---
title: "Shantanu Chandalia - Independent AI Product Development & Quality Engineering in Pune City | Tal"
description: "Meet Shantanu Chandalia, Test Engineering Manager | Technology Delivery & Quality Leadership | AI-Augmented Engineering & Agentic AI | ex-ZS based in Pune City. AI stack includes aistudio, anthropic apis, and claude code. Explore public work links including github."
image: "https://tal.club/meet/shantanu-chandalia/share-image"
---

# Shantanu Chandalia on Tal

## Headline

Test Engineering Manager \| Technology Delivery & Quality Leadership \| AI\-Augmented Engineering & Agentic AI \| ex\-ZS

## About

I build quality engineering functions that ship fast without breaking trust and lately I've been applying that discipline to the messiest new frontier: AI\-generated software\. 13\+ years across Quality Transformation, Test Automation, and Technology & Software Delivery\. Most recently at ZS Associates, where I grew from Lead to Manager – Test Engineering, owning the QA function for 3 enterprise products and a team of \~15 QA engineers and leads and for select initiatives, driving end\-to\-end delivery coordination across Development, QA, and Release tracks: delivery planning, dependency tracking, and execution with Java development teams\. What that looked like in numbers: • Defect density down \~50%, production defect leakage down \~10%; predictable, on\-time releases at scale • Regression cycle down 70% via in\-release automation; 90%\+ automation coverage • AWS infrastructure spend down 40%; I treat cost as an engineering constraint • Quality and release governance enabling the low code platform's scale to 15 client implementations Since March 2026, I've been running AI\-first product builds end\-to\-end as architect, orchestrator, and quality owner\. Full project lifecycle from spec and architecture through multi\-agent build \(Claude, Codex\) to release decisions, with quality frameworks for non\-deterministic systems\. My operating beliefs: Efficiency over Quantity\. People over Processes\. Mindset over Tool Specialization\. Open to senior roles across Quality Engineering and Technology Delivery — QA Manager / Test Engineering Manager / Senior Manager QE / Technical Delivery Manager — in Pune, hybrid, or remote\. Immediate joiner\. 📩 shantanu\.chandalia@gmail\.com

## Location

Pune City

## AI stack

aistudio

anthropic apis

claude code

claude

codex

gemini

github copilot

## Work experience

Independent AI Product Development & Quality Engineering at Independent, Apr 2026 \- Present · 4 mos, Pune City, A focused period using AI\-assisted development to operate as architect, orchestrator, and quality owner across multiple AI\-first product builds\. • Owned end\-to\-end technical architecture for AI\-first products — translating detailed specs into system designs with explicit tradeoff analysis and architectural guardrails to keep AI\-generated implementation safe and maintainable\. • Defined a multi\-agent engineering strategy — orchestrating Claude and Codex as a coordinated build team with clear division of responsibility, handoffs, and structured context to keep output aligned to spec\. • Designed a quality framework for AI\-assisted development — test automation, review gates, and validation practices to ascertain quality of non\-deterministic AI\-generated code\. • Practiced disciplined cost optimization across AI and infrastructure — right\-sizing model selection rather than defaulting to the most powerful option, and architecting AWS/serverless for controlled cost with a clear path to scale, treating token and infrastructure economics as engineering constraints\.

Test Engineering Manager at ZS, Jan 2024 \- Mar 2026 · 2 yrs 3 mos, Pune District, • Managed multiple teams with end\-to\-end ownership of the QA function for 3 Products and \~15 QAE/Leads while working closely with Java development teams on delivery plan, dependency tracking & execution\. • Managed Products: ZAIDYN Low\-code framework, Customized Identity Management tool powered by Okta and Gen AI based Chat framework, Integration Connector Library\. • For select initiatives, drove end\-to\-end delivery coordination across Development, QA, and Release tracks, while retaining primary ownership of quality\. • Partnered with client stakeholders, product owners, and cross\-functional engineering teams on release decisions, quality signoff, and escalation management\. • Transformed the quality of low\-code platform, enabling scale to 15 client implementations\. • Established QA Strategies including Scenario Mind\-mapping, Risk\-Based Testing, In\-Release Automation & Robust Review process reducing defect density by \~50%, Production defect leakage by \~10% and enabling predictable, on\-time releases at scale\. • Created a shift\-left mindset and operating model with CI Integration of Functional Tests on Dev and shifted Performance and Security Testing left in partnership with specialist teams, ensuring early detection of defects\. • Implemented In\-Release Automation across products, reducing Regression cycle by 70%, enabling faster Time to Market \(TTM\)\. • Designed and implemented a hybrid SDK automation framework to validate integration SDKs across Java, Python, and \.NET with centralized Java\-based assertions\. • Achieved 90%\+ regression test automation coverage across multiple applications, improving release confidence and reducing manual effort\. • Owned the test\-infrastructure cost line — led AWS Cost optimization for multiple products, reducing infrastructure spend by 40%\. • Transformed QA recruitment by implementing custom Online Tests and faster hiring strategies\. • Built and mentored high\-performing teams, driving technical growth, ownership & engineering discipline\.

Lead \- Test Engineering at ZS, Nov 2020 \- Dec 2023 · 3 yrs 2 mos, Pune, Maharashtra, India

Senior Software Test Engineer at ifm, Nov 2016 \- Aug 2019 · 2 yrs 10 mos, Pune Area, India, Responsibilities and Accomplishments: • Developed, communicated and implemented Software Quality Assurance Plans and processes for Mobile Apps • Took complete Ownership of two Mobile Apps with respect to Project Planning and App Testing \[ifm QuickLook & O2I Teach\]\. • Designed Automation Framework in Selenium with TestNG Assertions\. • Finalized Testing Scope / Strategies for all projects\. • Restructured formal Delivery process by introducing new flavor of Software Delivery Reports and Test Reports integrated with the ALM which are now adapted across teams and subsidiaries\. • Demonstrated good analytical and problem\-solving skills in complex projects involving Industry 4\.0 products\. • Achieved Continuous Integration for Test Suite Execution using Jenkins Pipeline\.

Senior Software Test Engineer at Amdocs, Mar 2014 \- Oct 2016 · 2 yrs 8 mos, Pune Area, India, Responsibilities and Accomplishments: • Creation of Test Scripts for Web Interfaces of Customer Relationship Management \[CRM\] Server\-Side modules using Java & Selenium\. • Involved in Functional Testing for Amdocs CRM and Billing Manager\. • Involved in Server \- side components testing and Database Components Testing\. • Involved in Setting up Software Infrastructures / Environments for CRM\. • Testing of Change Requests & Patch Bundles of CRM\. • Worked under challenging circumstances without sacrificing quality or attention to detail\. • Got Certificate of Appreciation for “Out\-of\-the\-box Thinking and Innovative Approach”\. • Performed UAT Testing at Client Site for Singtel \(Singapore\)\.

Project Engineer at WIPRO TECHNOLOGIES, Oct 2011 \- Feb 2014 · 2 yrs 5 mos, Pune Area, India, Responsibilities and Accomplishments: • Development of the Test Scripts in QTP & Manual Test Cases and Defect Reporting\. • Accomplished one successful Project Transition\.

## Education

Bachelor of Engineering \- BE, Information Technology, Manipal institute of technology

## Public links

- github: https://github\.com/shantanuchandalia

[View the original profile](https://tal.club/meet/shantanu-chandalia)

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