Capt. Sujit Padhye started his journey on the ocean. At the age of 18, he became an apprentice seafarer, understanding the ins and outs of the ocean and its dynamic environment. This experience allowed him to gain insight that not many people in the industry have: real-life experience and a deeper understanding of what seafarers really need.
His interest in weather prediction and ship routing pushed him to the shore to learn more. After gaining experience at Jefferson and Synergy Ship Management, he came to OrbitMI just over a year ago.
Despite his work being in product design, he ensures his work is client facing–he often finds himself meeting with clients and understanding their constantly-changing needs through real conversations and working together. He highlighted this aspect as one that sets Orbit apart: because the team is on the smaller side, they are able to form genuine relationships with their clients to understand each individual task and client problem.
His favorite part of working in the maritime industry, and at Orbit specifically? The fact that the work is continuously evolving. With new products constantly under development, he says “there’s always something new to learn and to contribute to. Each day teaches something new, and I get to grow alongside the company.” For someone who spent a career reading conditions that changed by the hour, that kind of motion isn’t unsettling, it’s familiar.
Much of what excites him about the work isn’t the data itself, but what happens after it’s collected. His work at Orbit doesn’t just require him to gather the data, we understand how to use and create solutions from the collected information. Padhye stressed the importance of “not only delivering data, but also identifying the problem and the solution.” This idea sits at the center of Orbit’s messaging and propels each project they work on. Data on its own can be gathered by anyone. The value comes from knowing how to turn it into something a client can actually act on.
This philosophy shapes how he views client relationships as well. In an ever-changing industry, he states that it becomes critical to “understand your client’s pain points and work towards understanding.” In our discussion, he pointed to one of the more unexpected rewards of his role: through having conversations with multiple clients, he noticed common underlying problems occurring in different forms across various fleets and operations.
Over the course of his career, he has learned how to manage a myriad of tasks that all need to be completed. Some client needs are mandatory, so it becomes important to know which requirements are baseline deliverables that are put on priority. Beyond that baseline, though, prioritization requires knowledge through experience: what data is required, what’s actually available, how difficult the task will be, and how long it will realistically take to deliver.
OrbitMI’s team spans across continents and time zones. Rather than this being a hindrance, Padyhe sees this as a clear advantage: there’s almost always someone available when a customer needs help. He pointed out what makes this situation actually work: trust. “Always have a backup person on the team who has an idea of what you’re working on,” he says. This habit allows everyone on the team to stay connected despite being thousands of miles apart. Working together ensures no work is missed and client needs are consistently put at the forefront.
Even a year into a role he clearly finds energizing, Capt. Padhye stays curious. In such a constantly evolving industry, staying stagnant is what causes someone to fall behind. Even in his free time, he finds himself researching the industry and eager to learn more. He completed a weather forecasting course from Penn State just to stay more educated and connected to the industry.
When asked what advice he’d give to someone starting out, he got straight to the point: stay curious, be attentive to your customer, and ensure high-quality builds. He practices what he preaches in his role each day, knowing how important these ideas are on both sides: sea and shore. This principle is what keeps his work–and the work at OrbitMI–moving forward.
