Shruthi Rao Appointed as Vice President – IT Car Aftersales at Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India | Driving Digital Transformation and Aftersales Innovation for the Future of Mobility
In a defining milestone for digital transformation in the global automotive industry, Shruthi Rao has been appointed Vice President – IT Car Aftersales at Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI), Bengaluru. With over two decades of deep expertise across automotive engineering, data innovation, and connected industry solutions, Shruthi now leads the next evolution of IT-driven Aftersales excellence at one of the world’s most prestigious automotive brands.
Her appointment marks a strategic step in Mercedes-Benz’s mission to fuse technology, intelligence, and customer experience — ensuring that digital ecosystems continue to enhance the ownership journey long after a car leaves the showroom floor.
A Visionary Technologist Shaping the Future of Automotive IT and Aftersales
As Vice President – IT Car Aftersales, Shruthi oversees the digital backbone of Mercedes-Benz’s Aftersales ecosystem, integrating enterprise IT solutions, predictive analytics, and connected vehicle data to transform how customers experience post-sales care and service.
Her role encompasses innovation leadership, digital platform development, and data intelligence, all geared toward enhancing operational efficiency, customer satisfaction, and business resilience.
From predictive maintenance algorithms to seamless service network integration, Shruthi’s vision ensures that Aftersales is not just a support function — it’s a strategic pillar of customer engagement and brand loyalty.
A Career Defined by Innovation and Impact
Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India
Before assuming her current leadership position, Shruthi served as Deputy General Manager – IT Technical Aftersales, where she architected transformative solutions for service automation, process optimization, and cross-market IT integration. Her work laid the foundation for a data-centric, scalable, and future-ready Aftersales ecosystem across Mercedes-Benz’s global network.
Her promotion to Vice President reflects her outstanding contributions in driving IT modernization, enhancing process intelligence, and mentoring high-performing technology teams within one of the most advanced R&D ecosystems in India.
Incture
As Director – Technology Products for Enterprise, Shruthi led the creation of enterprise-grade technology platforms that accelerated digital adoption across Fortune 500 clients. Her expertise in scalable cloud architectures and agile transformation empowered organizations to innovate with speed and precision.
Bosch Global Software Technologies
At Bosch, Shruthi spent over 16 years pioneering technology transformations that bridged engineering excellence with digital innovation. As Head – Data Engineering for Autonomous Driving, she led a cross-functional initiative to design distributed architectures enabling high-volume data integration for autonomous vehicle development.
Earlier, as Head – Connected Industry (Industry 4.0) Products for Quality, she spearheaded product innovation in smart manufacturing and digital twins — setting benchmarks in Industry 4.0 readiness for automotive manufacturing units globally.
Her journey through roles in product management, data systems engineering, and project leadership reflects a career built on curiosity, consistency, and technical brilliance.
Leading with Purpose and Precision
Shruthi’s leadership philosophy revolves around three core pillars:
- Human-Centered Technology – Building solutions that enhance experiences for both customers and employees.
- Continuous Innovation – Fostering digital agility that empowers teams to experiment, learn, and lead transformation.
- Operational Excellence – Driving measurable outcomes through process automation, analytics, and disciplined execution.
Her approach to leadership balances strategic vision with deep technical fluency, enabling her to guide teams across software engineering, IT operations, and customer-focused digital services.
Transforming Aftersales for the Connected Era
At MBRDI, Shruthi’s mandate is to create a digitally intelligent aftersales framework — where systems communicate seamlessly, decisions are data-informed, and customers enjoy a frictionless ownership experience.
Her focus areas include:
- Integrating AI and machine learning into aftersales operations for predictive service insights.
- Advancing data-driven process automation to improve uptime, efficiency, and customer retention.
- Strengthening collaboration between IT and engineering to deliver consistent, high-value aftersales innovation.
- Building future-ready digital infrastructure that supports Mercedes-Benz’s vision of sustainable, connected mobility.
Through her leadership, Mercedes-Benz India continues to position itself as a global Center of Excellence for Aftersales IT solutions, setting standards for innovation and customer experience in the luxury automotive segment.
A Legacy of Leadership in Digital Transformation and Automotive Engineering
From her early days as a software engineer to her current role as a technology visionary, Shruthi Rao’s career has been defined by persistence, learning, and transformation.
She represents the new generation of automotive leaders who combine technical mastery with business acumen, ensuring that innovation translates into tangible business value and customer trust.
Her journey stands as a testament to what’s possible when deep engineering expertise meets visionary leadership — a hallmark of the next chapter in digital automotive excellence.
CXO Gateway Reflection
At CXO Gateway, we celebrate leaders like Shruthi Rao, whose careers illuminate the path toward inclusive innovation and intelligent transformation.
Her story reflects the evolution of automotive IT — from engineering systems to intelligent ecosystems, from tools to experiences, and from products to purpose.