the logical point where it all started,’ in Dr. Nair’s words, that is, in the 1980s, he got a basic chemical engineering degree from IIT Bombay.
Inception of Ingenero in Ingenuity
Dr. Nair’s journey to founding Ingenero is rooted in a deep passion for chemical engineering and an unwavering entrepreneurial spirit. “The foundation for Ingenero was laid through years of hands-on experience in chemical engineering and a pioneering approach to process manufacturing,” he explains. With a strong academic grounding from IIT Bombay and a doctorate in chemical engineering from Rice University, Dr. Nair’s early career was defined by innovation. His first job involved developing simulation software for ChemShare, a company renowned for its process simulation solutions. “Even in the late ’80s, we were building and deploying the first online optimizers, linking remotely to plants despite the technological challenges of the time,” he recalls, marking this as a formative period that sparked his vision for revolutionizing the industry.
Over the years, Dr. Nair expanded his expertise, delving into process consulting, business development, and operational management in the pharmaceutical and specialty chemicals sectors. These roles provided him with a 360-degree view of the industry’s needs and gaps. “Working both in the U.S. and India gave me a well-rounded perspective on what this industry lacked and how it could evolve,” he shares. This experience, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, set the stage for the inception of Ingenero.
Despite skeptics labeling the idea as ahead of its time, Dr. Nair established the company with seed funding from Boston-based venture capitalists and a business partner. Ingenero’s mission was clear: to support global process manufacturing companies by leveraging India’s technological expertise. “It was a bold step, but I knew the industry needed a fresh approach. We bootstrapped our way forward, driven by the belief that we could make a difference,” he adds.
Today, Ingenero stands as a testament to Dr. Nair’s vision and resilience. By combining foundational knowledge, global exposure, and a commitment to innovation, he along with his business partners and strong team, has built a company that bridges continents and transforms the process manufacturing landscape.
Becoming an Operational Analyst in the Chemical Industry
Dr. Nair’s journey with Ingenero has been driven by a deep understanding of the chemical industry’s challenges and the transformative potential of innovative solutions. Reflecting on the company’s inception, he shares, “When we started, I saw a gap—particularly in the Western world—where the process industry was facing a ‘grandpa boom.’ Experienced professionals were retiring, and fewer chemical engineers were entering the field. Meanwhile, in India, the industry was blooming with talent and potential.” This unique juxtaposition of challenges and opportunities inspired the foundation of Ingenero.
In its early days, Ingenero focused on bridging this gap by leveraging India’s expertise in chemical engineering and coupling it with advanced training in simulation techniques and analytics. The company began providing remote support to process manufacturing facilities, analyzing operational data like temperatures, pressures, compositions and flow rates. Dr. Nair describes the process: “Much like the medical field uses diagnostics to understand the human body, we used chemical engineering fundamentals to interpret plant operations and provide actionable insights.” This approach enabled Ingenero to predict issues such as leaks and inefficiencies, preventing safety and reliability concerns before they escalated. It also served as a neutral capability center enabling experimentation with process modifications and operating changes, utilizing simulation and digital twins, without the risk of online experimentation.
As the company evolved, so did its services. Ingenero expanded into design engineering at the request of its clients, creating a group dedicated to engineering solutions. In 2014, the company took a significant leap by integrating applied AI tools to automate its remote support operations, birthing the Digital Solutions Group. “This group was an evolution of our initial support services, leveraging AI to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency,” Dr. Nair explains. Today, this group leads the company’s efforts in digital transformation, delivering cutting-edge digital solutions to clients globally.
Ingenero has also diversified its expertise, establishing a safety practice to review facility operational safety and a nascent sustainability group focused on greener industrial processes. Dr. Nair emphasizes the company’s multifaceted mission: “We’ve grown from being a remote plant life cycle support service to a comprehensive provider of engineering expertise and digital transformation. Our goal is to help plants improve productivity, efficiency, and safety while embracing sustainability.”
Through its innovative approach, Ingenero has become a vital partner for the process of manufacturing industries. It blends operational analytics, engineering excellence, and digital transformation to reshape the chemical industry’s future.
Enhancing Chemical Process Engineering with Artificial Intelligence
Incorporating Artificial Intelligence (AI) into chemical process engineering has revolutionized how industries operate, analyze, and optimize their processes. Dr. Nair, reflecting on Ingenero’s journey, shares insights into how the company has implemented AI to deliver transformative results. “Our approach to AI is what we call applied AI—tailored specifically for process manufacturing. It’s about leveraging AI and co-enabling tools within a framework of deep domain expertise to create meaningful value.”
The journey began in 2014 when a pivotal interaction with the CEO of a leading midstream company in the U.S. highlighted a critical gap. Despite investing heavily in digitization and creating centralized data visibility across 60 facilities, the CEO admitted, “I’m seeing the data presented beautifully, but I’m not able to get any value out of it.” This revelation spurred Ingenero to combine AI with their domain knowledge to develop digital twins for the facilities, enabling actionable insights. In the first year alone, these implementations resulted in tangible benefits exceeding $25 million.
However, the path to success wasn’t without its challenges. Initially, the team grappled with integrating data science into a domain-specific context. Dr. Nair recalls, “We tried hiring data scientists to apply their skills directly to our vertical, but it didn’t work well. Instead, we found greater success training our domain experts in data science, to work better with data science teams, enabling them to bridge the gap effectively.” This strategy became a cornerstone of Ingenero’s approach, ensuring a seamless blend of process engineering expertise and advanced analytics.
One of the key differentiators in Ingenero’s AI-driven solutions is their focus on delivering value through integration and usability. Beyond deploying algorithms, the team emphasizes creating interactive dashboards, employing augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), and integrating solutions into clients’ workflows. Dr. Nair explains, “It’s not just about presenting data but telling a story and ensuring that the final action is taken to improve operations.”
Fast forward to today, Ingenero’s AI-enabled solutions have been implemented across numerous facilities worldwide, delivering unparalleled value and operational excellence. Their success underscores the importance of hybridizing domain expertise with cutting-edge technology. As Dr. Nair puts it, “The secret sauce lies in marrying deep domain knowledge with AI, data science, and IT to extract the value that pure data science alone cannot deliver.”
Through these innovations, Ingenero has not only enhanced chemical process engineering but also set a benchmark for how AI can be effectively utilized in specialized industrial verticals, proving that targeted, domain-specific applications of AI hold the key to transformative success.
Building the Success Metrics
Establishing robust success metrics is vital for ensuring measurable impact in chemical process engineering, particularly when implementing AI solutions. Dr. Nair provides valuable insights into how the company evaluates success, emphasizing the multifaceted nature of benefits beyond monetary savings. “Success for us is not just about millions saved—it’s about enhancing efficiency, improving safety, and ensuring the long-term reliability of our clients’ operations.”
At the core of Ingenero’s approach lies an understanding of industry-specific metrics honed through years of remote support for process manufacturing. These metrics include efficiency, energy use, emissions, and safety. AI brought a transformative capability to analyze vast datasets, uncover patterns, and identify leading indicators that the human mind—or even large teams—could overlook. Dr. Nair explains, “AI doesn’t just do the same thing faster; it opens up entirely new possibilities by covering a breadth of data that was previously unimaginable.”
One of the key benefits of AI lies in its predictive capabilities. For instance, it enables operators to detect potential equipment failures months in advance, reducing the risk of unplanned shutdowns and costly downtime. This early warning system significantly enhances reliability. Dr. Nair shares, “Looking at leading indicators and getting months of advance notice allows operators to address issues proactively rather than reactively. That’s where AI transforms operations.”
However, implementing these solutions isn’t without challenges. A common misconception is that AI is a plug-and-play solution, but as Dr. Nair notes, “AI implementations demand extensive model training, testing, and domain expertise based knowledge infusion to ensure the results are credible and actionable.” The failure of early adopters in the industry often stemmed from unrealistic expectations and inadequate integration, leading to skepticism about AI’s potential.
By focusing on building credibility from the outset and integrating domain expertise with AI capabilities, Ingenero has established itself as a leader in delivering results that matter. These results not only mitigate risks in high-stakes manufacturing environments but also foster trust and long-term client success. Thus, the company’s success metrics extend beyond quantifiable savings to include operational resilience and strategic reliability, which ultimately define the value of its services.
Deploying Wholesome Organizational Leadership Innovation
Fostering innovation in an organization requires a leadership style that emphasizes collaboration, empowerment, and adaptability. Dr. Pratap Nair of Ingenero shares his insights into creating a culture that prioritizes innovation, particularly in the demanding field of advanced analytics. “Innovation cannot rely on one person—it thrives when multiple minds come together, sharing ideas and driving creative solutions.”
Dr. Nair’s leadership philosophy revolves around recognizing the diverse abilities within his teams. He acknowledges that while some individuals excel in structured environments and perform well with clear directives, others flourish when granted autonomy. The key to fostering innovation, he explains, is empowering these creative minds. “Once people feel empowered, they take ownership of their work and start thinking beyond the immediate tasks, which is when true innovation begins.”
To create an environment conducive to innovation, Ingenero adopted a flat organizational structure that minimizes hierarchical constraints. This approach encourages open communication and allows team members at all levels to contribute ideas. “We’ve intentionally avoided a highly hierarchical setup because innovation requires creative thought to flow freely across the organization,” says Dr. Nair. By balancing the need for technical expertise with creative problem-solving, the company ensures that innovation aligns with the practicalities of project execution and delivery.
Another cornerstone of Dr. Nair’s leadership style is adaptability. As the business landscape evolves, he emphasizes the importance of staying attuned to market trends and being willing to pivot when necessary. Steering the organization in new directions requires engaging the team, encouraging diverse perspectives, and collaboratively deciding the best course of action. “When you have an idea, it’s important to bring everyone on board, listen to their perspectives, and collectively decide the way forward,” he explains.
This leadership style has not only helped Ingenero stay ahead of industry trends but also cultivated a culture where innovation is a shared responsibility. By fostering a sense of ownership and encouraging creativity, the organization continues to thrive in a dynamic and competitive environment, setting a benchmark for wholesome leadership innovation.
Fostering Manufacturing’s Sustainable Future
Sustainable manufacturing is evolving rapidly, with solutions emerging across short-, medium-, and long-term horizons. Dr. Nair, a visionary in advanced analytics and process engineering, describes a three-pronged approach to actionable sustainability that leverages digital innovation and creative engineering. “In the short term, digital solutions allow us to track, measure, and optimize operations in real-time, helping reduce emissions and energy usage while improving resource efficiency,” he explains. These immediate actions offer tangible benefits and lay the foundation for a more sustainable future.
For medium-term goals, Dr. Nair emphasizes the importance of adapting and scaling emerging technologies. This includes incorporating bio-based feedstocks, transitioning energy sources, and implementing advanced recovery systems. “We excel at bridging the gap between lab-based innovations and industrial applications, ensuring that groundbreaking process technologies are scalable and effective in real-world settings,” he notes. By working closely with technology vendors, Ingenero accelerates the adoption of sustainable practices within the manufacturing sector.
Long-term sustainability efforts focus on groundbreaking innovations like carbon capture and utilization (CCU). These projects aim to convert captured carbon into valuable chemicals rather than merely storing it underground. “We are partnering with institutes and early-stage companies to develop and industrialize transformative technologies, ensuring their readiness for large-scale implementation in the decades ahead,” says Dr. Nair. By investing in and collaborating with these pioneers, Ingenero actively contributes to shaping a sustainable manufacturing future.
Dr. Nair’s holistic approach reflects a commitment to addressing sustainability at every level—short-term efficiency, medium-term process innovation, and long-term technological breakthroughs. This strategy not only aligns with global sustainability goals but also positions Ingenero as a leader in driving transformative change in the manufacturing industry.
