With over three decades dedicated to advancing Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), Mr. K.S. Venkataraman carries forward a legacy rooted in integrity, innovation, and human values. From his early days working under his pioneering father to co-founding cutting-edge companies and championing breakthrough technologies like HOMC Guided Waves, his journey is a testament to passion and purpose in a field that safeguards industries and lives.
In this candid conversation, he shares his unique blend of technical expertise, leadership insights, and heartfelt reflections, reminding us that behind every inspection lies a story of dedication, resilience, and quiet heroism. Join us as we explore the man behind the machines, the meaning behind the methods, and the legacy being built one discovery at a time.
Mr. K.S. Venkataraman, welcome to OnestopNDT! It’s truly an honour to have you with us today. Could you please introduce yourself to our wonderful readers?
Thank you—it’s a pleasure to be here.
I’m an avid NDT enthusiast who has dedicated over three decades to the field of Non-Destructive Testing. My journey began under the mentorship of my father, the late
K.R. Sundaresan, one of the pioneers of NDT Inspection Services in India. He instilled in me the core value of integrity—a principle that defines not just what we inspect, but how we uphold the responsibility of ensuring safety and reliability through our work.
After completing my B.Sc. in Applied Sciences from PSG College of Technology, Coimbatore, I began my career as a radiographer, working night shifts atop Horton Spheres and offshore platforms under construction in Mangalore. This hands-on experience laid the foundation for my move to our Malaysian operations and later, in 1994, to the UK to pursue a Master’s degree in NDT at Brunel University, Uxbridge. My thesis on TOFD for complex geometries led to a collaborative project with AEA Sonomatic in the Netherlands.
In 1997, I co-founded Escon Technologies in Malaysia and Singapore to deliver advanced NDE services to both offshore and onshore sectors. A passion for innovation and a memorable conversation with the late Dr. Baldev Raj—an inspiring mentor—led me to connect with Prof. Krishnan Balasubramanian. That meeting sparked the creation of the Dhvani Group in 2010. Today, it has grown into three specialized companies focusing on:
- Automated Inspection Systems
- AI-driven NDT Solutions, and
- HOMC Ultrasonic Guided Wave Technology for detecting hidden corrosion in pipelines and storage tanks.
Beyond the world of inspection and technology, I find joy in creative expression. I love to sing, write poetry, and use my camera to capture moments of happiness during my travels. These personal passions help me stay connected to life’s beauty and meaning.
Equally fulfilling is my role as an educator—I devote time to teaching Human Values to young minds through the Sri Sathya Sai Balvikas Programme. It's a privilege to contribute to shaping compassionate, ethical individuals grounded in purpose and service.
It’s been a rewarding journey of learning, building, and giving back—and I remain excited about the future of NDT and the next generation it will inspire.
Let’s go back to the beginning—was there a moment in your early career when you realized Non-Destructive Testing was more than just a job, but a calling?
Interestingly, NDT wasn’t my first calling, but my father’s journey changed that. He was a cricketer at heart and an engineer by profession, and in 1977, he took a bold, unconventional step by starting his own NDT company. He would often be away for months, travelling to remote sites, and each time he returned, he’d bring home stories—not just of inspections, but of people, places, and the company he was passionately building from scratch.
What drew me in wasn’t just the science of NDT, but the spirit of resilience and purpose I saw in him. I felt a strong desire to join him—not just to support his vision, but to build upon it. It was a gut feeling, and I’ve never once regretted following it.
Eventually, my younger brother K.S. Vivek Anand joined us too, making it a family journey.
Looking back, what started as a spark of inspiration has grown into a deeply fulfilling career— one that’s given us the opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the safety, reliability, and progress of industries across the world.
You’ve helped bring lab-born technologies like HOMC Guided Waves into real-world applications. Can you walk us through one of those moments when an abstract idea finally made an impact on the ground, when it touched lives?
Absolutely. Moments like these are a testament to what happens when deep understanding meets conviction. I’ve always believed that if you truly grasp the problem statement, the pursuit of a solution becomes almost organic—you start seeing connections where others see complexity.
HOMC Guided Waves is a perfect example. It all began with a chance request to inspect a failed tank sample for a client. That was followed by a chance meeting with Prof. Krishnan Balasubramanian and a tour of his lab, where I saw some unconventional research that instantly struck a chord. Somehow, the technology I saw, the problem I was dealing with, and the gut feeling that "this could work"—they all started to align.
That initial spark in 2008 led to the founding of Dhvani Research. From there, it’s been a journey of global trials, validation, continuous feedback, and evolution. Today, HOMC Guided Waves is no longer a lab curiosity—it’s an emerging frontline solution for critical challenges like corrosion under pipe supports and hidden degradation in above-ground storage tanks.
Seeing it prevent potential failures and extend asset life isn’t just professionally satisfying—it’s a reminder that when knowledge is applied with intent, it truly touches lives and safeguards the future.
They say every pipe tells a story. Can you share one corrosion mystery that felt more like a detective novel than an inspection report?
Absolutely. In fact, many of the most meaningful projects I’ve been part of have felt just like that—a mystery waiting to be solved. And the most satisfying ones are often those where what you find wasn’t what you were looking for—and yet, it reveals the real truth.
One such case involved the sudden failure of a trunnion support. Initial assessments, based on a few less-than-clear radiographs, suggested cracking as the cause. But something didn’t add up. The cracks appeared to be on the parent pipe itself, with no clear source or mechanism for such cracks to initiate. That set off our internal alarms.
We deployed HOMC Guided Wave inspection, and the results were startling: over 80% wall loss at the exact spots where the supposed "cracks" were seen. When we overlaid the HOMC guided wave data with the radiographs, the pieces of the puzzle clicked. The "cracks" weren’t the root cause—they were symptoms at the thinnest, most corroded points of the pipe wall. Mystery solved.
The client, understandably anxious at first, was relieved to understand the actual degradation mechanism. And for us, it was one of those moments of quiet elation—a validation of the method, the intuition, and the commitment to follow the data, not just assumptions.
Sometimes, the pipe doesn’t whisper—it produces sound (Dhvani) loud and clear. You just need the silence inside to listen.
In your experience, where do machines end and human intuition begin, especially when diagnosing faults in complex systems?
Let me answer this from the lens of an NDT practitioner.
The process begins with a deep understanding of the problem and a clear assessment of viable solutions. That’s the foundation. When conventional methods fall short—especially in acquiring reliable data—innovation becomes essential, and this is where human insight steps in.
Intuition plays a critical role, particularly in mission-critical scenarios. It helps foresee challenges, adapt strategies, and craft workarounds that no machine, however advanced, can predict on its own.
Machines, by design, have inherent limitations. And often, their full potential is curbed not by hardware, but by operators lacking the knowledge to push boundaries. That’s why human expertise is irreplaceable—not just to run the tool, but to extract meaning from the data and make decisions that matter.
Once a sound methodology is defined and validated, it transitions into procedure-driven execution. At that stage, innovation gives way to discipline—where consistency, not creativity, becomes the virtue.
In short, machines assist, but intuition leads. The best outcomes arise when technology and human understanding work in harmony, each amplifying the other.
You’ve built two companies from the ground up. In those early days of Escon and Dhvani, what was the biggest “leap of faith” you took, and what kept you steady through the uncertainty?
The early days of building Escon were entirely to my father's credit. He laid the foundation with vision, integrity, and tireless effort. I was fortunate to build upon what he had created. In that process, I learned a few invaluable lessons from him that continue to guide me today—most importantly, that Rome wasn’t built in a day, and that faith in the process and in yourself is essential when navigating uncertain terrain.
He also taught me not to be consumed by things beyond our control. Uncertainty, he said, is like passing clouds—you acknowledge it, but you don’t let it dictate your course. Instead, you focus on what you can do right, with clarity and intent.
When it came to Dhvani, it was a different kind of journey, but the spirit was the same. This time, it was my brother who stood beside me, along with the wisdom and perseverance of
Prof. Krishnan Balasubramanian and Ms. Sujatha Chakravarthy. Together, we formed a team along with a great bunch of young mings working in unison, that translated vision into reality.
Strangely enough, we are very different in many ways—in how we think, how we operate—but incredibly aligned in our core beliefs. That alignment—of purpose, of values, and of intent—is what made things happen.
So if there was any "leap of faith," it was trusting that with the right people, shared purpose, and patient persistence, you can create something meaningful—one step, one trial, one breakthrough at a time.
Founders often wear many hats—engineer, leader, storyteller. Which hat fits you most naturally, and which one challenged you the most?
I’d say the engineer’s hat fits me most naturally—it’s how I was trained, and how I still approach problems: with curiosity, logic, and a drive to find solutions that matter.
But over time, I’ve also grown into the role of a storyteller—not just to communicate ideas, but to carry forward the passion, belief, and purpose that fuel our work. I’ve found that when you truly believe in what you're doing, that energy becomes infectious. Storytelling became not a skill I acquired, but an extension of that passion.
The most challenging hat, however, has been that of a leader. I didn’t set out to lead—I learned to lead by observing my father, and later, through experience. Leadership is not just about
vision; it’s about holding space for others, making tough calls, and growing alongside your team. It’s been a journey of continuous learning—one I’m still on.
Each hat plays its role. But when worn with sincerity and service, they begin to fit you better with time.
Can you recall a project or decision that didn’t go as planned, but ended up teaching you something you still carry today?
Absolutely. One experience that stands out was the first heat exchanger inspection we attempted using a new technology. Based on the equipment manufacturer's claims, we were confident it would deliver accurate results. But when we put it to use in the field, the data didn’t align at all with the actual condition of the tubes. The outcome was disappointing—not just technically, but in terms of client trust, which took a serious hit.
In the aftermath, business slowed, and rebuilding credibility was an uphill task. But that failure taught me something invaluable: confidence isn’t about being right the first time—it’s about owning the missteps, learning deeply from them, and returning stronger.
We had to relearn, retrain, and realign—not just our tools, but our mindset. From that point on, we made a commitment to pursue excellence rooted in knowledge. That became a cultural cornerstone for us.
Today, that approach has grown into a collective wisdom across our organization—one that continues to evolve as more passionate minds join the journey. What once felt like a failure became a defining moment in shaping who we are.
You describe yourself as someone working at the intersection of technology and truth. What does “truth” mean to you in a world dominated by data, deadlines, and diagnostics?
To me, truth—or Sathya in Sanskrit—is the core value that anchors everything: life, relationships, and business. In the context of NDT, it’s not just about finding flaws or anomalies—it’s about uncovering what is real but unseen. That’s the true destination: clarity.
In this journey, technology is an enabler. But the compass must be our inward skills—intuition, integrity, and understanding. When other motives become the driver—be it speed, profit, or pressure—the truth gets camouflaged, and eventually, the purpose is lost.
For me, the process is simple yet profound:
- The destination is truth—clarity in what lies beneath.
- The journey is awareness—walking that path with wisdom and intention.
When these are aligned, even the weight of deadlines and data doesn’t shake you. Your diagnostics will reveal not just what's wrong, but the reassurance that “all is well”—because you’ve arrived there with sincerity and purpose.
You’ve spoken about listening—not just to signals, but to silence and the soul. Was there a time when silence revealed more to you than sound ever could?
Absolutely. Signals carry information, but often it’s the noise around us—distractions, doubts, and mental chatter—that keeps us from hearing what’s most obvious.
Over time, I’ve come to understand that silence isn’t the absence of sound—it’s the presence of awareness. In the depths of silence, especially when I take a step back from the urgency of work or problem-solving, I find a space where clarity surfaces. It’s where truth quietly reveals itself.
For someone like me, who’s naturally impatient and driven, silence was once uncomfortable. But today, it’s become one of my greatest teachers. It helps me face challenges that go far beyond work and NDT. It brings a kind of inner calm—even in the middle of a storm.
In that stillness, I don’t just hear better—I understand deeper. And that’s where the real signals lie.
In industries like NDT, people often forget the human stories behind the metal. What’s one story—of a site, a worker, a system—that stayed with you long after the inspection was over?
Starting my career as a radiographer, a fantastic work/life lesson, initiated by my father, taught me lessons that went far beyond the scope of inspection. One of the first things I realized was how the job disrupts your natural rhythm— long night shifts, offshore assignments, and weeks away from family. You begin to see a different kind of reality: colleagues who see their families, perhaps once a year, and others who silently bear the weight of isolation, fatigue, and physical strain.
What stayed with me most is the price people quietly pay in the pursuit of what we call “comfort and progress.” Over time, even the most resilient professionals find their bodies slowing down. Tasks they once handled with ease become difficult, and often, there’s no safety net, no gradual transition, just the hard truth that they can’t keep up anymore.
In my three-decade journey, I’ve seen too many good people leave too soon—some worn out, others simply forgotten by a system that often values speed and cost over human dignity. And when cost-cutting becomes the driver, respect and remuneration suffer. What makes it harder is that the system is still largely shaped by people more focused on proving their worth than uplifting the NDT community as a whole.
That’s why, to me, NDT is not just about technology or technique. It’s about the hardship, dedication, and quiet heroism of those who sacrifice so much to keep integrity intact— often aided now by smarter machines, but still driven by human perseverance.
That’s the story that never leaves me.
I understand you also write tributes and personal reflections. How does writing help you make sense of the highly technical world you work in?
Writing, for me, is a way to listen to my own mind. It takes what’s abstract—thoughts, intuitions, dilemmas—and manifests them in front of me, giving them form and structure. Once on the page, those ideas begin to speak back, offering perspective and clarity that thinking alone often cannot.
Whether I’m writing a technical reflection or a personal tribute, the process helps me refine my thinking. It pushes the boundaries of how I understand a problem and often reveals the simplest path through the most complex terrain.
In that sense, writing becomes a bridge between the analytical and the emotional, the technical and the human. It doesn’t just help me make sense of my world—it helps me stay connected to the deeper purpose behind what I do.
If you had to write a chapter titled “Legacy,” what would be in it? Not just about technology, but about the lives you’ve touched and the values you’ve upheld.
For me, the best kind of legacy isn't measured in volumes written after you're gone—it's felt in the impact you make while you're still here.
I witnessed this firsthand through my late father. He never set out to build a legacy. Yet, through quiet acts of sincerity and service, he touched countless lives. He lived his values—integrity, compassion, humility—not as principles to preach, but as a way of being.
If I were to write a chapter called “Legacy,” it wouldn’t be about the technologies we pioneered or the companies we built. It would be about the people we uplifted, the moments we showed up when it mattered, and the dignity with which we served—even in silence.
To me, the most meaningful legacy is lived, not left. It’s experienced in real time—when someone feels seen, supported, or inspired because you chose to do the right thing without needing applause.
That’s the chapter I hope to write. Not with words, but through the life I live.
Let’s imagine a young engineer just stepping into the world of NDT. What’s one piece of advice you’d give them, not about machines, but about meaning?
Don’t just do it for the salary or for a career—do it for the difference you can make.
NDT isn’t just a profession; it’s a quiet form of service—safeguarding lives, infrastructure, and trust. Find meaning in that.
You might begin with technical knowledge, but that only takes you so far. The truly exceptional ones? They grow their expertise over time, but they start with a good heart.
So my advice is simple:
- Lead with purpose, stay curious, and let your integrity guide you.
- That’s the foundation of a meaningful career—and a meaningful life.
Finally, what are your thoughts on OnestopNDT? Do you think our efforts to provide real, authentic, and accurate content are helping the industry? Also, do you think our platform helps the community connect with like-minded people?
I truly appreciate the feel and purpose of the OnestopNDT platform. It reflects a rare combination of imagination, wisdom, and enthusiasm, and I believe you're on the right path in shaping a space that both informs and inspires.
Your efforts to deliver authentic and accurate content are not only helping the industry stay current—they’re also helping it stay grounded in values. In a field like NDT, where precision matters and people often work in the background, platforms like yours bring much-needed visibility, dignity, and dialogue.
What excites me most is that OnestopNDT is more than just a resource hub—it has the potential to be a community catalyst. A place where like-minded professionals can come together, not just to discuss technology, but to engage in bold conversations about the kind of industry we want to shape—an industry that values not just business, but the wellbeing and pride of the people behind it.
Wishing OnestopNDT all the very best in its journey ahead. And thank you once again for giving me the space to share my thoughts.
