“Developing countries have a different need for design, which I aim to fulfill. Working in design and engineering has taught me a lot about developing a solution from scratch.”
A mechanical engineer from the Ghulam Ishaq Khan Institute of Engineering Sciences and Technology in Pakistan, Talha started his career in the realm of automotive design. In a two-year stint with the firm, he led a team which designed, built and tested a fully autonomous mobile platform which aimed to simulate autonomous emergency braking tests. Performing the duties of a design and manufacturing engineer as well as a project manager, he soon realized that a successful project is a marriage between innovation and successful management.
Following up by working at a research lab focusing on developing locally relevant products in Pakistan, he worked on solutions to monitor and distribute drinking water. His primary objective is to learn how to successfully scale practical products and use that knowledge to develop, market, and disseminate those designs in Pakistan. Talha believes that the IDM program will polish his abilities and broaden his horizons. “As Dr. Paul Polak says, ‘Go to where the action is; listen with your soul; and think big. Or don’t bother.’”