~20–30%
Downtime Reduced
Designed and executed proactive PM schedules and predictive maintenance routines for PLC/SCADA-controlled process equipment, cutting unplanned downtime by 20–30%.
Engineering Portfolio
Hello, I'm
M. Vijaya Kumar
Senior Instrumentation & Automation Engineer
14+ years engineering reliable automation systems across greenfield, brownfield and regulated pharmaceutical manufacturing — from field instrumentation to PLC, SCADA, DCS and PI System modernisation.
- 14+
- Years Experience
- 700+
- PLC-Controlled Systems
- ~50
- Operator Stations
- 5
- Manufacturing Plants
About Me
Engineering profile built on the plant floor
Senior Instrumentation & Automation Engineer with over fourteen years of hands-on experience across starch processing, bio products and regulated API pharmaceutical manufacturing — including injectables, OSD and sterile facilities.
My work spans the full lifecycle of automation assets: specification, installation, cable and JB works, loop checking, migration, commissioning, qualification and long-term reliability engineering across multi-purpose reactors, ANFD, RCVD, centrifuges, isolators, solvent recovery, utilities and HVAC.
Alongside project delivery I focus on what happens after handover — root-cause elimination, control network hardening, spare-asset optimisation and building technician capability so plants run predictably, safely and in full compliance with cGMP expectations.
Focus Areas
- Plant expansion & brownfield engineering
- Automation modernisation & migration
- Root-cause reliability engineering
- Validation, qualification & compliance
- Crisis response & emergency recovery
- Cost optimisation & asset reuse
Key Achievements
Measurable outcomes on regulated plant floors
Zero
Critical Downtime Events
Maintained uninterrupted 24/7 DCS/SCADA and field instrument availability across multiple pharma plants — zero critical production-loss events during 5-year tenure at DRL.
200+
Instruments Calibration Managed
Established and managed calibration schedules for over 200 field instruments (flow, pressure, level, temperature, pH, conductivity) across API and injectable manufacturing.
Multiple
Regulatory Audits Cleared
Supported USFDA, EU GMP, WHO GMP and internal QA audits — zero critical instrumentation/automation observations; maintained audit-ready documentation at all times.
CSV
& Interlock Validation Completed
Executed IQ/OQ/PQ protocols and validated process safety interlocks for critical equipment in compliance with 21 CFR Part 11 and GAMP 5 requirements.
Core Competencies
Capability across instrumentation, control and compliance
Field Instrumentation Maintenance
Calibration Management
Preventive & Breakdown Maintenance
PLC: Siemens S7-300/400/1200
Allen Bradley RSLogix / Studio 5000
SCADA: WinCC & Wonderware
DCS Architecture & Operations
Flow, Pressure, Level, Temp Instruments
Control Valves, Positioners
VFD Installation & Troubleshooting
cGMP & GAMP 5 Compliance
21 CFR Part 11 & ALCOA+
CSV — IQ / OQ / PQ Lifecycle
Audit Trail & Data Integrity
Interlock & Safety Validation
Education
Academic foundation in instrumentation & electronics
Bachelor of Technology2022 — 2026
B.Tech in Electronics and Communication Engineering
Ellenki College of Engineering and Technology, BeeramGuda
Analog & digital communication, embedded systems, signal processing, VLSI design, and industrial electronics.
Diploma
Diploma in Electronics & Instrumentation Engineering (DEIE)
State Board of Technical Education & Training (SBTET), Telangana
Industrial instrumentation, process control, electronics, PLC fundamentals, electrical systems, industrial automation, and control engineering.
Engineering Philosophy
“I can do anything. If I do not know, I ask for help and resolve it.”
That mindset is a working method, not a slogan: take ownership of the problem, learn what the problem demands, collaborate with vendors and colleagues where expertise is needed, and stay with it until the plant is running. The objective is never only to repair equipment — it is to eliminate the failure mode permanently through engineering improvement.
Career Timeline
Fourteen years across five manufacturing organisations
2011 — 2013Instrumentation Engineer
SNS Starch Ltd.
- Field instrumentation installation, cabling and maintenance across starch processing lines and utilities.
- Calibration, loop checking and breakdown reduction on continuous production assets.
2013 — 2016Instrumentation & Control Engineer
Nadhi Bio Products Pvt. Ltd.
- Independent ownership of process control loops, transmitters, control valves and drives.
- Introduced structured preventive maintenance and instrument documentation practices.
2016 — 2019Automation Engineer
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories — API
- Installation, modification and commissioning of reactors, centrifuges, ANFD and utilities.
- Expanded from instrumentation into PLC, SCADA, DCS, validation and brownfield projects.
2019 — 2020Senior Instrumentation Engineer
Hetero Laboratories
- Injectables, OSD and sterile manufacturing support including clean-room instrumentation.
- Environmental monitoring, qualification support and compliance documentation.
2020 — 2025Senior Instrumentation & Automation Engineer
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories — API Oncology
- Led installation, relocation, modification and commissioning across plant expansion works.
- Siemens and Allen-Bradley upgrades, PI System installation and integration, operator station and historian extension.
- Automation administration, safety systems, engineering innovation and cost optimisation.
Career Evolution
Engineering career evolution across five stages
Growth over 14+ years measured by scope, ownership and technical depth — not job titles alone.
Stage 1Greenfield Project
Building the Foundation
SNS Starch Ltd.
Intern Instrumentation Engineer
Key Contributions
- Instrument installation
- Cable laying and termination
- JB installation
- Loop checking
- Instrument calibration support
- PLC and field wiring
- Commissioning support
- Preventive maintenance
- Breakdown maintenance
- Plant startup support
Key Learning
Learned how a process plant is built — from installation through commissioning to commercial production.
Stage 2Greenfield Project
Independent Engineering Responsibility
Nadhi Bio Products Pvt. Ltd.
Instrumentation Engineer
Responsibilities
- Independently handled instrumentation activities
- Led installation and commissioning work
- Managed preventive and breakdown maintenance
- Supported production continuously
- Coordinated engineering activities across the plant
Key Learning
Developed confidence in independently managing instrumentation systems throughout the complete lifecycle of a greenfield manufacturing plant.
Stage 3Brownfield & Established Facility
Large-Scale Pharmaceutical Manufacturing
Dr. Reddy's Laboratories (API)
Automation Engineer
Growth
- Advanced troubleshooting
- PLC systems
- SCADA
- DCS
- Validation
- Commissioning
- Brownfield projects
Key Learning
Responsibilities expanded from instrumentation into industrial automation, validation and engineering projects inside an established pharmaceutical manufacturing facility.
Stage 4Regulated Sterile Facility
Sterile Manufacturing
Hetero Laboratories
Senior Instrumentation Engineer
Expanded Experience
- Injectables
- OSD
- Sterile manufacturing
- Environmental monitoring
- Clean-room instrumentation
Key Learning
Broadened regulated-manufacturing exposure across sterile and solid dosage environments with strict environmental control.
Stage 5Plant Expansion & Modernisation
Technical Leadership
Dr. Reddy's Oncology
Senior Instrumentation & Automation Engineer
Scope of Responsibility
- Plant expansion
- Automation modernization
- PI System integration
- Commissioning
- Validation
- Safety systems
- Engineering innovation
- Cost optimization
- Technical leadership
- Automation administration
Key Learning
Reached a stage of full technical ownership — directing execution teams, modernising automation and administering critical control systems.
Technical Expertise
Instrumentation, control and automation capability
Field Instrumentation
- Temperature, pressure, level, flow & pH loops
- RTD / thermocouple systems, transmitters
- Control valves, on/off valves, positioners
- Weighing systems & safety purge panels
- Calibration, loop checking, troubleshooting
PLC / SCADA / DCS
- Siemens PLC & DCS architectures
- Allen-Bradley / Rockwell PLC platforms
- SCADA configuration & operator stations
- Alarm rationalisation & interlock design
- Redundancy, historians & standby servers
Automation Platforms
- PI System installation & integration
- Managed industrial Ethernet networks
- RS-485 / Modbus drive networks & VFDs
- Remote I/O panel architecture
- System migration & legacy upgrades
Software & Engineering Tools
- Ladder logic & function block programming
- HMI / SCADA graphics development
- Historian trending & data analysis
- Loop drawings, P&ID and wiring schematics
- Qualification & compliance documentation
Advanced Diagnostic Tools
HART 475 Communicator
Hands-on expertise in:
- Device configuration
- Range setting
- Calibration support
- Diagnostics
- Loop verification
- HART communication troubleshooting
Automation Infrastructure
Enterprise automation infrastructure
700+ PLC-controlled systems supported throughout career, across a multi-vendor PLC, SCADA and DCS estate.
700+
PLC-Controlled Systems
Supported throughout career
~50
Operator Stations
HMI / SCADA shop-floor terminals
ES
Engineering Stations
Configuration & development nodes
PI
PI System
Plant-wide historian & analytics layer
2N
Historian & Standby Servers
Redundant long-term data capture
NET
Managed Ethernet Switches
Segmented, monitored control network
I/O
Remote I/O Panels
Field-distributed acquisition nodes
PSD
PLC, SCADA & DCS
Integrated multi-vendor control estate
Engineering Projects
Plant expansion, modernisation and brownfield delivery
Systems IntegrationPlant-wide
Siemens & Allen-Bradley Upgrades with PI System Integration
Delivered Siemens and Allen-Bradley control upgrades, installed the PI System and integrated both platforms into a unified historian layer for long-term process data visibility.
Modernisation~50 stations
Extension of Operator Stations & Historians
Extended the operator station estate and historian coverage — including standby historian servers — so that every production block gained consistent supervisory visibility and retained data.
Facility InstrumentationMulti-block
Warehouse & QC Block Instrumentation into DCS
Connected new and existing warehouse and QC block instrumentation into the DCS, with critical-parameter alarms annunciated at the security gate for round-the-clock coverage.
Safety Systems60 days
90 Breach Isolators Replaced with N₂ Interlock Modification
Planned and executed replacement of approximately 90 breach isolators, including a nitrogen interlock modification to strengthen containment safety — inside a 60-day window without disrupting production.
Capacity Expansion20 days
25 New Reactors Installed & Commissioned
Coordinated instrumentation, control wiring, loop checking and commissioning for 25 new multi-purpose reactors, bringing the full package online through parallel work-front sequencing.
Plant Relocation20 days
Relocation of ~80 Acid Tanks with Overflow Interlocks
Relocated approximately 80 acid storage tanks with complete field wiring and overflow interlock implementation, raising safety integrity while meeting a compressed schedule.
Weighing & Safety60 days
Safety Purge Panels for ~270 Weighing Balances
Installed and modified safety purge panels for approximately 270 weighing balances across Mettler-Toledo, Sartorius and Precia Molen platforms, standardising safety across vendor ecosystems.
Engineering Innovations
Permanent fixes, not repeat repairs
Permanent VFD Network Optimisation
A production block ran 26 VFDs on a single RS-485 network where one fault could halt the entire block. I split the drives into three networks segmented by criticality, replaced the RS-485 terminal blocks and separated electrical earthing from drive earthing — converting a single point of failure into a resilient architecture.
Universal Reactor Bottom Valve Feedback
Designed a feedback solution for reactor bottom valves that worked consistently across different valve manufacturers, replacing vendor-specific arrangements with one standard design that has remained stable in service for years.
Plant-Wide pH Sensor Protection
Recurring pH glass electrode breakages were traced to sensor positioning. Repositioning sensors plant-wide dramatically reduced glass damage, cutting both consumable spend and unplanned loop downtime.
PLC Asset Optimisation
Optimised existing PLC infrastructure by utilising available spare I/O capacity across both Rockwell Automation and Siemens PLC platforms, enabling integration of new instruments and process equipment without unnecessary expansion hardware wherever feasible.
Business Benefits
- Reduced capital expenditure
- Improved utilisation of installed PLC hardware
- Accelerated project execution
- Simplified maintenance and system expansion
Instrument Recovery & Reuse Programme
Repaired damaged instruments, motherboards, PLC boards, on/off valves, control valves and switches in-house, and preserved removed instruments in a controlled reuse pool that shortened breakdown response times.
Critical Troubleshooting
Crisis management case studies
Situation, action and result from breakdowns where production, batches or safety coverage were at stake.
Autoclave PLC Hardware Failure
- Situation
- A door control failure took an autoclave — and the production line behind it — out of service.
- Action
- Diagnosed the fault to the PLC hardware layer and executed an emergency board-level repair on site.
- Result
- Production restored without waiting for vendor lead time.
Breach Isolator Rotary Vapour Drive
- Situation
- A damaged drive board threatened a critical batch with no spare board available.
- Action
- Identified the failed board potentiometers and substituted a locally sourced equivalent component.
- Result
- Drive operation restored and the critical batch completed on schedule.
Obsolete Warehouse Safety System
- Situation
- Three safety system motherboards failed on an old warehouse system with no vendor service or spares available.
- Action
- Carried out component-level repair of all three motherboards in-house.
- Result
- Safety coverage maintained until replacement systems were procured later.
Recurring Reactor Transmitter Failures
- Situation
- Temperature transmitters on reactors were failing repeatedly with no obvious electrical cause.
- Action
- Investigated the failure pattern and found RTDs were being mechanically damaged during bottom valve wheel operation.
- Result
- Root cause eliminated by design change — recurring failures stopped.
Plant Fire Incident Response
- Situation
- A fire incident placed plant automation and cabling at risk outside working hours.
- Action
- Reached site within an hour, safely shut down automation systems and isolated burnt cabling.
- Result
- Plant automation restarted smoothly with controlled, documented recovery.
Validation & Compliance
Qualification and regulated-manufacturing frameworks
Qualification Lifecycle
- IQ — Installation Qualification
- OQ — Operational Qualification
- PQ — Performance Qualification
- FAT — Factory Acceptance Testing
- SAT — Site Acceptance Testing
Compliance Frameworks
cGMP21 CFR Part 11GAMP 5ALCOA+RCACAPADeviation ManagementChange Control
Leadership
Team leadership & technical ownership
Stepping Up
After joining Dr. Reddy's, the team lead moved on. I progressively took over day-to-day technical direction of the automation function while continuously upgrading my own skill set to meet the responsibility.
Automation Administration
Held privileged administrator access to critical control systems alongside the engineering manager and the CSV lead — a trust position covering the plant's automation estate.
Crisis Command
Directed emergency response for fire incidents, hardware failures and batch-critical breakdowns, making technical decisions under time pressure with production and safety at stake.
Team Leadership
Led and coordinated a multidisciplinary execution team consisting of:
- Shift Instrumentation Technicians
- Contract Technicians / Labour
- Vendor Service Engineers
Responsibilities included
- Planned and executed preventive maintenance (PM) for PLC, SCADA, DCS panels, field instrumentation, and process control loops across API manufacturing operations.
- Managed calibration and lifecycle support for 200+ field instruments, including pressure transmitters, DP flow elements, RTD/thermocouple temperature devices, radar/DP level instruments, pH analyzers, and conductivity analyzers.
- Performed breakdown maintenance and first-response troubleshooting on control valves, positioners, VFDs, solenoid valves, and process actuators to minimize production downtime.
- Conducted loop checking, loop tuning, and signal integrity verification for new and modified instrument loops during shutdowns and commissioning.
- Maintained calibration records, PM logs, and instrument history cards in compliance with cGMP documentation and audit trail requirements.
- Handled instrumentation maintenance and troubleshooting of breach isolators (relay- and PLC-based), including pressure control, interlocks, VHP systems, and compliance with cGMP, ALCOA+, and 21 CFR Part 11.
- Executed I/O marshalling, module configuration, and PLC/SCADA backup and restoration during system upgrades and change management.
- Validated process safety interlocks for pressure, temperature, level, flow, and solvent containment through IQ/OQ/PQ protocols and 21 CFR Part 11 requirements.
- Supported CSV documentation including URS, FRS, traceability matrices, and validation summary reports.
- Led RCA and CAPA for recurring instrument failures, eliminating repeat breakdowns through systemic corrective actions.
- Coordinated with QA, Production, and Engineering teams to support reliable plant operations and successful regulatory audits.
Cost Optimization
Engineering value delivered without capex
In-house
Board & instrument repair
Component-level repair instead of vendor replacement
Zero
New PLC purchases
Spare I/O capacity used across Rockwell & Siemens platforms
Reuse
Recovered instrument pool
Removed instruments preserved and returned to service
Fewer
pH electrode replacements
Positioning redesign reduced glass breakage
Awards & Mentoring
Recognition, training and knowledge transfer
🏆 Futurepreneur Award
Awarded by: Freedom With AI (FWAI)Award Date: August 2026
Recognized as a Futurepreneur for successfully building annual revenue exceeding ₹10,00,000 through AI-powered entrepreneurship, innovation, automation, and digital solutions.
Awards & Recognition
- Multiple Employee of the Month awards for automation delivery and emergency response.
- Multiple formal appreciation credits for compressed-timeline project execution.
- Recognised for root-cause engineering that permanently eliminated recurring failures.
Training & Mentoring
- Trained junior engineers and shift technicians on instrumentation fundamentals, PLC diagnostics and safe troubleshooting practice.
- Built a working culture of ownership: take responsibility, ask for help when needed, and stay with the problem until it is resolved.
- Documented repeatable procedures so knowledge stays with the plant rather than with an individual.
Future Vision
Where I am taking automation next
Smart, Data-Driven Plants
Extending historian and analytics coverage so process data drives predictive decisions rather than post-incident reports.
Reliability by Design
Continuing to convert recurring failure modes into permanent engineering improvements across the asset base.
Resilient Control Networks
Architecting segmented, monitored industrial networks where no single fault can take a production block offline.
Contact
Let's engineer something reliable
Available for senior instrumentation, automation and plant modernisation roles. Download the CV or reach out to start a conversation.