I am Rajaraman, a PhD in Machine Learning and a Senior Applied AI practitioner with over 30 years of experience shaping the evolution of AI—from early NLP to the frontiers of LLMs and Explainable AI. Over the past three decades, I have led major applied research collaborations with MNCs, large enterprises, and government agencies, while also serving as an Adjunct Faculty member at the National University of Singapore (NUS) since 2010. Honored with awards from AAAI (USA) and MTI Singapore, I have published extensively, served on international program committees, and chaired global AI and data science events. Beyond the technical architecture, my true passion lies in grooming people to become the next generation of AI leaders. I specialize in translating deep academic rigor into high-impact applied AI value, helping researchers, engineers, and tech leaders bypass years of "trial and error." To date, I have guided and mentored 50+ PhD and Master's students, interns, and junior colleagues—many of whom are now driving innovation at leading MNCs and Big Tech firms. Let's connect here on Topmate to cut through the AI hype and build a strategic roadmap for your career or your next applied AI project. I regularly post on LinkedIn, so do follow me to get the latest insights. Testimonials : "Raja is an exceptional mentor. He has some excellent insights into some of the advanced tools and techniques used in the data mining and analytics domains. He has a constant zest to learn and also impart knowledge to those he mentors. In my observation, he is approachable, collaborative with colleagues and innovative in his thoughts. " - Girish, Apple Inc. "Working experience with Dr. Raja had been a rewarding and a gratifying experience. I regard my time with him as a path defining one for me. He had taught me the nuances & the subtilties of approaching a data problem and many other intricacies of this science by pushing my limits. A true erudite. It's my pleasure to be trained under him and I cherish those moments and the learnings." - Chakravarthy, Kantar "I know Raja as a student at NUS and later alongside Raja in Semantic Text Analytics Lab in A*Star. He has immense research knowledge and unique problem solving capability, applied research skills. He always inspired me to approach/understand the problem in a different way. I am glad to have been in touch with Raja and looking forward to work on future projects together." - Saravanan, Verizon