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T. R. Kesavan
Thekkepat Raman Kesavan – “TR Kesavan” or “K7” as he is better known is an Engineering and Management professional with over 40 years of national and international experience in both functional (design, manufacturing, sales & marketing, research & development and project management) and management areas (business administration, and corporate roles) of business. His domain expertise covers agriculture, construction and mining, oil tools and material handling. He actively participates and continues as the governing council member of industrial and government associations.

Speaker and mentor in national and international fora Kesavan has a track record of 25 years in areas of agriculture productivity and management, corporate management, innovative business in Indian context, government industry interface and public private partnership. He has made several presentations and addressed professional gatherings in countries such as USA, Brazil, UK, Italy, France, Turkey, Germany, Switzerland, Finland, China and Australia. Kesavan is also an external faculty for leading management schools.

Currently the COO – Product Strategy and Corporate relations at TAFE, the world’s third largest tractor manufacturer and India’s largest exporter of tractors, Kesavan drives the product management a large portfolio of agricultural products and equipment consisting of MF and Eicher brand of tractors, agricultural implements & equipment and engines in both Indian and Overseas markets. He represents TAFE in various industry bodies and government committees and is also responsible for Corporate Relations. His additional responsibilities include newer corporate initiatives such as the Applications Business Unit for agricultural mechanization. He is director in charge for the vehicle franchise business of TAFE’s two subsidiaries.

He had a distinguished academic career winning the Banko Award and Gold medal in his graduate studies in Engineering from the University of Madras and went on to be the first in the university and gold medalist in his management studies at the University of Bombay. His completed the sandwich course by University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

His project in his engineering course in 1970-73, was a path breaker as it involved the design, development and working proto type of India’s first hover craft carrying three persons. This project won many accolades and awards. Kesavan spends his spare time mentoring students. He is additionally a prolific speaker and teacher in management and marketing and lectures at leading academic and training institutions. A master of Reiki healing, he also dabbles in spirituality, painting, writing and carpentry and is an avid reader. Happily married, the Kesavans have two grown up sons.

Signatory for National Automotive Board (NAB) and Governing Council member. President Tractor Manufacturers Association (TMA) Member Governing Council of the Automotive Research Association Of India (ARAI) Member Governing Council of National Automotive Testing and R&D Infrastructure Project (NATRiP) Executive Committee Member of Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (FICCI). National council member of Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) Member National Committee on Agriculture, CII Member Committee on Agriculture, FICCI. Director UNAHA (United Nations - Habitat Alliance) a, UN - Habitat Agenda Partner Habitat Alliance Member Indian delegation to UNECE-WP29 Past Co-Chair of Technical Committee of the Tractor Manufacturers Association.

He started his career at the Caterpillar and Larsen and Toubro JV, Tractor Engineers Limited at Mumbai. Product lines included under carriage systems for construction, drilling, mining, under water dredgers etc. and apron conveyors for crushing and screening systems for mining application and material handling systems in ports. The JV also had technology collaboration with TRW Mission for oil exploration tools. Joining as a graduate trainee in 1973, he had exposure in shop floor manufacturing, design, application engineering, marketing and projects. He left the JV as Head of Sales & Marketing and Projects & Applications engineering for Caterpillar Under carriage and Material handling systems and Oil tools of TRW mission in 1998.

Before TAFE from 1988 to 1994, he was in Muscat Oman as the Franchise/ Product head of Bahwan Automotive Center’s (BAC) Construction Equipment Division (CED) and had the distinction of converting the loss making division of the company into a profitable one through expanding the product lines through addition of 23 new franchises in Construction and Agricultural product lines. BAC CED represented world leaders such as Komatsu, Kato, Kubota, IHI, Ford, Vermeer, JF, Sullair, CP etc. Winning the tender for the Oman cement plant expansion in association with ISI Japan was the highlight of his tenure here.