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Siddhant Awasthi is an Indian-origin engineer and program leader who spent over eight years at Tesla, where he played a key role in some of the company’s most ambitious vehicle programs, including the Cybertruck and Model 3. Awasthi wrote in a LinkedIn post that he had made one of the hardest decisions of his life to leave Tesla after an incredible run. “Eight years ago, when I started as an intern, I never dreamed I’d one day have the opportunity to lead the Cybertruck program and bring it to reality. It’s been an absolute privilege filled with mostly high-intensity days—working alongside talented, driven, and truly rockstar colleagues across Tesla,” he added in the post. He further said that decision wasn’t easy, especially with so much exciting growth on the horizon. Following Awasthi’s exit, there was an exuberance among investors as Tesla shares climbed 3.66 per cent to $445.23. Awasthi’s Career and Journey During his time at Tesla’s San Francisco Bay Area headquarters, Awasthi rose through the ranks — from intern to Project Engineer, and later as Program Manager for multiple vehicle platforms. He led development from the engineering phase to high-volume production, introducing technologies like steer-by-wire, 48V electrical systems, and 800V architecture — industry firsts in electric mobility. As Cybertruck Program Manager, Awasthi managed cross-functional engineering teams, drove product roadmaps, optimized manufacturing efficiency, and briefed Tesla’s top leadership, including CEO Elon Musk, on strategic decisions. Before Tesla, Awasthi worked with Medaino Healthcare, a wearable health-tech startup, and contributed to Hyperloop UC, the University of Cincinnati’s team for SpaceX’s Hyperloop competition. He holds a Master’s degree in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from the University of Cincinnati and a Bachelor’s degree from Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Bengaluru. A high-achieving student from the Kendriya Vidyalaya system, he was an early national-level performer in science and mathematics Olympiads.
