By Keerthi Ramesh
Actnano, a global leader in protective nanocoatings for automotive and consumer electronics has named Indian American scientist Sruti Balasubramanian as its new Chief Technology Officer. The move signals a strategic shift for the company as it looks to scale its “smart” coating solutions across increasingly complex global supply chains.
Balasubramanian, who joined the company in 2017, is a familiar face within the organization’s leadership. Her rise from a core scientist to the C-suite mirrors the company’s own evolution from a material science startup to an industry standard-bearer.
Most recently, she managed the firm’s European business operations while holding executive product roles, a dual-responsibility that allowed her to bridge the gap between lab-bench innovation and real-world market demands.
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“Sruti has been a foundational part of our technical DNA for years,” said a company representative. In her new capacity, she is tasked with spearheading the company’s technology vision and innovation roadmap, ensuring that the next generation of protective coatings meets the rigorous demands of autonomous vehicles and high-end consumer tech.
Balasubramanian’s journey to the CTO role is defined by a deep academic and professional pedigree in chemical engineering. Before her tenure at actnano, she served as a technical project manager and senior coatings engineer at LiquiGlide, where she specialized in advanced surface technologies.
Her academic background provided the technical scaffolding for her career. She holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from Penn State University, where she began as a graduate research assistant.
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More recently, she completed a professional certificate program in strategic technology road mapping and innovation at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), a credential that emphasizes her focus on translating breakthrough science into scalable, commercially viable products.
Actnano has carved out a niche in the electronics industry by developing water-resistant nanocoatings that protect safety-critical systems. Unlike traditional “potting” or thick conformal coatings, actnano’s solutions are thin enough to be applied over entire circuit boards—including connectors—without interfering with the signal.
As vehicles become more reliant on sensors and advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), the need for protection against humidity, salt, and condensation has become a primary concern for manufacturers.
By promoting Balasubramanian, a leader who has spent years navigating the technical nuances of these coatings, actnano aims to solidify its position as a critical partner for global automotive OEMs.