At Cubic, we believe the strength of our organization comes from the people who bring passion, resilience, and purpose to their work every day. This month, we’re proud to highlight a story that embodies those values through both technical excellence and human determination.
Meet Sunita Kattamuru, our Hardware Engineering Manager, who had the remarkable courage to rebuild and redefine life after the COVID-19 pandemic. From her early days as an Electronic Design Engineer to now leading highimpact hardware teams and driving innovation that enhances accessibility for transit riders worldwide, her journey is a powerful reminder that challenges do not limit potential—mindset does, and why accessibility is not an accommodation—it's a shared responsibility.
In this candid conversation, she reflects on her path before the pandemic, how a major shift in health changed her daily reality, and the resilience, support, and purpose that helped her return stronger than ever. Her experiences have shaped not only the leader she is today, but also the inclusive, empathetic culture she continues to cultivate within her team and across Cubic.
Can you tell me about your role and responsibilities before the COVID pandemic, and what originally drew you to engineering?
I started my career in 2004 as an Electronic Design Engineer worked as a Senior Technical Lead during COVID before joining Cubic in January 2022 as Hardware Engineering Manager.
I currently lead technical teams, collaborate with cross functional teams, and work with ODM suppliers to strategically drive the production and assembly plans to meet the delivery timelines and budgets.
After my secondary school, grade 10, I joined a diploma course in Electronics, where I was introduced to engineering and then pursued my Bachelor’s in the same field. The beauty of engineering is that you get to witness what you work on and build on. In hardware, as it is a physical product, you always develop a sense of connection to your work.
The feeling of building and developing products that help people directly or indirectly kept me inspired to continue in this Engineering field.
How did COVID affect your health and daily life, both personally and professionally?
I was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy during my adolescent age; however, it was at a very minimal stage and did not affect my daily life. I have been able to lead a normal life with very minimal impact on my personal or professional life.
I have travelled to Denmark, Italy, and Germany on professional assignments in my early career. Things were going well both personally and professionally.
Well, like everyone else, COVID was a hard time for me, as I could not go out to continue my regular physical exercises, and that hampered my physical muscle activity and had a major impact, pushing me to a level where I could hardly walk.
On a professional note, it is a different challenge adjusting to a new work-from-home style. In hardware, it was initially challenging, but like everyone else, I slowly began to find ways to accomplish things.
How did you manage to return to work while adapting to the new challenges? Were there any mindset shifts or strategies that helped you overcome these challenges?
I joined Cubic at a time where working from home was the norm. As organizations slowly began transitioning back to the office, I realized my new challenge: being unable to commute to work and be in the office as I had in the pre-Covid era. I could not accept this limitation and stressed myself with many thoughts, feeling insecure and self-doubting about my capabilities.
I embraced my reality and reminded myself that this was simply a physical limitation—not a barrier to my potential. With the right support, I could continue to thrive. After realising that, I decided to talk to people openly about my condition and share the story. I started focusing on my strong skills and taking pride in what I have achieved to date, and what all could be achieved further. That shifted my focus from limitation to possibility. I started to gain confidence and build my skills.
What kind of support did your family, Cubic, and colleagues provide that you believed was essential to your comeback and success?
The comeback has been possible only because of the support I received from family and wonderful colleagues at Cubic.
Family and close friends extended unconditional love, support and care.
At Cubic, I have received phenomenal support from the team, peers and especially my direct Manager and senior leadership. I have never been judged or treated differently. I have always been made comfortable and provided with the facilities to enable me to excel at my Job.
I have been given equal opportunities and faced the same challenges as everyone else. Special mention to my team and managers, without whose support this would not have been possible.
When return-to-office plans were being, I was granted the options to work from home or in the office. For all in-person meetings or trainings, I was provided with the required support and arrangements. I was never left out of any important meetings and have always been included. As actions speak louder than words, it hasn’t been a tough journey; help came without asking, and care came from all over.
More than anything, I could feel that accessibility requirements have been normalized. They are not seen as having any special requirements. It is because this is in Cubic Culture itself as Cubic systems are always designed for all.
What accomplishments are you most proud of since stepping into the leadership role as an engineering manager?
When I joined, there was no hardware team in India. Building and scaling this team from the ground up has been one of my proudest leadership accomplishments. It was not just about forming a team—it was about creating a culture of innovation and collaboration that could deliver world-class solutions. Seeing the team earn the trust of executive leadership and consistently perform at a high level has been incredibly rewarding.
One of our ongoing projects includes the integration of hands-free passage to the fare gates. This is something close to my heart, as it goes beyond technology—it’s about making public transit more inclusive and hassle-free for accessibility customers. For me, this is leadership in action: driving innovation that empowers people and ensures equal access for all.
In what ways has your personal journey influenced how you support and empower your team?
As a leader, it is equally important to develop emotional intelligence and emotional agility. This journey helped me develop those qualities and take a human-first approach. Also, it became my intuitive nature not to judge or question their abilities and to provide equal opportunities.
Also, I often share openly about my weaknesses without fear of vulnerabilities. The idea is to encourage the team to appreciate each other’s inabilities and help to grow together as a strong team.
What misconceptions about disability in the workplace would you like to challenge?
Accessibility isn’t a challenge to fix—it’s a culture to cultivate. True inclusion comes from embedding accessibility into everyday practices, not treating it as an exception.
We live in an era where multiple innovative and creative tools and infrastructure are available, which enable people with disabilities to perform at their fullest. Hence, it is more about making a cultural shift than passing mere statements or organizing single-day events.
What message would you like to share with others facing similar challenges?
It is not easy to overcome these challenges, but the first step is to accept and love yourself. Then everything starts to fall in place. Do not hesitate to seek help or ask for support.
Inner strength can always overcome external disabilities. Love yourself and keep achieving.
Your limitations do not define your possibilities. Accept yourself, seek support, and focus on your strengths. Resilience and inner strength can transform challenges into opportunities.
Accessibility is culture, resilience is strength—together, we shape tomorrow.