Today, we feel very fortunate to have Mr. Anoop Rayavarapu with us on OnestopNDT. Mr. Rayavarapu is a seasoned expert whose journey through the dynamic world of Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) and mechanical engineering is both inspiring and insightful. From his early curiosity-driven beginnings to leading diverse teams across the globe, Anoop’s career reflects a rare blend of deep technical mastery and strategic leadership.
In this exclusive conversation, he shares his experiences navigating challenges across regions and industries, his vision for digital transformation in NDT, and valuable lessons on balancing innovation with business acumen.
Join us as we decode the future of NDT through Anoop’s compelling story and expert perspective.
Anoop, it's great to have you with us today at OnestopNDT! To kick things off, could you tell us a bit about your background and what initially sparked your interest in NDT and mechanical engineering? How did you make the transition into management roles?
Hello, thanks for having me at OnestopNDT. And I appreciate your interest in talking about the future of NDT.
Well, to start with, I have always had a curious mindset since childhood, which led me to explore and learn new things my way, especially in those days with very limited to no internet access. I read books about things that I’ve wanted to build. I first heard of NDT from a relative of mine who had already established a successful career in NDT. While pursuing my Mechanical Engineering, I worked on my inspection skills and got my first NDT Level 2 certification. Around the same time, I also built a surveillance drone with a record flight time of 20 minutes, which was the best of its kind at the time. That got some really good attention from the local media and appreciation from my faculty. After my bachelor’s, I knew my interest was solely in NDT. I started my career as a field inspector and a trainer in India, alongside working on my advanced NDT certifications and got my PCN level II in RTFI, UT & PAUT and GUL(UK) – LRUT level I certification.
With your vast experience across different regions and sectors, from Russia to Saudi Arabia, how did working in such diverse markets influence your perspective on NDT, both in terms of challenges and opportunities?
Well, I believe wherever we go, it’s ultimately the people and the relationships we build that matter. And so far, I have felt welcomed everywhere I’ve been. From region to region, standards and specifications might change depending on the country of job, but the structure or framework of serving a client never changes. NDT is a vast market. When I was working in Kuwait, the company’s managing director & owner gave me an opportunity to head the NDT division, and that gave me immense exposure towards client requirements and how inspection service providers comply with client & regulatory requirements to execute a project. I will say that it’s not a cakewalk to lead an NDT department. There were plenty of tasks to manage, such as marketing, shortages of resources, revenue generation, and cash flow problems, but I always saw them as opportunities to devise something new and help the company grow.
After this successful experience, I then headed another inspection service firm based out of Singapore with over 7 branches across the world, offering NDT services to the Maritime & offshore industries. It was different from my earlier roles in Kuwait & Russia, but the exposure I got was massive. I got an understanding of the requirements of classification societies, maritime challenges, logistical nightmares, and compliance challenges, which was interesting too, and always kept me on my toes. With all these challenges pumping my adrenaline high, I was motivated to get ASNT level III certification. After that, I had the opportunity to work with Bahrain’s largest inspection service provider company, where I led a team of nearly 90 highly skilled employees. It was very exciting, and I met several industry experts who reminded me to take up more challenges and build something on my own.
And that’s how I started my journey towards my own firm– Atlantis NDT. I’ve partially built the business over the past few years into 4 verticals: Inspection services, Consulting, Training, and Digital twin solutions.
You’ve earned an ASNT NDT Level III certification in multiple disciplines, which is quite impressive. What was the most rewarding aspect of achieving this certification, and how did it shape your career trajectory?
This one’s interesting. There was an incident which shaped my view about the credibility that comes with certifications in this industry. People respond to certifications more than the technical knowledge one has. Once you have those certifications, it builds on your reputation and people tend to seek your perspectives. When it comes to career trajectory, it's always been my work experience that has added more value than certification alone. But the knowledge you gain over the period is a combination of experience and certification, so yes, that matters.
Alongside your technical expertise, you've developed significant skills in project management, bidding, and market analysis. Could you share how you integrated these management skills into your NDT work and how they helped you navigate complex projects?
A chef never shares his recipe. Jokes aside, as I said earlier, I have always had an exploring and learning mindset, be it about work, travel, or just reading news. Skills like Management, Bidding & Market Analysis can never really be taught, but they make a huge difference if you’re in managerial roles.
For me, lots of internet information about specific topics, reading specific books about aspects of business management and market analysis, and several tenders we’ve participated in over the years have helped me build a framework on how I should navigate the complex challenges that most NDT service providers face. Nevertheless, you’ll need friends and a lot of them in the business who could help you navigate the right path. I’ve been fortunate enough to have a good network of friends in the industry, who could cross-check, verify, and correct me if I’m wrong. I try to keep myself open to learning new aspects, no matter where they come from. For a manager to survive in the business, it's essential to always be welcoming to suggestions and feedback.
As someone who has handled operations in multiple countries, what was one of the most challenging projects you’ve overseen, and how did you manage the complexities involved, especially in such a global context?
There are many complex logistics involved, especially around visas for manpower during Turnarounds in the Middle East. Operations is a role that is never limited to just that. There was a time when an emergency plant shutdown was declared, and since our company was the only reliable contractor to the client, we had to provide manpower for the shutdown within a week.
Since our existing manpower was occupied in other projects, we needed to bring qualified personnel on a work visa, which could take at least 27 working days for the processing.
Reallocating existing manpower from other visas would mean working for free since they are generating revenue elsewhere, and could hinder client relationships. We had to strategically swap a few people, adjust shifts, and overwork a few advanced NDT teams to get the shutdown dealt with.
What I’ve learnt is that such complex challenges will always come, but they won't last forever. When I am the face of a company, and if someone is relying on me for their next step, never let them down. And all the hard work you put in for a company and client, sooner or later, will pay off. Often, this level of support is appreciated by the client in the form of more projects for the company.
In your leadership roles, you’ve managed teams, mentored technicians, and handled client meetings. How do you ensure your teams stay aligned with both technical standards and business objectives, particularly when working in such varied industries like Oil & Gas, Marine, and Energy?
Key aspects of any leadership role would be to keep motivation at high levels all the time. It is difficult to manage overworked teams and keep them motivated, but you must have the emotional and intellectual ability to do so.
When it comes to ensuring the team is complying with technical standards and business ethics & policies, managers are responsible and must undertake routine periodic checks on the team and their work. Especially in the critical industries. Evidently, a business builds its brand value based on its people and their quality of work.
One thing I strongly believe in is always encouraging teams to develop skills, learning new techniques/methods to upskill themselves. I always reward my staff for their efforts with salary hikes or bonuses, which would in turn motivate others to keep up their work and strive for betterment. This, in turn, leads to keeping standards high and inspections up to the mark and business healthy.
What approach do you take when approving procedures and implementing new techniques in NDT? How do you ensure these are not only technically sound but also meet business goals and client expectations?
It’s in the best interests of the client & our business to make sure specific requirements are met to ensure the safety and integrity of both people and assets. It is our responsibility to
understand the client requirement, acceptance criteria, and the scope of work, take a detailed overview of the job, then go through the procedure review and approval, it is preferred to have different people for preparation, review, and approval to avoid chances of overlooking mistakes on the specification. This way, one can meet client, business & technical requirements.
You've been involved in the marketing and business expansion of NDT services across different regions. What strategies have you found most effective in growing your business and acquiring clients in competitive markets?
Business demands time, effort, and care similar to nurturing a sapling. The best marketing the strategy would always be to build business relationships. Businesses mean nothing without the people in them, and I have found excellent outcomes from maintaining healthy relationships with clients, subordinates, superiors, and competitors. Acquiring maximum stake in a market involves competition that often leads to business rivalry, but if you maintain healthy competition and help your competitors in times of need, they reciprocate the same when we’re in need. You will always have competition when a new tender comes up in the market, but interpersonal relations always come in handy.
You’ve mentioned your excitement about leading the NDT industry towards digital transformation, particularly with Digital Twins and AI integration into ERP. Could you share your vision for the future of NDT and how these technologies will shape the industry over the next decade?
I believe leading the NDT Industry towards 4.0 is all our shared responsibility. We are doing our part by innovating and taking things forward in the right direction, which is Digital twins with VR/AR applications and NDT data integration. And eventually AI integration for better asset intelligence, which transforms conventional ERP into a powerful tool.
AI is going to transform half of what we do into easier versions or assisted inspection, interpretation & decision making. I think VR/AR visualizations and Digital twins are another less-focused direction that can shape the industry towards digitalization.
Digital transformation is a significant undertaking. What do you think are the main obstacles to integrating digital technologies like AI and Digital Twins into NDT, and how can companies overcome them?
Well, multiple reasons can be considered as obstacles to the current digital transformation.
- I think it's basic human nature to resist any change initially and then eventually declare a warm acceptance and adaptation towards the very same thing.
- We’ve done this for the internet; we’ve done the same for AI (we’ve heard it's going to take over the world and lead to the end of humanity). The same happened when electricity was invented and when cars were introduced.
- And of course, any technology initially would seem expensive for clients or companies to adapt.
- Then comes reliability. How reliable do you think this new technology in today’s age would be? I’d say the first iteration would come with flaws, and it should eventually optimize to a better version to make things a lot easier than they are today.
How can companies overcome, you ask?
- Companies must share the knowledge and provide demonstrations on how it would make things easier and contribute to the industry and the world to a better future.
- With iterations and multiple people adapting to technology, the expensive tag initially will come down to become affordable.
- Eventually, a group of companies in a similar space of work could come together to make it a standard, and so the industry will ensure the reliability of the product. Thereby forming a regulatory framework and a body.
With such a demanding career spanning technical, operational, and managerial roles, how do you balance the pressures of work with personal life? Are there any routines or activities you turn to for relaxation and recharging?
It was initially difficult to balance work life and personal life, but now it almost feels like I’m married to the pressure, so I learned to live with it. Jokes apart, to get the maximum output, I also prefer to switch activities if I’m working on a task for more than an hour, I’d pause it there and continue with another task, something totally different, and come back to the first one.
I do workouts with music, at least 3-4 days a week, and take long refreshing swims once a week to recharge, and a vacation once or twice a year, depending on when I get the signals of fatigue. I do, however, owe it to my partner who understands my demanding work life and supports me in every way possible.
In addition to your technical expertise, your MBA background must have shaped your strategic outlook. How have you applied business principles to your work in NDT, and do you find this combination of skills valuable in today’s fast-changing market?
MBA is mostly practical case studies on how we can change a business for the better with pre-defined business frameworks. I do find the skill very valuable in today’s market. When it comes to changing market scenarios, it's always about evolving to the changing market needs and staying in the picture. I often apply marketing, finance, and business analysis principles in the NDT world. I’ve also developed some strategies and applied them widely at work. As long as one is open to learning and adapting, we can embrace change.
Finally, with the NDT industry evolving rapidly, what do you see as the biggest challenge or opportunity in the next few years, and how should professionals prepare for it?
NDT has always been a late adapter of technological advancements. With increasing demands, I have noticed a rise in manpower shortages and an increasing number of people wanting desk jobs. I think we’ll soon have shortages in manpower for inspection service provider companies, and we must adapt towards robotic inspection, semi or fully autonomous, which has a huge market potential. This transition would need existing manpower to get upskilled in operating or supervising the robotic inspection. So, the industry professionals should be ready to adapt C learn about the ever-changing technology in the industry.
I also view Digital transformation taking over, reports, digital twins, ERP integration of digital twins, and VR applications to help asset owners make informed decisions, towards which we’ve put in some work and have reached to prototype stage. AI might soon play a major role in the interpretation or validation of inspected data.
OnestopNDT aims to provide real, authentic content for the NDT community. What role do you think platforms like ours play in helping professionals stay informed, connected, and engaged with the latest developments in the industry?
Onestop NDT has been playing a major role in bringing upcoming tech-based companies like ours into the spotlight. OnestopNDT has been publishing factually authentic content that people in the NDT community would very much appreciate. Like I’ve mentioned earlier, challenges with digital transformation could only be overcome if platforms like yours keep professionals informed and keep them updated with the latest technologies in the industry.
After your rebranding, I’ve noticed engagement in the industry has significantly increased, and you are actively participating in almost all industry events. I appreciate your contributions and effort towards the NDT community and hope to keep getting inspired by your work.
