Seetarama (Swamy) Kotagiri is the Chief Executive Officer of Magna International, a global automotive supplier at the forefront of technological advancements. Since assuming the CEO role in 2021, he has leveraged his extensive experience in engineering and leadership to guide Magna through a dynamic automotive landscape. Born in a small village in India, Kotagiri came to the United States to pursue his education and the American Dream. He earned a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University in 1994, with a specialization in materials and structural engineering.

Before joining Magna, Kotagiri was a Structural Engineer at General Motors. He joined Magna International in 1999 and has more than 30 years of industry experience, including 21 years with Magna. Throughout his career at Magna, he served as Vice President of Engineering, Research and Development and Executive Vice President, Corporate Engineering, Research and Development. In his previous role as Magna’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO), the company further strengthened its culture of innovation by forming partnerships in areas including autonomy and electrification.

Kotagiri has more than 12 patents in automotive product and process design to his credit and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers. He has been featured in Business Insider’s 100 People Transforming Business and was named by Automotive News as a 2021 all star in the category CEO, Global supplier. Under his leadership, he has steered Magna’s focus towards navigating the evolving automotive landscape, with an emphasis on new technologies like electrification and autonomous driving. Kotagiri envisions Magna as a leader in shaping the future of mobility – autonomous and electric vehicles.  Seetarama Kotagiri is an innovative automotive engineer with his eye on shaping the future of the industry. Indiaspora is proud to have Seetarama (Swamy) Kotagiri on our Business Leaders 2.0 List.