Human-Aware AI: How ITHENA is Redefining Industrial Intelligence  

In an era where data drives every decision, the challenge is no longer data availability, but converting that data into actionable insights. The true power of data lies in how it is harnessed. ITHENA is at the forefront of this transformation, combining the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) with the power of the Internet of Things (IoT), empowering businesses through intelligent, data-driven solutions. 

Focused on manufacturing and related industries, ITHENA is revolutionizing operations for its customers by providing GenAI and Agentic-ready solutions. Under the leadership of Probodh Chiplunkar, Founder & CEO, ITHENA offers AI-powered solutions to bridge the gap between raw data and meaningful action. They are driving the future where human expertise and artificial intelligence coalesce to solve the toughest industrial problems. Through their advanced AI-powered IoT accelerators, ITHENA enables manufacturers to optimize operations, forecast outcomes, and accelerate their digital transformation journey. 

While most competitors and SMBs are still catching up, ITHENA’s ability to deliver end-to-end, next-gen plant management solutions like Agentic Gemba walks, AI-assisted asset performance, Natural Language Processing (NLP)-based insights – all in weeks (not months or years), puts them ahead of the curve, securing their place among The Most Trusted AI Solution Providers – 2025. 

ITHENA: Enabling Industrial Intelligence, Powered by Visionary Leadership 

According to Probodh, ITHENA was built on a bold premise:

For AI to truly fulfill its potential, it must be ubiquitous—not just a myth. Drawing on decades of industry experience and a deep understanding of IoT, Analytics, Machine Learning, and Cloud, Probodh and his leadership team—VP Kelkar, Tushar Laghate, and Ankit Srivastava—recognized a massive opportunity in today’s industrial landscape. While businesses were collecting more data than ever before, few could turn that data into action. That’s where they saw the chance to make AI practical.

With this vision in mind, they launched ITHENA—not just as a technology provider, but as a partner in digital transformation. Under Probodh’s leadership, the company is redefining how industrial enterprises should operate, making it incredibly easy for Manufacturers, OEMs, and their related ecosystem to take advantage of the perfect technology storm of generative AI, Agentic behavior, and Natural Language Programming. 

Using AI infused with Human Centric design, ITHENA deploys incredibly easy-to-engage solutions for industries-manufacturing, life sciences, utilities, and fintech, making their deployment cycles shorter while realizing value faster. 

The ITHENA Differentiator: A Vision Rooted in Outcomes 

According to Chiplunkar, what sets ITHENA apart is its commitment to two core principles: 

1. Persona-Centric Innovation: Rather than building generic tools, ITHENA designs AI-powered solutions tailored to specific personas – whether it be a technician on the Shop Floor, a Maintenance Manager, a Supply Chain executive, or a Vice President of Operations. This role-based design ensures relevance, faster adoption, and stronger ROI across diverse industries.
2. Outcomes Over Promises: In Chiplunkar’s words, “We don’t build for the art of the probable—we build for the impact of the possible.” ITHENA’s solutions are purpose-built to reduce costs, increase uptime, and drive operational resilience. From predictive operations to digital aftermarket to AI-driven continuous improvement, every feature is tied to tangible business value. 

A Culture Forged by Purpose 

Chiplunkar has cultivated a culture defined by five values: Faith, Ownership, Curiosity, Inclusion, and Glo.cal Thinking (global vision, local execution). This ethos runs through every team and every engagement. 

Having worked with many of ITHENA’s core team members in past ventures, Chiplunkar brought together a leadership group with not only technical expertise but a shared commitment to the company’s mission. Together, they’ve built a place where innovation thrives, and where trust—both internal and external—is earned through consistent delivery. 

Innovating at the Edge of Industry 

Under Chiplunkar’s guidance, ITHENA has launched next-gen solutions with advanced capabilities that are reshaping manufacturing industries:  

• Predictive Operations (iMEX): Using real-time data from 4 Ms (Man, Machine, Methods, Materials) and GenAI to anticipate operational failures, optimize maintenance, and improve your manufacturing KPIs 
• Digital Aftermarket (iSERV): Using new-age technologies, serve your customers with lightning speed to reduce their downtime by providing technical support and after-market services with interactive spare parts ordering and dispatch. 
• Continuous Improvement (iGEMBA): Inspired by the ‘Gemba’ philosophy (going to the real place where work happens), ITHENA is embedding Gen AI-driven workflows into the very fabric of enterprise decision-making, from technician co-pilots to intelligent anomaly summarization. 

Proven Results, Global Reach 

With Probodh at the helm, the ITHENA team has rapidly scaled, providing opportunities for clients worldwide. 

• 40% Reduction in maintenance costs for a global IVUS (Intravascular Ultrasound) equipment manufacturer
• 33% Reduction in service costs for a top electronics brand 
• 30% Revenue Recognition Opportunity for additional revenue recognition with spare parts sales
• 5-Week Rapid Deployment for a leading composite cans manufacturer

Strategic Partnerships & Future Ambitions 

Chiplunkar is actively shaping ITHENA’s future through strategic partnerships and deep ecosystem integration. While major players like AWS, Google, and Microsoft build general-purpose AI tools, ITHENA is laser-focused on industry-specific intelligence—especially in Manufacturing, Life Sciences, and even cross-pollinating into FinTech. 

He envisions ITHENA becoming the most trusted B2B AI platform provider for connected industries—seamlessly integrating into customer environments, scaling intelligently, and delivering value from day one. 

A Vision That Looks Ahead 

For Probodh Chiplunkar, the long-term mission is clear: 

To make AI ubiquitous! To empower customers to operate smarter, safer, and more sustainably—through building practical AI solutions that are easy to deploy. 

Whether optimizing asset lifecycles, enabling predictive e-commerce-enabled service models, or powering digital factories, ITHENA—under his leadership—is committed to being the intelligent backbone of next-generation industrial operations. 

Tushar Laghate: ITHENA’s Commitment to Innovation in Manufacturing 

Tushar Laghate, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at ITHENA, sheds light on the company’s most exciting technological innovations, highlighting their direct application to real-world manufacturing challenges and their ability to deliver tangible business value. 

Laghate emphasizes ITHENA’s groundbreaking Gen-AI-powered data querying capability. This advancement allows operations, quality, and plant managers to ask natural language questions, such as “What caused yesterday’s downtime on Line 3?” or “Which batch had the highest rejection rate last week?”, and receive real-time insights from production data without needing SQL expertise or relying on analysts. According to Laghate, this democratizes data access, accelerates decision-making, and reduces dependence on static reports or dashboards.

 ITHENA, as Laghate explains, is also actively deploying IIoT, AI/ML, and LLM-driven technologies to address critical manufacturing challenges. Laghate provides several examples: 

• Anomaly Prediction models are used to detect early signs of equipment failure or quality deviations during production, enabling timely interventions before defects occur. 
• Predictive Maintenance helps plants minimize unplanned downtime by forecasting failures based on live sensor data like vibration and temperature trends. 
• The Why-Why Analysis tool, powered by LLMs, automatically traces the root causes of issues such as high energy consumption or low throughput and recommends actions, such as adjusting raw material mix or rescheduling maintenance. 

Scalability, Security, and Strategic R&D 

These innovations are further complemented by computer vision AI for monitoring PPE compliance and workplace safety, and Digital Twin simulators for modeling line performance under various scenarios. Collectively, Laghate states, these technologies are driving higher productivity, better quality, lower downtime, and safer operations across manufacturing environments. 

Laghate also details ITHENA’s approach to platform scalability, which is achieved through a modular architecture designed for large-scale and distributed IoT deployments. Microservices enable independent scaling of components, while edge-to-cloud integration ensures efficient data handling across multiple plants or production lines. He points out that real-time data streaming using technologies like Kafka and MQTT allows for fast, continuous ingestion and processing. Edge computing, he adds, is utilized for local preprocessing, reducing latency, and enabling immediate insights for time-sensitive applications like anomaly detection and process alerts. 

Regarding cybersecurity, Laghate outlines a layered security approach that includes encryption for data in transit, secure device authentication, and role-based access controls to manage system access. Secure APIs and network segmentation help contain potential threats, while real-time monitoring and regular vulnerability assessments proactively detect and respond to risks. This combination of scalable design, real-time responsiveness, and robust security controls ensures reliable performance in complex industrial environments. 

Finally, Laghate underscores ITHENA’s deep commitment to innovation, noting that approximately 25–30% of their annual technology resources are allocated to innovation and research & development (R&D). This significant investment emphasizes ITHENA’s dedication to advancing technologies in areas such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Generative AI (Gen-AI), Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), and Digital Twin solutions. By prioritizing R&D, ITHENA aims to drive continuous improvement and deliver cutting-edge solutions that meet the evolving needs of their clients. 

Laghate concludes that this strategic focus on innovation allows ITHENA to stay ahead in the rapidly changing technological landscape, ensuring their offerings remain relevant and impactful, empowering organizations with state-of-the-art solutions that drive growth and success. 

Laghate on ITHENA’s Strategic Focus for the Next 3-5 Years in Industry 

Laghate outlines four major trends that will shape the industrial sector over the next 3–5 years: 

1. Connected Operations – Seamless and secure data exchange between machines, people, and systems. 
2. Real-Time Intelligence – Use of GenAI to provide actionable insights beyond traditional dashboards. 
3. Service-Linked Commerce – Integration of parts, service, and performance into one digital lifecycle. 
4. Sustainability-First Operations – Prioritization of energy use, emissions, and ESG metrics alongside traditional KPIs. 
5. Transform your data into actionable intelligence with iAAI – ITHENA’s Analytics and AI Platform – Chat with your data using natural language and get answers instantly. Powered by generative AI, iAAI identifies patterns, flags anomalies, and predicts what’s coming next. Build role-specific dashboards in seconds using intuitive drag and drop tools that require no technical expertise. These personalized views help every user see what matters most to them. Embedded AI agents continuously learn from your operations, monitor performance, and guide teams toward high-impact actions, turning every insight into decisive outcomes. 

To address these trends, ITHENA is: 

• Enhancing GenAI features, including technician co-pilots and intelligent maintenance tools. 
• Strengthening cybersecurity to secure AI and IoT data flows. 
• Designing scalable, open solutions that fit into existing systems. 
• Delivering closed-loop visibility from machine signals to service and parts management within one platform. 

ITHENA’s Transformation Strategy: Insights from Vinayak Kelkar 

Vinayak Kelkar, Vice President – Digital Solutions, highlights how ITHENA specializes in digital transformation solutions that significantly impact business operations. These offerings are categorized into two key areas: Continuous Improvement (CI) Solutions and Revolutionary or Disruptive Solutions. According to Kelkar, ITHENA leverages the power of IoT and automation to unlock substantial value, making businesses run safer, better, faster and cheaper. He emphasizes ITHENA’s commitment to rapid value realization, with solutions designed for deployment within weeks to ensure quick return on investment (ROI) and accelerated time to value. 

Continuous Improvement (CI) Solutions 

Kelkar explains that ITHENA’s Continuous Improvement (CI) Solutions are crafted to drive incremental enhancements across an organization. These solutions empower teams to boost efficiency and productivity by identifying and addressing opportunities for improvement. 

As examples, in the manufacturing segment, Kelkar highlights the implementation of simple, real-time shop floor performance monitoring as a powerful driver of improvement—unlocking tremendous opportunities simply by making data visible to everyone. Another noteworthy example is the digitization of Gemba walks or daily huddles, which can further strengthen continuous improvement initiatives and enhance team collaboration.

For OEMs, adopting modern service tools can significantly improve aftermarket efficiency and elevate customer satisfaction, creating a more connected and responsive service ecosystem.

Revolutionary or Disruptive Solutions

In contrast, Kelkar notes that ITHENA’s Revolutionary or Disruptive Solutions bring significant operational shifts. 

For the manufacturing segment, these transformative offerings include AI/ML-driven predictive operations and shop floor analytics, while for OEMs, they encompass the implementation of digital e-commerce marketplaces for aftermarket parts sales. These disruptive solutions are reshaping the playing field by paving new ways of doing business and driving innovation across the value chain.

Unlocking Value Through IoT and Automation 

Kelkar underscores that ITHENA’s digital transformation offerings are built on the foundation of IoT and automation, delivering tangible benefits across various aspects of business operations: 

• Safer: By enhancing workplace safety, ITHENA helps create more secure environments. 
• Better: These solutions enable improved product quality, leading to superior outputs. 
• Faster: Businesses can expect increased throughput, with the potential to increase the production output. 
• Frugal: ITHENA’s offerings contribute to reduced unit costs, ultimately lowering overall production expenses. 

 A Roadmap to Digital Excellence, by Vinayak Kelkar 

Vinayak Kelkar explains how the company employs a structured digital maturity framework centered on the three tenets of People, Process, and Technology (“P²T”). According to Kelkar, ITHENA assesses each company across these tenets, categorizing them into distinct maturity levels: Basic, Advanced, or Proficient. This assessment then informs a tailored, phased implementation roadmap—Crawl, Walk, or Run—designed to align with each client’s specific maturity level. 

The Phased Implementation Roadmap 

Kelkar elaborates on ITHENA’s phased approach: 

• Crawl Phase: For clients with limited digital capabilities, such as those relying on paper-based processes, ITHENA provides foundational solutions. Examples include digital Gemba walks and machine connectivity. 
• Walk Phase: Clients who already possess an existing digital infrastructure, like connected equipment, can leverage ITHENA’s solutions for real-time performance monitoring and template-driven dashboards, aimed at digitizing their shop floor operations. 
• Run Phase: For manufacturers who are already digitally mature, ITHENA offers advanced strategies to integrate AI/ML technologies into their current operations, leading to enhanced prediction, analysis, and monitoring capabilities. 

Tailored Approach for End Users and OEMs 

Kelkar highlights that this tailored approach applies to both End Users and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), though their progression paths differ: 

• End Users typically advance from digitizing their core operations to achieving advanced equipment performance optimization. 
• OEMs evolve from basic service management, such as ISR(Installed Service Records)/ticketing systems, to offering sophisticated predictive maintenance services and even launching their own digital e-commerce platforms for spare parts management. 

Kelkar emphasizes that while this framework is cross-industry, the customization primarily focuses on the digital maturity level and the company type (OEM vs. EU), rather than on specific industry verticals. This ensures that ITHENA’s solutions are precisely aligned with each client’s unique digital transformation journey. 

Vinayak Kelkar on the Future of IoT 

Vinayak Kelkar predicts a significant market shift in the Industrial IoT (IIoT) sector over the next three to five years. He foresees a clear move away from lengthy, complex deployments towards rapid, outcome-focused solutions. 

Kelkar identifies several key trends driving this transformation: 

• A growing demand for nimble, scalable, modular, and self-service solutions. 
• A preference for no-code/low-code solutions that can be deployed with functional knowledge, minimizing reliance on IT teams. 
• A shift towards use-case-driven adoption rather than broad, platform-only investments. 

According to Kelkar, customers are increasingly looking for Faster ROI, often within weeks, through easily consumable, packaged offerings. 

ITHENA is leading this transformation by 

• Building modular, packaged solutions that directly address an organization’s specific business needs. 
• Enabling rapid deployment, citing examples like iGEMBA being deployed in a week and dashboards going live in as little as 30 minutes. 
• Empowering users, such as plant managers, to deploy and manage solutions independently. 

With a strong focus on speed, simplicity, and measurable impact, Kelkar believes ITHENA is exceptionally well-positioned to help businesses transition from legacy systems to agile, intelligent operations powered by IoT. 

Ankit Srivastava on ITHENA’s iSERV 

Ankit Srivastava, Director – Products at ITHENA, highlights iSERV, the company’s flagship platform, as a comprehensive industrial operations suite. He explains that iSERV connects machines, people, and processes to drive smarter, faster, and more reliable outcomes. Srivastava emphasizes that the platform unifies four tightly integrated modules: 

Srivastava emphasizes that the ITHENA’s platform is uniquely positioned to provide OEMs with a unified offering with iSERV (Asset Monitoring | Field Service | B2B Commerce), while iMEX (Factory Performance Monitoring/Lite MES) & iGEMBA (Continuous Improvement/Kanban/Kaizen)- helping advance the factory transformation for end-user Manufacturing customers.

The iSERV Modules 

Srivastava details the capabilities of each module: 

• iMEX serves as ITHENA’s industrial performance monitoring platform, giving manufacturers real-time visibility into equipment usage, machine health, and operational KPIs. This enables manufacturers to gather critical performance data, run AI-driven predictive maintenance models, and detect anomalies early — helping them refine their products and design better versions. 
• Complementing this, iGEMBA brings the Lean ‘Gemba’ approach to life with Generative AI. It is a digital transformation tool engineered to capture and digitize shop-floor observations, checklists, audits, and uncover insights, detect patterns, predict anomalies, and enable strategic forecasting. It empowers teams to drive operational discipline and structured problem-solving through connected, real-time visibility across manufacturing lines.  
• Once assets are deployed at the end customer’s facility, iSERV Field Service & Asset Performance steps in as the smart service management platform. It integrates real-time asset data, enables service workflows, and improves technician productivity. With GenAI-powered diagnostics, intelligent fault prediction, and dynamic work order generation, iSERV empowers field service teams to resolve issues faster, reduce downtime, and enhance customer satisfaction.
• The B2B eCommerce Platform is a solution built for OEMs to streamline and digitize their spare parts ordering process to increase their aftermarket sales. It helps prevent revenue leakage, builds brand loyalty, and reduces downtime, serving as a key differentiator over their competitors -making spare parts ordering for their end customers as simple as 4 clicks!

Customer-Led Innovation and GenAI Integration 

Srivastava stresses that innovation at ITHENA is tightly linked to functional use cases, asserting that the company “doesn’t build for hype; we build for outcomes.” He explains that ITHENA’s solution roadmap is industry-led, with every feature addressing the operational pain points of customers in that industry rather than a technology wishlist. Regular feedback cycles, co-development pilots, and embedded success teams ensure tight alignment with customer goals. 

He also highlights the critical role GenAI plays across ITHENA’s stack. In iSERV, GenAI supports technicians with fault resolution suggestions and service history analysis. In iMEX, predictive engines surface early warning indicators and enable intelligent alerts at scale. 

Srivastava affirms that every product is built with data security and privacy by design. Whether deployments are on-premise, hybrid, or on a secure cloud, ITHENA enforces strict access controls, encryption, and auditability, especially for clients in regulated industries. 

Real-World Impact: A Leading OEM Case Study 

Srivastava shares a compelling example of iSERV’s impact: a leading industrial OEM deployed iSERV, iMEX, and the eCommerce platform across its North American operations. He reports that GenAI helped field technicians reduce triage time by 40%, while iMEX successfully detected anomalies in critical systems days before scheduled maintenance. The eCommerce platform’s integration allowed direct part ordering from service reports, eliminating manual lookups and reducing errors. The results, as Srivastava concludes, were faster response times, reduced part returns, and a more connected digital service experience spanning machines, people, and processes. 

5 Key Takeaways from The Journey ITHENA  

1. Human-Centric AI Approach: ITHENA uniquely combines artificial intelligence with human context, ensuring AI isn’t just automated—but informed, intuitive, and impactful.  
2. End-to-End Industrial Solutions: Beyond data analytics, ITHENA offers a holistic platform integrating IoT telemetry with business workflows like predictive maintenance, service management, and automated parts ordering.  
3. Focus on Manufacturing & Industrial Sectors: By addressing specific challenges in manufacturing, ITHENA empowers companies to make faster, smarter, and more sustainable decisions.  
4. Leadership Rooted in Vision and Depth: Leaders like Probodh Chiplunkar emphasize going deep in one’s domain, encouraging entrepreneurs to immerse themselves fully to create real technological impact.  
5. Future-Driven Innovation: With initiatives like digital twins and strategic partnerships on the horizon, ITHENA is positioning itself as a global frontrunner in Industrial AI and IoT.