AKP

ANIL KUMAR PILLAI

Cloud/DevOps Specialist | DevOps Engineer

Building resilient infrastructure. Automating excellence. Exploring AI frontiers.

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About Me

Senior DevOps/SRE Engineer with 11+ years of experience building resilient cloud infrastructure and automating excellence. Military background bringing discipline and precision to enterprise-scale deployments across Azure, AWS, and Kubernetes.

Currently serving as DevOps Engineer at NEXT Technologies UK, specializing in CI/CD pipelines, container orchestration, and infrastructure as code. Passionate about exploring AI/ML applications and building intelligent automation solutions that bridge DevOps excellence with cutting-edge innovation.

11+
Years Experience
100%
Zero-Downtime Migrations
50%
Faster Incident Response
10+
AI Projects Deployed

Innovation Mindset

Continuously exploring emerging technologies and building intelligent solutions. From deploying WhatsApp-based AI learning assistants to implementing ML-powered infrastructure optimization, I combine DevOps stability with innovative AI experimentation to solve real-world challenges.

Technical Skills

Comprehensive expertise across DevOps, cloud infrastructure, and AI innovation

DevOps & CI/CD

Git95%
GitLab90%
Jenkins88%
Azure DevOps92%
Docker93%
Python85%
Shell Scripting90%

Container Orchestration

Kubernetes92%
OpenShift85%
AKS90%
Helm88%

Infrastructure as Code

Terraform90%
Ansible87%
Bicep82%

Cloud Platforms

Azure93%
AWS85%
Oracle Cloud (OCI)80%

Monitoring & Observability

Prometheus88%
Grafana87%
ELK Stack83%
Datadog80%

Databases

Oracle RAC85%
MySQL82%
PostgreSQL80%

SRE Practices

High Availability92%
Performance Optimization88%
Incident Response90%

AI/ML & Automation

Python85%
AI APIs82%
LLM Integration80%
Chatbot Development83%
Intelligent Automation85%

Professional Experience

A proven track record of delivering excellence across enterprise and government sectors

DevOps Engineer (SRE)

NEXT Technologies UK
2023 - Present
United Kingdom
  • Architected and deployed high-availability Kubernetes clusters reducing deployment time by 40%
  • Implemented comprehensive monitoring and alerting using Prometheus and Grafana
  • Led cloud migration initiatives with zero downtime
  • Established GitOps workflows using ArgoCD for continuous deployment
KubernetesAzureTerraformGitLab CI/CDPrometheus

Lead Cloud Infrastructure

UST Global
2022 - 2023
India
  • Led team of 5 engineers managing multi-cloud infrastructure
  • Optimized cloud costs by 30% through resource rightsizing and automation
  • Implemented disaster recovery solutions with RPO < 1 hour
  • Mentored junior engineers on DevOps best practices
AWSAzureDockerJenkinsAnsible

DB-Admin / Lead DevOps

Kerala State IT Mission
2022
Kerala, India
  • Managed critical government infrastructure serving millions of citizens
  • Implemented automated backup and recovery procedures
  • Designed high-availability database architectures
  • Led DevOps transformation initiatives for e-governance platforms
Oracle RACKubernetesAzure DevOpsPostgreSQL

Principal Consultant

ITDOCK Technologies
2019 - 2022
India
  • Consulted for enterprise clients on cloud migration strategies
  • Designed and implemented CI/CD pipelines for multiple projects
  • Built infrastructure automation frameworks using Terraform
  • Conducted training sessions on DevOps practices and tools
KubernetesDockerTerraformAWSGitLab

Infrastructure Engineer

Indian Air Force
1999 - 2019
India
  • 20 years of distinguished service in technical operations
  • Managed critical defense infrastructure with 99.9% uptime
  • Led teams in high-pressure environments with precision
  • Developed discipline and systematic approach to problem-solving
Infrastructure ManagementSystems EngineeringTeam Leadership
AI Experiments & Innovation

Pioneering AI Solutions

Bridging DevOps excellence with cutting-edge AI innovation to solve real-world challenges

Featured AI Project

WhatsApp AI Learning Assistant

Democratizing Education Through Conversational AI

Built an intelligent WhatsApp chatbot leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs) to provide 24/7 educational assistance to students. Natural language processing enables contextual, conversational responses tailored to student queries, transforming how students access learning support.

Students can ask questions, get explanations, receive study tips, and access learning resources through simple WhatsApp messages. The automated response system reduces response time from hours to seconds, making quality education support accessible to anyone with a mobile phone.

WhatsApp Integration

Accessible on any device with WhatsApp

AI-Powered Responses

Context-aware educational support using LLMs

Multi-Subject Support

Covers various academic topics and levels

Real-time Assistance

Instant responses 24/7

Conversational Interface

Natural dialogue flow for easy interaction

Learning Analytics

Track engagement and common queries

Technology Stack

WhatsApp Business APIPythonOpenAI GPT / Claude APINatural Language ProcessingAzure FunctionsMongoDB

Impact & Results

Reduced student query response time from hours to seconds
24/7 availability empowering self-paced learning
Scalable solution serving multiple students simultaneously
Democratizing access to quality educational support
Live in Production

More AI & Automation Projects

AI-Powered DevOps Automation

Intelligent monitoring and incident prediction system using machine learning to analyze logs and metrics, predicting potential failures before they occur.

Reduced incident response time by 60%
Predicted 85% of critical failures before occurrence
Automated root cause analysis
PythonMachine LearningPrometheusGrafanaTensorFlow

Infrastructure Cost Optimization Bot

AI-driven cloud resource analyzer providing intelligent recommendations for cost optimization across multi-cloud environments.

Identified $50K+ annual savings opportunities
Automated rightsizing recommendations
Real-time cost anomaly detection
PythonAzure APIsAWS SDKLLM for insights

ChatOps Implementation

Slack/Teams bot for infrastructure management enabling team members to deploy, monitor, and troubleshoot through conversational commands.

Reduced deployment time by 40%
Improved team collaboration
Self-service infrastructure operations
PythonSlack APIKubernetes APIAzure DevOps

Automated Documentation Generator

AI-powered tool that generates comprehensive documentation from infrastructure code, API endpoints, and configuration files.

Saved 20+ hours/week on documentation
Maintains up-to-date technical docs
Generates runbooks automatically
PythonLLM APIsIaC parsingMarkdown

DevOps & Cloud Projects

Enterprise-scale infrastructure projects delivering measurable business impact

Azure Cloud Migration - Payment Infrastructure

Cloud Migration

Led enterprise-scale migration of critical payment infrastructure from on-premises to Azure with zero downtime, ensuring business continuity and PCI-DSS compliance.

Key Achievements

  • Zero downtime migration for 24/7 payment processing
  • Reduced infrastructure costs by 35%
  • Improved system reliability to 99.99% uptime
  • Implemented automated disaster recovery
99.99%
uptime
35%
cost Saving
+50%
performance
AzureKubernetesTerraformAzure DevOpsHelm

DiGit egov Platform

Government

Built Kubernetes-based infrastructure from scratch for Kerala State e-governance platform, serving millions of citizens with secure, scalable services.

Key Achievements

  • Deployed 50+ microservices on AKS
  • Serving 5M+ citizen transactions monthly
  • Implemented comprehensive monitoring and alerting
  • Achieved SOC 2 compliance
5M+
users
50+
services
99.9%
availability
KubernetesDockerGitLab CI/CDPrometheusELK Stack

Aadhar Vault Project

Security

Designed and deployed highly secure infrastructure for storing and processing Aadhaar (citizen identity) data with military-grade encryption and compliance.

Key Achievements

  • Zero security incidents since deployment
  • Encrypted data at rest and in transit
  • Implemented role-based access control
  • Achieved government security certifications
100%
security
Certified
compliance
10M+
records
AzureOracle RACTerraformSecurity HubHSM

Edudock Platform

Education

Deployed school ERP system on AWS Kubernetes infrastructure, providing scalable education management for 500+ institutions.

Key Achievements

  • Automated deployment pipeline reducing release time by 70%
  • Scaled to support 500+ schools
  • Implemented multi-tenancy architecture
  • Reduced infrastructure costs with auto-scaling
500+
schools
100K+
students
70% faster
deployment
AWSEKSPostgreSQLJenkinsArgoCD

Harbour Management System

Government

Built high-availability infrastructure for port and harbour management system, ensuring 24/7 operations for critical maritime logistics.

Key Achievements

  • Achieved 99.95% uptime for critical operations
  • Implemented automated backup and recovery
  • Reduced incident response time by 60%
  • Deployed across multiple port locations
99.95%
uptime
10+
locations
60% faster
response
KubernetesOracle DBAnsibleGrafanaRedis

Azure Container Apps POC

Innovation

Led proof-of-concept for Azure Container Apps migration, demonstrating significant cost optimization opportunities for modern cloud-native applications.

Key Achievements

  • Identified 40% potential cost reduction
  • Improved deployment simplicity
  • Reduced cold start times by 50%
  • Created migration blueprint for organization
40%
cost Saving
+50%
performance
-60%
complexity
Azure Container AppsBicepAzure DevOpsApplication Insights

Tech Enthusiast Corner

Continuous learning and exploration of emerging technologies

Currently Exploring

Fine-tuning Large Language Models
Kubernetes Operators Development
MLOps & AI Model Deployment
Service Mesh (Istio/Linkerd)
eBPF for Observability
Platform Engineering

Latest Tech Reads

Designing Data-Intensive Applications

by Martin Kleppmann

Distributed Systems

The Phoenix Project

by Gene Kim

DevOps Culture

Building LLM Applications

by Various Authors

AI/ML Engineering

Side Projects

Infrastructure-as-Code Templates

Reusable Terraform/Bicep modules for rapid cloud deployment

DevOps Automation Scripts

Python utilities for common infrastructure operations

Learning Lab

Experimental projects testing emerging technologies

Tech Stack Experiments

Azure OpenAI Service Integration
GitOps with FluxCD
Chaos Engineering with Litmus
Serverless Kubernetes with Knative

“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” - Building tomorrow's solutions today.

Certifications

Industry-recognized credentials validating technical expertise

2023

Azure Solutions Architect Expert

AZ-305

Microsoft

2023

Azure DevOps Engineer Expert

AZ-400

Microsoft

2022

Azure Administrator Associate

AZ-104

Microsoft

2023

Kubernetes and Cloud Native Associate

KCNA

CNCF

2023

IBM Cybersecurity Analyst

Professional Certificate

IBM

2023

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Foundation

OCI 2023

Oracle

2021

ITIL Foundation

ITIL v4

Axelos

2023

DevOps & Cloud Computing

Advanced Certification

IIT Madras

Currently Pursuing

☁️AWS Solutions Architect
Target: Q2 2025
☸️Certified Kubernetes Administrator (CKA)
Target: Q3 2025

Education

Continuous academic pursuit combining formal education with practical expertise

In Progress

MSc Computer Science

Scaler Neovarsity / Woolf

2025 - 2026
Online

Advanced studies in computer science with focus on distributed systems, cloud architecture, and AI/ML applications.

Completed

Advanced Certification in DevOps & Cloud Computing

IIT Madras

2023
Chennai, India

Intensive program covering advanced DevOps practices, cloud architecture, Kubernetes, and infrastructure automation.

Completed

Master of Computer Applications (MCA)

Shobhit University

2014
Meerut, India

Comprehensive graduate program in computer applications, software development, and database management.

Completed

Bachelor of Computer Applications

EIILM University

2011
Sikkim, India

Foundation in computer science, programming fundamentals, and information systems.

“Education is not the learning of facts, but the training of the mind to think.” - Committed to lifelong learning and continuous skill development.

Unique Value Proposition

Why Work With Me

Combining proven DevOps excellence with innovative AI exploration to deliver next-generation infrastructure solutions

11+ Years Proven Expertise

Track record of delivering enterprise-scale DevOps and SRE solutions across diverse industries

Military Discipline Meets Agile Innovation

20 years Air Force background bringing precision, reliability, and systematic problem-solving

End-to-End Cloud Infrastructure Specialist

Complete lifecycle expertise from architecture to deployment, monitoring, and optimization

AI/Automation Enthusiast Driving Efficiency

Pioneering intelligent solutions that bridge traditional DevOps with cutting-edge AI innovation

Zero-Downtime Deployment Track Record

Proven ability to execute critical migrations and updates without business disruption

Continuous Learner & Team Player

Pursuing MSc while actively exploring emerging technologies and mentoring team members

Ready for Senior/Principal-Level Roles

Seeking opportunities at leading tech companies or innovative startups where I can leverage my DevOps expertise and AI passion to drive transformative infrastructure solutions.

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Get In Touch

Open to collaboration on AI/DevOps projects and exciting opportunities

Contact Information

Location

Kollam, Kerala, India

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Open to collaboration on AI/DevOps projects and exploring opportunities at innovative companies pushing the boundaries of cloud infrastructure and intelligent automation.

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