B. Tech. (Bachelor of Technology) in Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering is a vastly studied and applied discipline that aligns both engineering physics and mathematical principles with material sciences for designing, analysing, manufacturing and in the maintenance of mechanical systems.

One of the primary disciplines of engineering studies, Mechanical Engineering is perhaps the broadest among all the disciplines dealing with a long list of core areas including mechanics, dynamics, thermodynamics, material sciences, structural analysis and electricity.

Contrary to the opinion that Mechanical Engineering is all about nuts and bolts, this vastly innovative area which emerged during the Industrial Revolution in Europe during 18^th century has evolved, advanced and these principles now forms a key factor in nano technology, mechatronics and composites.

The latest buzz words in this area are bio-medical engineering, bio-mechatronics, bio-nanotechnology and many areas often overlap with other primary disciplines like electrical engineering, civil engineering, metallurgy, chemical engineering and so on.

Interestingly, there are many types of mechanical engineers and they work in different areas depending on their expertise. Manufacturing, machine design, system dynamics and control, transportation systems, heat transfer, thermodynamics, energy systems, ground vehicle systems, combustion and the environment, fluid mechanics, bio-medical engineering et al are few areas that would need Mechanical engineers.

Studies reveal that 89% of the mechanical engineers express highest levels of job satisfaction owing to the innovative, challenging and extremely rewarding work environment in their area.

In a Q&A session with Dr Nagaraja S.R, Chairperson: Mechanical Engineering, Amrita School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Bengaluru Campus, we bring all you need know about this high-in-demand discipline of engineering.

The first and foremost quality required by an engineering student is aiming persistently for innovation, interest in learning how things actually work. The moment you are curious about how everything works, it leads to out-of-the-box thinking, understanding, analysing and being an innovative engineer stems from all these qualities.

The students should be mindful of the fact that fundamentals remain the same in any given era. What changes is how to apply these fundamentals for new innovations year after year. It is always imperative to get adopted to newer ideas and thinking. At the Department of Mechanical Engineering, we always try to upgrade the curriculum whenever it is required. We often interact with industry experts to understand their latest demands, to learn if we are lacking at any front, new courses to be introduced and teaching methodologies to keep our students upgraded. Thus, we bridge the gap between on what is happening in the industry and the changes in academia.

Passion and focus play the key role in shaping up the career of an engineering not just in the field of mechanics. To become a mechanical engineer, one would require mathematical skills, analytical and creative abilities. As long as you have that in you, explore the world of mechanical engineering.

There are three options available for each student after graduating in engineering - entrepreneurship, placement and going for higher studies. I personally feel that working for a year or two and garnering some practical, hands-on experience will help in the long run. After gaining some work experience, he or she can go for higher studies as it is quite pivotal to climb up the career ladder. Even if you want to become the entrepreneur, it is best to gain some work experience.

According to me, the first choice should be gaining some work experience, then higher studies and ultimately become an entrepreneur and be an employment generator.

The students can either go for higher studies in India or abroad. To study in India, one should clear GATE. And as a department, we have a tie-up with agencies that coach students for this prestigious entrance test. At the department level, we conduct mock tests from the third semester itself and provide feedback if they are lacking on fundamentals.

Tests like GRE look at the analytical, creative, quantitative and apptitude ability and this is handled by the Corporate & Industrial Relations Department which trains students. Besides this, we also have tie-up with external agencies that can provide GRE and GATE coaching for our students.

Internship or practical training is quite important for the students of mechanical engineering as it provides hands-on experience. We encourage students to seek internship in the reputed organisations, R&D departments from the 3rd semester onwards. These internships make them industry ready and provide them with a thorough idea of how things work practically in an office or a factory environment. Most of the internships, nowadays get converted into employment opportunities. In the final year, after 7th semester the conversion of internship into employment happens.

Almost all automotive companies in India approach us for recruitments. Toyota, Hyundai, TVS, Ford are regulars, Tata Materials, Telco, L&T do visit us for recruitments and many of our students are serving in these prestigious corporate conglomerates

It is true that there is a dip in the automobile industry, but it will not sustain for a long time. There are also other opportunities for mechanical engineers like design, manufacturing and the biggest opening comes from the electronic industry in terms of automated production, electronic equipment cooling. We offer various courses in this area besides IoT, large scale automation. There is nothing to worry about automotive industry and it is not going to intensely impact the fresh graduates.

Whenever we feel that the new technology has arrived or the old equipment has to be replaced, we do it right away. Talking about the equipment available in the labs, we have always been on the forefront of introducing and housing it to the fullest. The latest one is the laboratory with IoT which may look to new to mechanical engineers, but it helps in facilitating the control of the factory from anywhere. Our students are getting trained on how to control, function with different machines with just automation. Automation, Robotics and IoT are our flagship labs.

Our department also houses labs on energy management and alternate fuels besides state-of-the-art facilities on hypersonic and shockwaves for those interested in aeronautic applications.

If you are an engineer, industry looks at various aspects before hiring you. It takes various factors into consideration like technical knowledge, personality, commitment to the company and moral values. The curriculum at Amrita is well-designed to enhance your technical abilities, improve soft skills, personality and especially moral values in the form of cultural education, interactions with faculty, staff and listening to the talks to Amma.

Everyone knows about intelligent quotient and emotional quotient but at Amrita, as a student you will also learn about moral quotient and it becomes an integral part of your life. In that sense, Amrita is very unique, different from other institutions and when the student steps out, he or she will not only get degree for learning and earning but also education for life.    

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is an undisputable leader in the realm of private universities offering the best quality education in India.

It is the 4^th Best Ranked University, among the private universities as ranked by National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF Ranking), as issued by the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India for the year 2020

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham holds Institute of Eminence tag, issued by the University Grants Commission

It is the No 1 Private University in India, as per The World University Rankings, 2020

It is also ranked No 1 for the International Faculty by the QS World University Rankings for the year 2020

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham stands tall as No 1 among the private universities as per the ranking issued by QS University Rankings, Asia for the year 2020

A complete vegetarian, self-sustainable campus, the faculty and staff believe in nurturing the young minds of India into responsible citizens

The alumni of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham occupy prestigious positions in various government and private organisations in India and across the world

The university boasts 25 plus Centres of Excellence, has 180 plus research collaborations, 65000 citations, 12,000 publications, 100 plus patents and $100 million funding

Every semester around 200 students from Amrita secure admission into prestigious universities abroad.