ZEISS India Strengthens R&D Focus by Appointing Sharath Sirivolu to Lead CARIn

Bengaluru, 31st March, 2026: ZEISS India, a pioneer of science in optics today announced the appointment of Sharath Sirivolu as the Head of Center for Applied Research in India (CARIn). This strategic appointment highlights the company’s commitment to strengthen its leadership to accelerate transformation through its dedicated research and development center in Bengaluru.

In this role, Sharath will report to Miguel Gonzalez Diaz, Managing Director, in India, and to Robin Schmidt, Head of Digital Health – MED segment, globally. He will also be a member of the India Leadership Team and a key partner in driving our culture and transformation agenda.

Santana Ramakrishnan, CHRO, ZEISS India shared, “Innovation is at the core of ZEISS India’s DNA by shaping how we continuously evolve to meet the needs of a rapidly advancing ecosystem. We are delighted to welcome Sharath to the team at a time when we are strengthening our focus on building a future-ready research ecosystem. His extensive experience in leading global R&D initiatives will be instrumental in advancing ZEISS India CARIn’s journey. We are confident that his leadership will further accelerate our vision while contributing meaningfully to ZEISS’ global growth ambitions.”

Sharath will be responsible for the building-blocks of the MED digital ecosystem, made in India. Supporting the MED segment across devices, platforms and applications, he will lead CARIn’s transformation into a world-class R&D organization, building on its strong foundations and further strengthening CARIn’s value proposition for the ZEISS MED segment globally and in India.

With over 25 years of experience, Sharath brings deep expertise in leading R&D across global organizations such as GE Healthcare and Schneider Electric. He has delivered innovative solutions across healthcare, energy, and industrial automation sectors, as well as driving large-scale technology initiatives and incubating early-stage ventures that enable strategic growth and organizational impact.

ZEISS India remains committed to building a culture rooted in strong values, nurturing future-ready skills, and creating meaningful pathways for growth, while fostering a workplace driven by purpose.

About ZEISS Group:

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling 12 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology and Consumer Markets.

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world’s leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company’s significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS’ technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 15 percent of its revenue in research and development – this high level of expenditure has a long tradition at ZEISS and is also an investment in the future.

With around 46,600 employees, ZEISS is active globally in almost 50 countries with around 30 production sites, 60 sales and service companies and 27 research and development facilities. Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.