Priti Sawant, Founder & CEO, JoulestoWatts

 “Engineering is entering a phase where the hardest questions are no longer just about what we can build, but what we should build and how responsibly we build it. As AI accelerates software development and digitalisation reshapes enterprises, the engineer’s role is becoming broader, connecting technical possibilities with business priorities, operational realities, and long-term impact. This is especially important as GCCs evolve into centres for product innovation, transformation, and global decision-making. At JoulestoWatts, we see this as contextual engineering, applying technology with a deep understanding of the enterprise, its people and the outcomes it needs to deliver. The engineers who create the greatest value will be those who can move beyond building faster to building with greater purpose, resilience, and efficiency. That is where engineering can play a defining role in creating a more sustainable future.”

Deepak Dastrala, CEO, Purple Fabric AI , A Business Unit of Intellect Design Arena

When answers are abundant, the right questions become more valuable.

“On National Engineers’ Day, we celebrate the curiosity to ask better questions, the courage to challenge assumptions, and the care to build things people can depend on. As AI makes answers more abundant, the engineer’s judgement about what matters becomes even more valuable.”

A useful question can reveal a need we have missed or an assumption we should challenge. “How can we do this faster?” may lead to a better process. “Why does the customer have to do this at all?” may lead to a better service.

This is why asking the right questions matters so much in the AI age. An answer can sound convincing even when it addresses the wrong need. We must be clear about the purpose, check the facts, and ask what could happen if we act on it.

Good questions grow from understanding. Engineers need to know the people using a service, the reasons behind business rules, and the lessons from past mistakes. Connecting that knowledge helps people and AI recognise what is missing and explore better possibilities.

AI can help us question our thinking, too. The responsibility for deciding what matters, and whether an answer is good enough to act on, remains ours.

Leaders should give young engineers room to ask why, challenge familiar approaches, and learn from customers. Curiosity needs encouragement, especially when it questions an established decision.

To engineers, my message is simple: use AI to expand what you can do. Stay curious about what people really need. The question you choose to pursue may be your most valuable contribution.

Arvind Aravamudhan, Senior Director of Platform Engineering Harness

Good engineering is often less about what one team can build and more about what their work enables others to achieve. The best engineering takes complexity out of the way, creates strong foundations for others to build on, and ultimately delivers outcomes that matter to customers and the business. It should also stand the test of time, continuing to scale as teams and organisations grow.

What truly matters is judgement, curiosity and the ability to think beyond the problem in front of you to understand the outcome you are trying to create and work backwards from it. As AI makes building faster and more accessible, that engineering judgement becomes even more important: knowing not just what to build, but why it matters and what impact it should create.

On Engineers’ Day, I want to celebrate the engineers whose work creates leverage for everyone around them helping teams build better, solve harder problems and turn engineering effort into meaningful outcomes.

Mitesh Jain, Regional VP, Akamai India

Engineering has always been about turning complex challenges into practical solutions. AI, cloud computing and digitalisation are giving engineers new ways to build systems that are more efficient, resilient and sustainable. The opportunity lies in using these technologies thoughtfully to create lasting impact.

As the role of engineering evolves, technical expertise must go hand in hand with a focus on scalability, efficiency and responsible use of resources. These principles will shape the technology we build for the future.

At Akamai, we see this in the growing demand for digital infrastructure that can support data intensive applications at scale. Our distributed cloud and security platform brings applications closer to users, helping improve performance, resilience and efficiency.

This National Engineers’ Day, we celebrate the engineers turning innovation into solutions that move businesses and society forward. The technology may change, but the purpose remains the same: solve problems and build a better way forward.