Computing’s Top 30: Bala Siva Sai Akhil Malepati

A trailblazer at the intersection of cloud technologies, distributed computing, and security innovation, Bala Siva Sai Akhil Malepati has rapidly risen to prominence in the world of enterprise software engineering. With a portfolio spanning multiple patents and acclaimed research publications, his impact is felt from the design rooms at Huawei to the cutting-edge labs at VMware and Intel. Having driven key advances in areas such as confidential computing, federated AI, Kubernetes, and enterprise blockchain, Malepati embodies the rare combination of hands-on technical mastery, visionary systems thinking, and a deep desire to empower the global tech community. He has been named one of Computing’s Top 30 Early Career Professionals for 2024.

In the following Q&A, Malepati describes

• His early passion for machine learning and robotics, showcased in publications at IEEE conferences during undergraduate studies, sparked his professional goals to patent his work.
• His unrelenting focus on solving real-world problems through distributed systems which led to prestigious recognitions—including Hall of Fame R&D Engineer at Huawei, Distinguished Invention Awards at Intel, and multiple internal and industry accolades.
• His passion for inspiring others—through accessible talks, workshops, and mentoring, as well as for championing knowledge-sharing in emerging technologies.
• The inspirations driving his inventive spirit unpack the learning moments and defining projects across continents, and offer practical advice for aspiring innovators looking to make an outsized impact in the world of technology.

You have filed multiple patents related to cloud and distributed computing. What drives your passion for inventing, and how do you stay motivated to continuously innovate?

My journey into inventing started with a deep fascination for Machine Learning, AI, and Robotics, where I published a couple of research papers in IEEE conferences during my undergrad. I still remember the surreal feeling of seeing my first paper appear on IEEE Xplore and searchable on Google; that moment sparked a new goal to become a patent-holding inventor.

What drew me to distributed systems was how “natural” they felt. The first large-scale system I encountered was Kubernetes, back in its early days around 2016. Breaking it down layer by layer, part by part, was exhilarating. Each layer brought its own design thinking.

Before that, I had built Unmanned Ground and Aerial Vehicles, applying ML and AI to real-world problems. That was fun. But distributed systems hit differently. I found myself understanding Kubernetes very intuitively; it just clicked. I later contributed to several key features such as Quality of Service and Pod resource management, which were later upstreamed to public Kubernetes.

That experience of diving deep into Kubernetes internals awakened a lot of curiosity. With strong support from technical leaders around me, I explored Docker, Kubernetes, distributed design patterns, and shared my learnings through conference talks and meetups. Many of the ideas I had came from gaps I observed in current systems. I would pitch those ideas, build PoCs, and work to take them to production.

After my time at Huawei, I pursued a Master’s at USC and then joined VMware, working on enterprise blockchain. Blockchains felt like a natural evolution of distributed systems. I proposed several ideas for product integration, and some were successfully patented. The day VMware handed me my first commemorative patent cube was a dream come true, it was the realization of a dream I had nurtured since my undergrad days.

Innovation, for me, is deeply personal. It's not just about novelty; it’s about solving real problems and making systems more trustworthy, scalable, and meaningful.

You have received numerous awards at Huawei, including Best SE/SSE in Development, Most Dedicated Individual, and Hall of Fame R&D Engineer. Can you share some of the key projects or innovations that led to these recognitions?

Huawei was my first full-time job after undergrad, and I got introduced to Kubernetes at scale pretty early on. I worked on enhancing Kubernetes for Radio Access Networks (RAN), which was both exciting and challenging. Around the same time, I learned Go (coming from C++/Java), and I was so energized by it that I started hosting internal GoLang talks at Huawei India. That helped many teams onboard it.

Parallel to my day-to-day work, I continued my research passion. I co-authored an IEEE paper on cross-cloud application migration architecture while working at Huawei. I also gave many talks and workshops at internal and external events about Kubernetes, serverless computing, and Go.

Another standout project was my work on serverless computing within Huawei’s Public Cloud. I led multiple aspects of the project, from requirement gathering and competitor analysis to high-level design, implementation, and production deployment. The platform was rapidly adopted, and the impact was recognized through multiple internal awards. This work laid the foundation for the cloud-native serverless function offerings that are now key to Huawei’s cloud services.

I was one of the core contributors to a novel Distributed Runtime System. This distributed runtime system was a technology research project that would make any application capable of being run on multiple devices present on Edge or Cloud. Salient features of this runtime system were code offloading and solving distributed system problems for programmers such as fault tolerance, caching, etc. as an out-of-the-box aspect.

Huawei People magazine even featured an article on my work. All these efforts spanning engineering, research, talks, and innovation led to the recognitions like Best SE/SSE, Most Dedicated, and R&D Hall of Fame.

You received the Divisional Recognition Award and the Distinguished Invention Award at Intel. What were the key contributions or inventions that led to these awards, and how do they advance the field of security and confidential computing?

I received the Intel Distinguished Invention Award for a unique innovation that enhanced the power efficiency and capabilities of confidential computing in distributed systems. This solution reduced developer effort while simultaneously increasing trust and security. Apart from this innovation, worked on an innovation to make confidential computing ubiquitous and fundamental in existing distributed systems with minimal changes in application, which was filed as a Provisional Patent with USPTO.

Regarding Divisional Recognition Awards, I have received three till now, for architecting a confidential distributed platform that protects all data end-to-end and defends against advanced threats using both TEE and traditional security safeguards. Second one for bringing that platform to production, enabling a major internal product which had numerous external customers. The third one for designing and launching many of the core aspects of Secure Federated AI platform, from architecture to beta with external customers, all within one quarter of an year. This system empowers federated learning where models move but data stays put, secured by confidential computing across customer-premise and cloud environments. I led the architecture and implementation of its core services.

You have given numerous talks and presentations at various conferences and institutions. What are some of the key messages you aim to convey in your talks, and how do you engage your audience?

My key message varies depending on the topic but I always emphasize context and reason. There is no technology that satisfies a one-size-fits-all solution. Especially when something is in its hype cycle, people tend to apply it everywhere. I remind audiences, every technology and solution has its strengths and limits. It's more important to understand the limitations, whether due to early-stage maturity or fundamental design. That way, people can make informed design decisions.

In my sessions, I cover core principles, practical design patterns, and real-world use cases, so audiences can internalize the patterns and apply them to their own challenges. I also connect domains, showing how one technology fits into the broader ecosystem.

I love making talks visually rich with diagrams, engaging colors, and live use cases plus active communication to keep energy high. “A picture speaks a thousand words” is my mantra. I also share the near-future roadmap so people leave with a glimpse of where things are heading.

Reflecting on your career journey, from your education at the University of Southern California and M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology to your roles at Intel, VMware, and Huawei, what are some key lessons you have learned, and how have they shaped your approach to innovation and leadership?

Innovation, for me, is about understanding what’s possible and using that knowledge to connect the dots in new and meaningful ways. It requires imagination to envision solutions, but it also demands practicality to narrow those ideas down to what is feasible given constraints like time, resources, and adoption challenges.

Once I have developed an idea, I make sure to prototype it quickly, turning theoretical concepts into tangible solutions. I have always felt that innovation can not just be about ideation; it has to be about execution. I collaborate with technical/managerial leaders and refine ideas based on feedback, ensuring they are both technically sound and business relevant. This approach has led to multiple patents, industry-leading technologies, and successful product launches.

As a leader, I believe in empowering my team. I give them the tools and resources they need, then let them make decisions while offering guidance as and when needed. This approach fosters ownership and personal growth within the team. Leadership is not about micromanaging it is about facilitating progress, ensuring everyone understands the big picture, and collaborating to solve complex problems. I also encourage constant learning. There is always something new to explore and apply, and I strive to lead by example in that regard.

As a software engineer at Huawei, you received a double promotion within 18 months to Technical Project Leader skipping Senior Software Engineer level. How did you achieve this rapid career progression, and what advice would you give to others looking to advance quickly in their careers?

When I joined Huawei fresh out of undergrad, I found myself in a truly cutting-edge team working with Kubernetes, Docker, Go, and more. I took on tasks quickly, delivering not just feature implementations but jumping into high-level design discussions. I enjoyed Go so much that I started giving internal GoLang talks at Huawei India to help boost its adoption.

My initial feature work led to me leading a small team under tight deadlines and we delivered ahead of schedule. That led to more complex projects, and I started contributing input across teams. Soon, I was invited to headquarters design meetings, and those contributions were well-appreciated.

Beyond my core work, I continued research, talks, and patent work. Impressively, every feature I led had zero system test defects, even though they were complicated. I also participated in Huawei's competitive programming platform and moved into the top-10 global leaderboard, contributing new challenges too. Huawei People magazine wrote an article about my contributions.

Those combined results leading high-quality features, innovation, quality, knowledge sharing, and cross-team influence led to a double promotion within 18 months. I am grateful to leaders who supported and trusted me along the way.

For others looking to advance quickly, my advice is to think beyond your current responsibilities. Seek opportunities to make a bigger impact, whether it is through leading initiatives, mentoring others, or contributing to open-source communities. Do not be afraid to take ownership of complex projects. Be proactive in identifying gaps in systems and addressing them with innovative solutions. Career growth follows when you focus on delivering high-quality work and making a tangible impact.

Bio

Bala Siva Sai Akhil Malepati is a Staff Engineer at Intel Corporation, where he leads innovation across confidential computing, distributed systems, and secure AI platforms. With over 7 years of experience, Akhil has held technical leadership roles at Intel, VMware, and Huawei, focusing on building cloud-native infrastructure, decentralized computing, and federated AI systems that are secure, scalable, and production-ready.

He has authored multiple research papers published in IEEE conferences and holds several patents, all of which have been published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). His work has earned him numerous recognitions, including the Intel Distinguished Invention Award, three Intel Divisional Recognition Awards, and Runner-up for the VMware Innovator Award. At Huawei, he earned a double promotion to Technical Project Leader within 18 months and received honors such as Best SE/SSE in Development, R&D Hall of Fame Engineer, and Most Dedicated Individual.

Akhil holds a Master of Science in Computer Science from the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, California, USA, and a Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics and Communication Engineering from M.S. Ramaiah Institute of Technology (MSRIT), Bangalore, India. While at USC, he contributed to a distributed deep learning project supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), sharpening his expertise in secure and scalable architectures.

A passionate public speaker, Akhil has delivered invited talks at international venues such as API World, BuildETH, IIT Madras, and Open Source India, often covering topics like Kubernetes, Docker, confidential AI, and decentralized systems. He is also an active technical paper reviewer for conferences and journals including IEEE, AAAI, ICLR, and others, and mentors engineers and researchers globally.

Dig Deeper

To learn more about Malepati and his work,

• Connect with him on Linkedin
• View his publications on Google Scholar

Over the next few months, Tech News will highlight different Top 30 honorees each week. For a full list, see Computing’s Top 30 Early Career Professionals for 2024.

In addition to Computing’s Top 30, IEEE Computer Society offers many other awards; to read about the honors and honorees—and nominate the impactful professional in your life—visit the IEEE CS Awards page.