A Visionary Technology Leader Driving AI Innovation and Adoption
Manas Talukdar is a leading force in the world of Artificial Intelligence, pushing the boundaries of technology with his expertise and unwavering passion. As a senior industry leader in AI and data infrastructure, specifically for enterprise AI, he has over 17 years of experience shaping the enterprise software landscape with widely adopted AI and Data products.
His profound experience spans the design and development of AI products and large-scale data infrastructure used in mission-critical sectors globally. A testament to his influence, Manas is a Senior Member of IEEE, an AI 2030 Senior Fellow, and an Advisory Board member. He has propelled leading enterprise software companies in the San Francisco Bay Area to new heights, making key contributions to the world’s preeminent industrial data historian, a cornerstone of the process industry, helping develop the leading enterprise AI platform, and enabling the developing of powerful multi-modal LLMs for groundbreaking generative AI applications.
Beyond his corporate achievements, Manas is a dedicated mentor to AI and Data startups, actively contributing to the growth of the industry. His commitment to innovation is evident in his multiple patents filed in data processing and machine learning for AI. A sought-after speaker, he often shares his insights at technical and leadership conferences, university graduation ceremonies, roundtables and panel discussions. As an industry expert, he has been invited to judge prestigious national and international industry awards. Manas reviews technical publications in AI and Data. His contributions have earned him recognition through numerous honors and awards. He has also been invited to join prestigious AI organizations, including an appointment as ambassador at the AI Frontier Network and membership in the exclusive American Society for AI.
Manas’s journey began in Assam, India, where he earned his Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from Assam Engineering College. He then pursued graduate studies in the same field, specializing in control systems, in the United States from North Carolina State University. His career took flight in San Francisco, where he joined OSIsoft, a leading enterprise software company specializing in industrial automation software.
At OSIsoft, he spent the first half of his career contributing to the development of the PI System, a time series data historian, and its middleware SDK. This experience provided him with invaluable insights into building world-class data infrastructure solutions. The second half of his tenure at OSIsoft saw him spearheading the development of their cloud-based data platform and advanced features for data science use cases, further solidifying his expertise in AI and data infrastructure.
His next chapter took him to C3 AI, the leading enterprise AI software company, where he founded and led multiple teams developing cutting-edge capabilities at the intersection of AI and large-scale data infrastructure. He played a pivotal role in developing their AI platform, demonstrating his ability to lead and innovate at a strategic level.
Currently, Manas serves as the Director of Engineering at Labelbox, where he leads the engineering team in developing an AI platform for building and using AI. His organization empowers AI labs to develop multi-modal LLMs for groundbreaking generative AI applications, as well as enables enterprises to develop task specific custom models.
Manas’s journey has not been without its challenges, but he has consistently overcome them by embracing new opportunities and pushing himself beyond his comfort zone. His unwavering belief in hard work, continuous learning, and adaptation has been the driving force behind his success.
Driven by a passion for technology and a desire to make an impact, Manas seeks to make meaningful contributions to technological advancement. He has spent most of his career working on cutting-edge technologies in AI and Data Infrastructure while building products in these domains that have significantly advanced the industry. Many of the AI and Data products he has worked on are used by some of the largest companies in the world in critical industrial infrastructure. He says, “I am driven by the opportunity to work on challenging problems and to build products that have a significant impact on the industry and the world at large”.
He finds inspiration from his parents, who have been his constant support and encouraged him to pursue his interests ardently. He has been inspired by historical characters like Vishnugupta, a thinker and strategist from the Mauryan period of Indian history. He is also inspired by the talented individuals he collaborates with everyday.
Manas’s leadership philosophy centers on leading by example, fostering empathy, and being decisive when necessary. He says, “Being a leader means listening with empathy but being decisive when needed”. He believes in creating a culture where both followers and leaders thrive, empowering individuals to contribute their strengths and grow within the organization.
His exceptional contributions to the field of AI and data infrastructure have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Globee Technology Awards for Professional of the Year in Artificial Intelligence and Artificial Intelligence Achievement of the Year, the Titan Business Award for Executives & Professionals – Innovator of the Year, the Global Recognition Award for exceptional contributions and achievements, and the prestigious Indian Achievers’ Award for remarkable contributions towards Science & Technology.