Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE company, combines all its R&D Laboratories in India under 3DPLM Software Solutions Ltd.(3DPLM). It provides businesses and people with virtual universes to imagine sustainable innovations. In an exclusive conversation with CEO Insights, Sudarshan Mogasale (CEO, 3DPLM-Dassault Systèmes R&D, India) has articulated about the excellence of Dassault Systèmes in empowering the budding startups and a lot other aspects. Here are the excerpts.

Tell us about your current role as the CEO of 3DPLM-Dassault Systèmes R&D in India along with your prior professional experiences.
Dassault Systèmes, the 3DEXPERIENCE company, offers businesses industry leading software to harmonize the product, nature and life. Our portfolio of products cater to 11 industry segments like Aerospace & Defense, Transportation, Mobility and many others. Our customers use our software to transform their business and bring compelling experience to their customers. In order to cater to our millions of users we have a set of brands & products such as CATIA, SOLIDWORKS, ENOVIA DELMIA, SIMULIA and many others, that run on our business experience and cloud based platform called ‘3DEXPERIENCE platform’. These brands/products and industry experiences are built by our global R&D which has centers in almost all important innovation hubs across the world. As part of global R&D we have centers in Pune and Bangalore. My role is to make sure that India R&D contributes to global product development to the fullest extent and we develop software products that are unmatched to anyone. India being the second largest R&D center after France, our success in India is extremely critical for Dassault Systemes R&D success. We work on almost all important products of the company, and my mission is to make sure the success of what we undertake.

I have been associated with Dassault Systèmes for the past 13 years and worked in related areas prior to my role here. Having developed and led software products and making it successful in worldwide customer sites, Dassault Systemes R&D is natural home for me. I associate myself to software and transforming business through technology. Prior to moving to software, I worked for couple of years in ISRO in Space Application Center(SAC) in Remote Sensing Payload design area as an engineer.

2. Holding deep domain knowledge in Dassault Systèmes’ products, how do you think the startups of today can leverage these technologies in their operations?
Startups especially the ones that bring physical products to the world, need deep engineering skills to compete and make their mark in the market. Data shows that>90 percent of startups fail and significant of them don’t even see their 4th year. One of the basic reason for failure is product market fit ability to identify right target market and match it with product experiences.

Unfortunately market and customer expectation always evolve and hence the product needs to match this evolution as well. This is where deep engineering skill is needed to bring the perfect experience to the customers/consumers and adopt/evolve very quickly with changing market expectations.

CAD/CAM/PLM are old technologies which primarily focused on engineering the features/functions of the products. Latest technology of

3DEXPERIENCE is needed to predict/analyze the market trends, engineer the new customer/consumer experiences produce the product/ experience using the best resources inside as well as in the value network, and deliver/service the product to make it compelling to the audience. This is extremely important for companies to be competitive/relevant in the market.

3. What are your thoughts on the current industry in India as well as on the trends that can greatly impact & revolutionize its present state?
This is the age of speed and individualization of experiences. The industry is bringing new products & experiences in far higher pace than earlier. Whether it is new version of aircraft or car or cell phone, we are seeing new launches in faster pace. The industry is moving from mass production to mass customization to create unique experiences. All these are happening in lowest possible cost in the best possible location/ time. This brings few key shifts(a) ability to understand customer and invent experiences(b) flexibility in your engineering/ manufacturing to meet every changing need at minimum cost(c)develop and align value network sales/ suppliers/partners to your changing needs(d)ability to close the loop/cycle faster than market, profitably.

Once a startup is selected and gets into our lab, they will get access to our full suite of 3d experience products that top industries worldwide use to make their products

All these need new generation of engineering software that is holistic and complete. The software needs to be cloud native that can grow with the customer business and needs. Our software in India is transforming the competitiveness of the Indian industry. The Indian industry is in the cusp of increased competition from global companies and also changing industry/Govt. norms.

4. How is Dassault Systèmes with its 3DEXPERIENCE Lab (Startup Accelerator)program empowering the vibrant startups to empower innovation growth and societal change?
First of all 3DEXPERIENCE Lab is our global open accelerator program which supports startups world wide. This is primarily for innovative and most disruptive startups to prototype industrialize and internationalize their products. 3DEXPERIENCE lab is a network of labs that includes our own labs in France, US and India, as well as our partner labs worldwide. Some of the most prestigious incubators across the world are our partners. Entering into this network will allow startups to access the worldwide ecosystem that they can leverage for their growth. In our lab, we typically run four zones Ideation lab to conceptualize the product, digital lab to design/ engineer the product, immersive lab to use of AR/VR to leverage & connect with rest of the world, and Fab lab to make the prototypes. Once a startup is selected and gets into our lab, they will get access to our full suite of 3DEXPERIENCE products that top industries worldwide use to make their products. This will bring startups technologically in the same level of industry leaders. In addition, our mentors from Dassault Systèmes sit with the startup to help them engineer their products as well. This program also gets access to our industry experts and ecosystem. The whole program is designed to empower and accelerate startup to be globally competitive.

5.Could you explain the success stories of few startups around the globe that have worked with your 3DEXPERIENCE Lab and its innovations?
3DEXPERIENCE Lab in our Paris campus has been supporting many wonderful breakthrough startups that are becoming benchmark for India lab. For example BIOMODEX is a startup that is applying 3DPrinting technology to healthcare by doing organ twin to train the physician XSUN is a startup that that is creating solar powered autonomous flying services XYT is a startup that is making tailored mobility for both businesses as well as people. You can find the disruptive startups that we currently support in our 3DEXPERIENCE Lab website.

6. What future plans do you have on your mind with respect to supporting startups?
Like we have done in other parts of world we would like to identify and support few startups in India and help them accelerate using our 3DEXPERIENCE Lab program.In this regard, we have launched 3DEXPERIENCE Pitch for Indian startups to come and share their stories. We have selected domains of Electric Vehicle, Life Science and Construction to identify and support startups in India. The selected startup will be inducted into our 3DEXPERIENCE Lab. This way Indian startups can make it big worldwide.

7. Do you have any advice or suggestion on your mind that could inspire the emerging startups with regards to building intelligent and value added projects for the society?
Indian industry is open to the world far more than ever now. This is great opportunity as well as risk. Big industries are disrupted by innovative startups worldwide. India is a land of innovation. However our startups focus more on displaying their technology and doing proof of concepts rather than industrializing the products. Need of the hour is to bring all those innovative ideas to the world by industrializing and internationalizing them.