From a humble beginning in Belagavi, Karnataka to the top echelons of global tech, Sachin Katti’s story is one of academic brilliance, relentless innovation, and impactful leadership. Now named Intel’s Chief Technology Officer and Chief AI Officer, Katti is at the forefront of the company’s transformation during a time of massive restructuring. His appointment reflects Intel’s renewed emphasis on artificial intelligence, not as a supporting tool, but as a strategic pillar across its product roadmap.

A graduate of IIT Bombay in electrical engineering (2003) and a PhD holder from MIT, Katti made headlines in academic and business circles with his breakthrough work on full-duplex radios while at Stanford University. This innovation, once thought impossible, allowed devices to transmit and receive on the same frequency, paving the way for massive improvements in spectrum efficiency. He co-founded Kumu Networks to commercialize this breakthrough, securing multi-million-dollar investments and executing successful global trials.

Katti’s career has consistently embraced openness. He co-founded the xRAN Forum, which evolved into the O-RAN Alliance, pushing for open standards in the telecom industry. He also launched Uhana, an AI-driven mobile network optimization startup, later acquired by VMware, where he led Telco and Edge Strategy. Since joining Intel in 2021, he rapidly rose through the ranks to now lead Intel Labs, product roadmap development, and the startup and developer ecosystem.

His promotion aligns with CEO Lip-Bu Tan’s efforts to flatten Intel’s leadership structure following Greg Lavender’s retirement and a wave of job cuts and strategic shifts. As Intel restructures and leans into AI, Katti’s vision and experience are expected to help the company compete with giants like Nvidia and reshape the future of semiconductor innovation. His journey also joins the larger narrative of Indian-origin leaders transforming global tech, alongside names like Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai, and Trapit Bansal.