Globally, today, India is considered a good investment. We’re a young nation (and getting younger!), our literacy rates continue to climb, our standard of living is improving, as is our disposable income and our access to healthcare.
The driving force behind these improvements is an economy powered by strong companies, new entrepreneurs, and a framework of policies and regulations that are both making it easier to start a business, and harder to fail. The GoI’s Gati Shakti programme, and the increased focus on infrastructure, is not only creating jobs in core sectors like manufacturing, construction and engineering, but also creating pathways for businesses tomorrow.
The Make in India programme is prioritising home grown businesses and products. Which means, our businesses get to invest in R&D, improve their products and processes, and create real differentiators in areas other than just the cost arbitrage that a cheaper Rupee brings.
Moreover, India is one of the few countries that is worst affected by climate change, and is also at the forefront of the conversation on climate change mitigation – just look at our Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris agreement. Or the fact that we’re already on the path to becoming one of the world’s largest green hydrogen suppliers. Or that India’s solar power potential far outstrips the power we’d generate from all our fossil fuels combined.
We’re not just a country of IT people
What we need now, is an army of eager and well educated problem solvers. Civil engineering today doesn’t just mean building roads and tunnels and bridges and dams. It means taking care of the environment while doing so. It means working within the constraints of terrain and local ecology, and yet, creating infrastructure that will stand the test of time and the ravages of a changing climate.
Electrical engineering has come into its own with microelectronics, large scale integrations, 5G technologies (and beyond!) on the one hand, bringing India into an era of precision manufacturing. On the other hand, Smart Grids, AI/ML (Bio-mimetics, Reclaim engineering), and Advanced Industrial Drives (Sustainability engineering, Climate change, Disaster management) bring us to the forefront of creating, using and improving on renewable energy and its uses in our industries.
Mechanical engineers are hard at work solving problems in, and making improvements on, thermofluid systems, advanced manufacturing and of course, updating our defence technologies. Automotive design is its own frontier – we are one of the few nations who are pursuing both EVs and hydrogen powered vehicles. Our problems will need homegrown, indigenous solutions.
This is also where Chemical engineers are expected to shine. As our reliance on wind and solar power increases, we will, as a nation, need to break the ceiling on energy systems and storage. We will need to find our own path on how to ensure that 1.4 billion people and a fast growing economy can grow to their aspirations, without poisoning the planet. This will involve growing our knowledge base, developing new processes and technologies, and innovative ways to apply the technology that exists today, to meet our aims for tomorrow.
Of course, we won’t switch from petroleum overnight. Even as we move away from fossil fuels, there is tremendous opportunity to leverage these fuels in ways that minimise their negative impacts, while maximising their efficacy. This is where Petroleum engineering can play a tremendous role – from improved energy systems and storage, to gas engineering informatics that help create increased safety and decreased pollution, and intelligent petroleum systems that help us make the most of our resources. This, while helping us switch seamlessly to renewables, without wasting existing investments and infrastructure.
Of course, we can’t talk about India’s future without also talking about India’s space program. Our space program is a testament to Indian ingenuity and frugal engineering. At a fraction of the cost of similar programs in the west, India reached Mars. Today, we’re exploring our own Low Earth Orbit satellite program. As space exploration once again becomes mainstream, India is expected to take its place on a global (or should we say universal?) stage, as a major player. For Aerospace engineers, the sky isn’t the limit anymore.
Has academia kept pace?
Fortunately, yes. Every single discipline and subject we’ve mentioned so far, is covered in programs offered by UPES’ School of Advanced Engineering. Moreover, UPES provides its students with the opportunity to customise their degrees according to their individual needs by selecting an academic and skill-based learning path. This can include core and specialisation subjects, exploratory courses, interdisciplinary electives, life-skill courses, signature courses, and social internships.
Engineers emerge from UPES ready to solve real world problems and challenges – this is evidenced in its 100% placement record and its ranking as 61st in the Engineering Category by NIRF 2022 for Indian universities. The university enables students by offering them unparalleled access to the best research professionals in the country, cutting-edge infrastructure, and a vast network of like-minded collaborators who share their vision. The institution also operates a start-up incubator program called ‘Runway’ that offers crucial resources such as funding, mentorship, and accelerator workshops to assist students in realising their entrepreneurial concepts.
As with everything else, strength lies in the core. When we set out to build a nation, an economy, and an identity we can be proud of, we need to build from the foundations. Our country has always been a hotbed of engineering, and with good reason. Now, we get to put all that engineering knowledge and expertise to use, to build ourselves up to the heights we aspire to.
Take the first step. Learn more about UPES’ School of Engineering and their programs.
Admissions open. For scholarships, (including an exclusive scholarship program for girls), check eligibility criteria here
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