- Lead the design and implementation of complex data pipelines within a multi-system data architecture for financial services.
- Build automation scripts and tooling that reduce manual effort for business and analytics teams.
- Act as DBA for data warehouse environments, ensuring performance, reliability and data quality.
- Partner with data scientists, analysts and architects across the ML model development lifecycle.
- Mentor colleagues on database design, data engineering practices and system architecture.
Tech Lead · Data Engineer
Designing reliable data platforms and analytics solutions.
I’m Ishan, a data engineer and tech lead with a background in data science and software engineering. I build scalable data pipelines, analytics products and automation that help businesses make better decisions.
About
I’m an engineer at heart, fascinated by how systems work and how they scale in the real world.
Over the last decade I’ve worked across data engineering, data science and software development in financial services, automotive and technology. Today, I lead data engineering initiatives at FirstRand group, building robust data platforms and pipelines that power analytics and machine learning use cases.
My experience spans end-to-end: from modeling business problems, designing data architectures and implementing ETL/ELT pipelines, to deploying production-grade analytics and ML solutions. I enjoy collaborating closely with data scientists, analysts and architects, and mentoring teams on data best practices.
Academically, I hold an M.Tech in Data Science and Engineering from BITS Pilani and a B.E. in Information Technology. Outside of work, I like experimenting with side projects around automation, blockchain and developer tooling.
Experience
A blend of data engineering, data science and product engineering across large enterprises and startups.
- Delivered data science solutions for global automotive brands including BMW, BMW Motorrad and MINI.
- Built user segmentation and recommendation systems based on browsing behavior and preferences.
- Developed NLP models to extract sentiment from customer feedback and digital touchpoints.
- Created custom Python libraries, ETL pipelines and tools (CLI/GUI/web) that significantly reduced manual effort for business teams.
- Owned data warehousing, production servers and scheduling for analytics workloads.
- Developed and enhanced cloud-based enterprise software products for financial data reporting.
- Automated reporting workflows and scheduling, improving the reliability and speed of data delivery.
- Contributed to root cause analysis and resolution of production issues.
- Bootstrapped an ed-tech platform for university students to share notes, resources and opportunities.
- Designed and built the web platform, focusing on usability, performance and content management.
Selected Projects
A few personal and open-source projects that reflect how I think about data, automation and developer experience.
Chai Coin
Blockchain · Python
A peer-to-peer cryptocurrency built from scratch, focused on near-zero cost payments and mining using consumer-grade hardware. Implements a decentralized, open-source payment network with a focus on education and experimentation.
View on GitHubWeb Digger
Search · Automation
A tool that discovers files hosted on web servers and provides direct download links. Designed to explore public content at scale with a focus on reliability, performance and safety.
View on GitHubFace Mask Detection
Computer Vision · ML
An ML-based system using TensorFlow and Keras to detect whether people are wearing face masks in public spaces. Built as a practical application of computer vision for public safety.
View on GitHubAdobe Analytics 2.0 Wrapper
APIs · Data Engineering
A Python wrapper around Adobe Analytics 2.0 API to simplify querying, integration and automation for analytics workflows. Used to power reporting and data pipelines across multiple projects.
View on GitHubSkills
The tools and disciplines I work with most often.
Data Engineering
- ETL / ELT Pipelines
- Data Warehousing
- Data Modeling
- Data Quality & Governance
- Scheduling & Orchestration
Data Science & Analytics
- Machine Learning
- NLP & Text Analytics
- Segmentation & Recommendation
- Experimentation
- EDA & Data Profiling
Engineering
- Python
- SQL
- Big Data Ecosystems
- APIs & Integrations
- Web Development
Leadership
- Technical Leadership
- Mentoring & Coaching
- Architecture Reviews
- Stakeholder Communication
- Cross-functional Collaboration
Education & Certifications
A formal foundation in data science and engineering, supported by continuous learning.
Master of Technology, Data Science & Engineering
BITS Pilani · 2022 – 2024
Bachelor of Engineering, Information Technology
RGPV (Rajiv Gandhi Prodyogiki Vishwavidyalaya) · 2013 – 2017
Selected Certifications
- Tealium AudienceStream
- Machine Learning: Hands-on Python and R in Data Science
- Modern NLP in Python
- Building Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies from Scratch
- IBM Blockchain Essentials
- EMC Academic Associate, Information Storage and Management
Contact
If you’d like to discuss a role, collaboration or project, I’d be happy to connect.
The best way to reach me is via email or LinkedIn. Share a short note about what you’re working on and how I can help, and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.