Debendra Prasad Sahoo
Physics → Robotics → MBA | Building Systems That Scale
MBA (Data Science & AI) — IIT Mandi
Experience
From HPC pipelines at IIT Delhi to edge AI deployment — engineering impact across scales.
Artificial Intelligence Intern
DST CoE in Climate Modelling, IIT Delhi
May 2024 – Jan 2025
New Delhi, India
↗ ~18% improvement over baselines in climate prediction
- Implemented regression-based ensemble model for climate prediction, achieving ~18% improvement over baselines.
- Managed data preprocessing, feature engineering, and developed HPC pipelines; optimized for large datasets.
- Lead author on research paper on AI in climate science (in progress).
- Supported technical content and organization for Climate Change Conclave at IIT Delhi.
AI / ROS Intern
SakRobotix Lab Pvt. Ltd.
Jan 2024 – Feb 2024
Bhubaneswar, Odisha
↗ Improved wake-word detection via CNN Mel-spectrogram matching
- Designed CNNs for Mel-spectrogram matching to improve wake-word detection.
- Benchmarked multiple pretrained audio models for voice recognition.
- Worked on lightweight model deployments for edge inference.
Projects
From predictive analytics to autonomous rovers — building systems that drive measurable outcomes.
FinTech Risk Modeling
Mitigate default risks and optimize data-driven lending decisions
Engineered a predictive credit risk evaluation model for a Japanese small finance bank to mitigate default risks and optimize data-driven lending decisions.
Automated Content Creation AI Agent
Fully automate multimedia content generation at scale
Architected a multi-agent system deployed on Azure (OpenAI/DALL-E) to fully automate and scale multimedia content generation for LinkedIn and Twitter.
Agri-Tech Predictive Analytics
Forecast crop water requirements and optimize resource allocation
Developed a machine learning model (RandomForest) for the Smart India Hackathon to forecast crop water requirements and optimize resource allocation.
Applied GenAI in Healthcare
Improve targeted information retrieval in medical applications
Fine-tuned LLaMA 2 architectures for domain-specific medical applications to improve targeted information retrieval.
Algorithmic Optimization
Complex decision-making in simulated environments
Implemented reinforcement learning models utilizing OpenAI Gymnasium for complex decision-making environments.
ISRO Rover Challenge (IRoC-U 2024)
Top 50 out of 1400+ teamsBuilt autonomous rover using ROS2 + MoveIt2 for ISRO's national rover challenge.
e-Yantra IIT Bombay 2023–24
Reached pre-final hardware stageDeveloped ROS2 hologlyph bots for IIT Bombay's national robotics competition.
Flipkart Grid 5.0
National-level participationEngineered ROS + YOLO vision stack for robotic arm payload handling.
Autonomous UAV Vision Systems
Real-time computer vision for live-feed monitoring
Directed the build and testing of multiple drone platforms, integrating real-time computer vision (object detection) for live-feed monitoring.
Leadership & Impact
Scaling teams, securing partnerships, and driving revenue through technical leadership.
Management & Corporate Relations Lead
2025 – PresentTeam Deimos (Mars Rover) — IIT Mandi
Technical Program Management & Strategic Partnerships
↗ Securing strategic partnerships with global brands like Creality, WOL3D
- Managed cross-functional engineering timelines via WBS and Gantt charts; optimized workflows across GitHub and Notion.
- Spearheaded corporate outreach securing partnerships with Creality, WOL3D, and multiple others in pipeline.
- Managed financial planning and master budget tables for international University Rover Challenge (URC) submission.
Technical Lead — Aerospace Club, OUTR
2024 – 2025OUTR Aerospace Club
Large Scale Cross-Functional Team Management
↗ Increased membership by 200%+ through cross-functional recruitment
- Led drone and RC plane projects; increased membership by 200%+ and coordinated cross-functional recruitment.
- Revived astronomy wing; organized sky-observation events; led autonomy and real-time data-analysis robotics initiatives.
Project Lead — Robotics & Autonomous Systems Initiative
2022 – 2024OUTR Robotics Initiative
End-to-End Product & Business Development
↗ Generated ₹4L revenue + ₹3L university funding + ₹5L incubation grant
- Directed product lifecycle for autonomous drones and 3D-printed components, securing INR 3,00,000 in university funding for ISRO IRoC-U.
- Delivered solutions to research clients generating INR 4,00,000 in cash revenue.
- Scaled project to qualify for ₹5L institutional incubation grant by demonstrating operational efficiency and market viability.
Education
Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi
2025 – Present
MBA (Data Science & AI)
CGPA: 7.7/10
Odisha University of Technology and Research
2022 – 2025
B.Sc. Physics
CGPA: 7.56/10
CBSE Board
10th: 91.6% | 12th: 91.8%
Skills & Expertise
Languages
Frameworks & Libraries
Tools & Platforms
Domains
Professional
Awards & Recognition
Best Delegate at NITR IMUN 2023 (Represented EU at G20 Summit) — 1st prize.
Top ranks in robotics challenges (IRoC-U 47/1400 teams, Round 2 Stage 6 e-Yantra).
6-year member of SCAAA: promoted astronomy awareness and managed telescopes for public outreach.