Sayli Kukadapwar, Senior Software Engineer
To mark the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we’re proud to spotlight Sayli Kukadapwar, Senior Software Engineer at Lucy Group. Her journey spans embedded engineering, large‑scale software development, and innovative medical technology, reflecting the creativity, curiosity, and technical excellence at the heart of STEM.
Real, usable solutions
Sayli’s path into software engineering began with a fascination for how things work and a drive to build real, usable solutions. “Software engineering combines creativity with problem solving. Programming gave me a way to turn ideas into real, usable solutions.” Hands‑on projects, foundational study, and early industry experience helped her build confidence and a strong technical skillset that continues to evolve today.
Driving Innovation
In her role as Senior Software Engineer, Sayli designs and develops scalable, reliable software that supports business needs and enhances customer experience. She has contributed to products such as Gemini and now plays a key role in GridKey, where she develops core system features, improves performance and reliability, participates in architectural discussions, leads technical decisions, and mentors junior engineers.
Complex Engineering Challenges
Earlier in her career as an embedded engineer, Sayli faced one of her toughest challenges when diagnosing an intermittent system failure that only appeared after hours of real‑world use. Through detailed logging, hardware analysis, and methodical debugging, she identified a memory leak combined with a timing issue, ultimately stabilising the device. This strengthened her understanding of hardware–software interaction and highlighted the importance of precision and perseverance.
Professional Achievements
Sayli attributes her growth to strong fundamentals and continuous learning across data structures, algorithms, system design, modern programming languages, cloud technologies, IoT, and best practices in maintainability. Earning her Microsoft Azure IoT Developer certification was a significant milestone, expanding her expertise in cloud‑based architecture and device management.
Among her proudest achievements is working on a ventilator system during the COVID‑19 pandemic. “Our goal was to make it safer and more accessible for doctors, reducing their exposure to the virus.” Delivering critical technology under pressure remains one of the most meaningful moments of her career.
Women in Engineering
Sayli has seen real improvements in awareness, representation, and support for women in engineering but believes there is more to do. “We need more representation in leadership, equal opportunities for advancement, and inclusive cultures where diverse voices are consistently heard and valued.”
Her advice to young women in STEM is: “You don’t need to know everything to get started. Learning is part of the journey. Seek out mentors, build supportive communities, and don’t let stereotypes or self‑doubt hold you back.”
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