Rama Devi Lanka

She played a pivotal role in establishing Centers of Excellence in AI, Cyber Security, eWaste, and Additive Manufacturing. These CoEs facilitated infrastructure access, encouraged adoption, promoted community collaboration, ensured responsible deployment, spurred R&D, and enhanced human capital— cementing Telangana's stature as a leader in technological innovation. She has led ecosystem-level initiatives such as the Agri Data Exchange Platform (AdeX), Agri Data Management Framework (ADMF) and the Web 3.0 Regulatory Sandbox that involved multi-stakeholder consultations and inter-departmental initiatives.

She facilitates startups to implement innovative solutions that create impact and deliver social good. To name a few – ‘Medicine from the Sky’ which delivers vaccines and medicines in remote areas using drones, a blockchain solution for traceability of counterfeit seeds that helps farmers, and smart phone based evoting that uses AI and blockchain to enhnace voter turnout during elections.

Before joining (the ITE&C Dept.) she worked at the National Institute for Smart Government (NISG) and was involved in several e-Governance projects that were crucial in bringing in reforms and transformation in various domains such as Health, Visa-Immigration, Civil Aviation etc, She was involved in the implementation strategy of the Meghraj policy of cloud for Government of India.

She also had a brief stint with start-ups in Silicon Valley, US. She holds a Post Graduate Degree in Environmental Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and an Executive Program in Business Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkotta.

She is the Recipient of the Digital India Award from the Hon’ble President of India for implementing AI/Machine Learning based Nutrient Management solution that helps in sustainable agriculture. Her pioneering work in AI earned her recognition as one of the 'Women in AI' by Google. She has received the Women Achiever’s Award from the Government of Telangana State, in 2022.

Biography:

Brief Details about Lalitha Memorial Lecture (LML)

IEEE-Hyderabad Section and WIE AG jointly conduct a Lalitha Memorial Lecture. This is a Flagship event of our Section and IEEE Hyderabad Section Women in Engineering Affinity Group. Distinguished/ eminent women who contributed to innovations, applications of technology for the advancement of our society, are invited and honoured by the WOMEN IN ENGINEERING affinity group, HYDERABAD SECTION. 

About Ayyalasomayajula Lalitha:

Ayyalasomayajula Lalitha was India's first Woman Engineer, graduated in 1943 in Electrical Engineering. She was born on 27 August 1919 in Chennai. She joined the Central Standards Organization in Shimla for a brief period.

She joined Associated Electrical Industries and started designing transmission lines, substation layout and executed various contracts. She was associated with the work on electrical generators for the Bhakra Nangal Dam. In 1953, the Council of the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), London elected her to be an associate member and in 1966 to a full member. She was the only woman engineer from India to attend the First International Conference of Women Engineers and Scientists (ICWES) in New York in June 1964. She was an active volunteer in an international women engineering organization throughout her life. Lalitha’s life is a beacon of hope for all the women who came after her in the 1950s to till date and her accomplishments inspire every woman. 

She facilitates startups to implement innovative solutions that create impact and deliver social good. To name a few – ‘Medicine from the Sky’ which delivers vaccines and medicines in remote areas using drones, a blockchain solution for traceability of counterfeit seeds that helps farmers, and smart phone based evoting that uses AI and blockchain to enhnace voter turnout during elections.

Before joining (the ITE&C Dept.) she worked at the National Institute for Smart Government (NISG) and was involved in several e-Governance projects that were crucial in bringing in reforms and transformation in various domains such as Health, Visa-Immigration, Civil Aviation etc, She was involved in the implementation strategy of the Meghraj policy of cloud for Government of India.

She also had a brief stint with start-ups in Silicon Valley, US. She holds a Post Graduate Degree in Environmental Engineering from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University and an Executive Program in Business Management from the Indian Institute of Management, Kolkotta.

She is the Recipient of the Digital India Award from the Hon’ble President of India for implementing AI/Machine Learning based Nutrient Management solution that helps in sustainable agriculture. Her pioneering work in AI earned her recognition as one of the 'Women in AI' by Google. She has received the Women Achiever’s Award from the Government of Telangana State, in 2022.