Leaders

Long before “AI in engineering” became a buzzword and global firms began outsourcing design intelligence to India, a young engineer at IIT Madras was quietly experimenting with knowledge-based expert systems to diagnose building cracks. That engineer was Uma N Rao, a problem-solver with a curious mind, steady discipline, and an instinct for the future. What began in research labs and classrooms would eventually evolve into a pioneering journey across structural engineering and civil-tech innovation.

Uma completed her Bachelor’s in Engineering from College of Engineering, Trivandrum and pursued her Master’s from IIT Madras, where she developed a strong research foundation and an appetite for challenging engineering problems.

She began her career at IIT Madras’ IC&SR division, working on high-complexity industrial consultancy projects that demanded precision, self-learning, and technological experimentation.

After leading structural design and early civil-engineering software initiatives for nearly a decade and rising to Technical Director, she chose entrepreneurship, founding Forever Technologies in 2006.

Today, Uma leads advanced design, precast systems, and offshore detailing work across India, the US, and the UK, while continuing to collaborate on demanding IIT-led assignments. A CMDA-registered engineer and founder of KnowAll.org, she also shapes industry-ready engineering talent, ensuring aspiring professionals don’t just learn, but learn to solve.

Tell us about your professional expertise as a structural engineer.

In structural engineering, routine building design is common, but my passion lies in the repair and rehabilitation of aging structures. India has countless old buildings that hold value, and restoring them instead of demolishing them saves resources, time, and heritage.

I have worked on several restructuring projects, from homes to commercial buildings. Seismic retrofitting in Delhi’s LBZ zone for heritage ministerial residences, in collaboration with IIT Madras, was published internationally. Using modern materials and techniques, we transform old, neglected buildings into safe, updated spaces, and to me, this work is both technically challenging and deeply fulfilling.

Introduce us to Forever Technologies. What are your primary responsibilities as the company’s Director?

I founded Forever Technologies in 2006, after realizing that a demanding corporate schedule in a CMM Level-5 IT company wasn’t sustainable for me or my family. I was heading Microsoft projects where I was practically on call 24/7, so I decided to step out and start on my own. Luckily, work came naturally; my previous company offloaded projects to me, and from there, referrals kept flowing.

Since then, I have built a strong practice handling everything from client interaction and technical work to ensuring quality and timely delivery. The biggest challenge today is talent retention. Being able to provide training that makes so many freshers self-sufficient gives me great fulfilment. Personally, I believe in staying committed, doing meaningful work, and growing with it.

What challenges do you face in your current role, and how do you mitigate them?

Becoming a Technical Director at a UK-based company in my early thirties taught me one of my biggest leadership lessons: you need a thick skin. People will always have opinions, but as a leader, you must stay confident in your decisions.

When caught between management and team concerns, I learned to trust my judgment, make the fairest call, and never regret taking a stand.

Today, one of my major challenges is talent quality and retention. Often, even experienced hires lack foundational clarity, while younger team members trained in-house perform better. Seniors may hesitate to ask questions and sometimes provide incorrect guidance, which affects work quality.

That’s exactly why I started a training initiative. I am also advocating for India to adopt professional certification standards so we can ensure talent quality and restore global trust in Indian engineering standards.

Looking back, which professional achievements are you most proud of? How has IIT guided you in your journey?

When I talk about achievements, a few meaningful projects stand out. One of them was successfully delivering the LBZ bungalow work. Another proud moment was working on the largest granite shrine in southern hemisphere, the Vinayaka Temple project in Melbourne. The temple was being built using granite blocks carved in Mahabalipuram and shipped to Australia.

As Melbourne is a high-seismic zone, the authorities required proof that the structure was seismically safe. Granite temples are traditional, not standard concrete buildings, so it was a challenge to study the Australian building codes, and provide the seismic design calculations, which was endorsed by IIT and Australian government. During the temple inauguration, they acknowledged my contribution, which is rare for structural engineers.

Also garage management software done by my team showcased in ICSE in 2006 got a lot of recognition.

What are some developments in structural engineering that excite you? How are you aligning with future trends?

Today, construction materials are evolving rapidly, especially with sustainability in focus. Globally, new alternatives like mycelium-based bricks made from mushroom fibers are being used, particularly where wood isn’t easily available.

I am also fascinated by innovations like recycled-plastic bricks, a technique I saw being used by entrepreneurs in Assam. These innovations inspire me, which is why I actively keep learning.

My strong interest in repair and rehabilitation also ties into sustainability. After ISB’s “AI for Managers” program, I am now pursuing a sustainability course from IIT Roorkee, particularly around ESG and GRI frameworks and green certifications.

Uma N Rao, Director, Forever Technologies

Uma N Rao is the Director of Forever Technologies and a distinguished structural engineering leader known for her technical depth, global project experience, and pas­sion for engineering excellence. An alumna of College of Engineering, Trivandrum and IIT Madras, she began her career at IIT Madras and went on to become a Tech­nical Director, and later chose entrepreneurship. Uma has led complex seismic and heritage projects, includ­ing the structural validation of the Vinayaka Temple in Melbourne. A strong advocate for skill-building and cer­tification in India, she champions sustainable construc­tion, repair, and rehabilitation practices, and continuous learning in AI and sustainability.