VP of Technology · API Ecosystem Architect

Suraj Thakur

19 years of engineering leadership. 15 years of API mastery. From building the technical foundation of Sony LIV in 2014 to owning the Bank Developer Portal powering Open Banking at scale. IIM-Kozhikode alumnus. Operator, not just a strategist.

19+

Years in Engineering

15+

Years of API Architecture

100+

API Partners Onboarded

3

G2B Integrations Delivered

Strategic Leadership

IIM-Kozhikode alumnus. Built and led engineering teams across agencies, OTT platforms, and regulated banking environments. Specialize in high-autonomy cultures and frictionless G2B integrations.

API Pioneer

15+ years architecting RESTful ecosystems and developer portals. Contract-first design, OAuth 2.0, OpenAPI 3.0, and API gateway operations at banking scale. REST for transactions, GraphQL where it earns its place.

Tech Evolution

From LAMP full-stack roots in 2006 to AWS-backed microservices at Sony LIV and The Glitch, to regulated Open Banking infrastructure. Each era built on the discipline of the last.

Core Career Milestones

A track record built across media, advertising, and regulated finance.

Bank | AVP · 2018 – Present

Owner, Developer Portal & API Ecosystem

Own the end-to-end strategic roadmap for Open Banking infrastructure. Responsible for the Developer Portal serving thousands of API partners — from onboarding through production SLAs. Delivered production G2B integrations across ICEGATE (customs), GST Network (tax compliance), and NPS (pension schemes). Driving core banking modernisation via Flexcube and API-first architecture.

The Glitch (WPP) | CTO · 2016 – 2018

Chief Technology Officer

Led engineering across Mumbai and Delhi offices for a WPP agency delivering digital products and campaigns. Managed cross-functional teams building for Netflix, HUL, Lakme, and Abbott. Achieved ₹7.5M in annual infrastructure savings through AWS rightsizing, reserved instance planning, and multi-tenant architecture. Built a self-service DevOps culture from scratch and spearheaded ISO 27001 compliance.

Sony Pictures Networks | Technical Project Manager · 2013 – 2016

Technical Project Manager, Sony LIV

Managed the phase-one technical delivery of Sony LIV in 2014 — India's early OTT landscape. Coordinated cross-functional teams across product, engineering, and media operations to ship a multi-platform streaming product. Oversaw vendor integrations, AWS infrastructure provisioning, and REST API delivery timelines.

Leadership Philosophy

“Engineers own their domains end-to-end. The role of leadership is to set outcome targets and remove blockers — not to prescribe methods.”

Autonomy & Guidance · The operating model I've run since 2012.

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