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Ravindra Vytla Most Influential Business Leaders in India
Leader at a Glance
Ravindra has built a career on bold bets and transformative technology. From co-founding one of South India’s early edtech platforms in 2005 to leading global teams and products, he thrives on turning change into growth. Today, he is steering AI-led transformation at IEX, blending startup agility with enterprise scale.
Name: Ravindra Vytla
Designation: Vice President – Exchange Technology
Company: Indian Energy Exchange
Industry: Utilities Sector & Power Trading
Country: India
Designation: Vice President – Exchange Technology
Company: Indian Energy Exchange
Industry: Utilities Sector & Power Trading
Country: India
Ravindra Vytla Most Influential Business Leaders in India
The year was 2005, and smartphones were still a novelty in India. Internet penetration was limited, yet one small team of young engineers believed technology could bridge the gap between schools and parents. Among them was a BITS Pilani graduate who had left a secure role at Oracle to co-found ‘SchoolMATE’, an SMSbased communication platform. At a time when “EdTech” was barely a term, he and his team pioneered a system that later evolved into a full-fledged ERP solution, transforming the way schools in South India operated. That willingness to take bold risks, work with emerging technology, and create something from scratch has remained a constant in his career. Ravindra Vytla, Vice President – Exchange Technology, Indian Energy Exchange (IEX), has embraced change as a catalyst for growth, from building products in a fledgling startup to managing large global teams in the corporate world, and now driving AI-led transformation at IEX. In a candid conversation with The Portfolio Magazine, Ravindra spoke about his journey, transitions, leadership, technology and much more.
Your career spans startups, corporates, and now a market leader like IEX. How did this journey shape you as a leader, and what lessons have you carried forward?
I’ve been fortunate to work in startups, global corporations, and now at IEX, each shaping my journey differently. At Oracle, I gained technical depth and a sense of ownership early on. My startup years taught me how to build and scale products from scratch while staying close to product–market fit. Working with MNCs like RealPage and Trilogy gave me exposure to managing systems at scale, leading diverse teams across the US, Europe, Southeast Asia, Australia, and India, and adapting to different cultures and work styles. At IEX, these experiences help me build the right teams, foster collaboration, and keep fundamentals intact, clear vision, strong execution, and empowered teams, whether in a startup or a large corporate setup.
Have mentors influenced your journey, and how do you pay it forward as a leader?
At every stage of my career, I’ve been fortunate to have mentors who inspired and guided me. I believe it’s important to have role models to admire. Satya Nadella, with his humility, clear vision, and global authenticity, and Narendra Modi, not for political reasons but for his ability to lead with transformative vision, are two such inspiring figures. I also see mentorship as a two-way street. Over the years, I’ve mentored juniors, be it my team members, professionals on LinkedIn, or students from my alma mater, focusing on career paths, skill development, and leadership mindset. These conversations not only support others but also enrich my own perspective. For me, mentorship is about giving back while continuing to learn and grow with future leaders.
In your view, what defines modern leadership, especially with the new generation entering the workforce?
“Leadership today is less about hierarchy and more about collaboration. The gap between leaders and teams is narrowing— and that’s a powerful shift. A true leader is hands-on, coaches with intent, and inspires through action. This, to me, is the essence of visionary leadership.” With rapid technological and demographic shifts, leaders need to be agile, empathetic, and deeply involved in execution. It’s not about managing from a distance, but guiding, mentoring, and enabling the team to succeed. If you can inspire people to rally around a vision and give them the tools, freedom, and trust to deliver, you’ve done your job.
You’re leading an AI-first transformation at IEX. How is it changing the way you work, and what does the future of AI in your industry look like?
At IEX, we’re shifting from traditional development models to an AI-first approach, guided by the principle of human-in-the-loop. Every solution we build starts with AI, with tools like GitHub Copilot helping us achieve 50–80% of code being written by AI, so our teams can focus on higher-value tasks. The rise of agentic AI is particularly exciting, it’s not about replacing developers, but empowering them. AI acts as a broad knowledge partner, while humans bring judgment, context, and domain expertise. Together, this collaboration is unlocking new levels of productivity. That said, adoption must come with strong governance. Ethical use, data privacy, and security are nonnegotiable. While regulations evolve, organisations must proactively secure systems, patching vulnerabilities and preparing for breaches. If I were a policymaker, I’d push for stricter AI-specific data security standards, because nearly every critical transaction today, from finance to healthcare, relies on the internet and must be safeguarded.
“Leadership today is less about hierarchy and more about Collaboration. The gap between leaders and teams is narrowing and that’s a powerful shift.”
You’ve interviewed over a hundred people. What’s your advice for young professionals aiming for long-term growth and leadership roles?
I see that the younger generation is very ambitious, which is a great strength. But sometimes, in the rush for rapid growth, they overlook the importance of depth of understanding. Switching jobs too quickly can mean missing out on understanding how organizations truly work, how projects are built end-to-end, how teams collaborate, and how processes evolve over time. My advice to the aspiring leaders is that in the early years, focus on mastering the fundamentals— technology, processes, and problem-solving. Be curious, learn how to work effectively in teams, and build an understanding of the bigger picture before chasing the next title or salary jump. Leadership is not just about speed; it’s about depth, perspective, and resilience. The fast lane is fine, but you still need a strong foundation to drive on it.
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