Ashok Elluswamy Engineer Indian Origin who made Tesla more than a Car Company

 

Meet Ashok Elluswamy, the engineer who made Elon Musk's Tesla more than just a car company

 Synopsis

Ashok Elluswamy, Tesla's Vice President  of Artificial Intelligence, was the first engineer hired for the Autopilot team in 2014.

He now leads Tesla's Autopilot and AI software programs, crucial for achieving full self-driving.

Musk credits Elluswamy and his team as vital to Tesla's AI advancements, transforming the company into a leader in the global AI race.

Indian-origin engineer Ashok Elluswamy, who currently heads Tesla's Autopilot division, has also been put in charge of the company's Optimus humanoid robot project following the departure of Milan Kovac, the head of engineering for the programme, according to a report in Bloomberg.

Elluswamy, who was born and educated in Chennai, was the first engineer to join Tesla's AI/Autopilot team in 2014 and eventually rose to lead all AI and Autopilot software efforts.

Tesla has confirmed that Kovac's departure is effective immediately. Stepping in is Elluswamy, who has his roots in Tamil Nadu's Chennai and is a long-time Tesla veteran, with over 11 years of experience at the electric vehicle company.

Kovac last week confirmed his departure on X. He described it as "the toughest decision" he had ever made, explaining that he wanted to devote more time to his family.STORIES

"My support for Elon Musk and the team is ironclad – Tesla team forever," he said in a post on X.

"I've got entire faith in them pushing Optimus to the next level, together with the broader Tesla AI/engineering and production teams. My departure now will not change a thing (sic)," he added in the post.

Kovac, in the post on June 7, also expressed his appreciation to his successor Elluswamy and fellow employee Srihari Sampathkumar for their unwavering support throughout their years of collaboration.