My journey at IIT Indore

Mar 16, 2024. Just stumbled upon this article that I originally wrote for Voice IITI about 3.5 years back. I am not sure if it has reached to its intended audience effectively, but for sure helped me refresh my memories of my golden years at IIT Indore today. So, saving the content of the original article here that nicely captures my memories articulated by my 2020's state of mind, to deep dive again in the future.

Original Article: https://mediaiiti.wordpress.com/2020/10/11/following-your-passion-chaitanya-mehtas-journey/

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Chaitanya Mehta has just graduated in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Indore. From being inquisitive about perpetual motion in school days to building a Tree Climbing Quadruped in his final year winning the Samsung Innovation Award and the best BTP award, He came a long way from creation of an idea to its implementation in full-fledge making optimal use of the opportunities provided. Along with managing academics, he participated in a number of other activities like being the Placement Manager as well as the Alumni Cell head fostering the alma -insti relations. Let us take a trip down memory lane and have a look at the things he has learnt along his journey at IITI.

Starting with your journey – you gave one of the toughest JEE-Advanced in recent times. Was choosing Mechanical Engineering at IIT Indore a strong preference for you in the beginning?

I was into Mechanisms and Machine Design and had spent quite some time designing Perpetual Motion Machines in my school days. Owing to my interest in the field, Mechanical Engineering was my first choice and it took precedence over the other branches. I was a bit confused between Mechanical Engg. v/s Architecture in the beginning but considering the work culture I will be exposed to in each field, I decided to move forward with Mechanical Engineering.

How did you spend the first year in college? Was it moving on from the JEE saturation (and eventually less studying), or exploring new fields, or something else? Which skills did you learn during that time, and the following summer?

It was a completely new environment for me. I was quite overwhelmed by the talented peers I had here at IIT. We all were highly enthusiastic. I explored and participated in most of the events and activities Tech/Cult/Sports. I appeared in the interviews of almost all tech clubs, and results came with a realization for me. I had some catching up to do, so I started observing and learning from my peers. I started focusing more on academics after I screwed up in MA105 quiz-I. I learned new tools, learned to explore the web the right way and started obtaining new skills and never looked back. Arduino, CAD, ANSYS, Programming, Android AppD, Git, Basics of Electronics, Robotics and Automobiles – almost sums up my learnings in the first year. These skills and the confidence I gained from them, helped me throughout the next three years getting into various positions. The lesson I learnt is that it’s never too late to start. Each one of us come from different environment and family condition, so obviously the starting line is not the same. So, there’s no point in comparison or competition with your peers. All that matters are how you make most out of the opportunities available to you and be the better version of yourself.

What advice would you like to give to freshers? What relevant skills should be learned during the first year (for core or non-core, and for life!)? Anything you regret doing/not doing in the first year?

You have entered one of the best institutions in the country and the opportunities and environment you have here is a dream for many. Your parent’s and teacher might have said that “IIT kar lo… Life set hai”. But that was just for motivation. It’s just a milestone in the long journey. You have surpassed a difficult mountain of clearing JEE and getting into IIT. You have a ton of opportunities lying just in front of you within the reach of your hands. You just have to make a little effort to utilize them for your own benefit. So, make the most out of the opportunities available to you. Don’t neglect academics. First year has semester with maximum credit points and is crucial deciding your grades. Be Proactive. Explore life, campus, city, clubs & activities. Reach out to your seniors and other fellow batch-mates, make friends and develop lifelong friendship. Make the most out of the free time you are having in your freshmen year.

Don’t neglect academics. First year has semester with maximum credit points and is crucial deciding your grades.

You specialised in the field of Robotics, how did you develop passion for working with robots? How much is it related to core ME? What are its career prospects?

I had been following progress in the field of robotics by various research groups and companies and was quite inspired by Sci-Fi & Superhero movies. I was pretty sure that if I’d be doing research then it’ll be in the field of robotics. So, from the first year itself, I tried to integrate robotics in the project I was taking up in the Mechatronics Lab. Getting a chance to visit a few conferences during the same project and participating in a few competitions with our own robot- concepts further developed my interest. A lot of time people have a misconception that making a line follower robot or working on some DIY project is the robotics. But doing those projects you are just scratching the surface. Robotics is amalgamation of CSE, EE and ME branch. Mechanical design of robots, mathematical model of dynamic robotic systems, path and motion planning, design of actuators and mechanisms, Multibody Dynamic (MBD) analysis, synthesis and analysis of mechanisms and designing them to actuate as per requirements. All these tasks in robotics heavily involve core ME knowledge. There are many opportunities available for a Mechanical Engineer and having a grasp over AI / ML, CP and basic know-how of electronics greatly enhances your employability. To name a few- Defense Robotics, Warehouse and Industrial Automation, Agricultural, Survey, Rescue, Reconnaissance Robotics, Autonomous and Unmanned systems- are the sectors generating opportunities for young talent in robotics. The technology has not matured yet, so there are enough opportunities and scope for new ventures to grow and become market leaders.

You have been an integral part of The Alumni Cell. How did the club contribute towards your overall development? How was your experience organising Magnum Opus when its difficult because of our growing alumni base ?

It was quite wonderful experience leading the team at Alumni Cell. Setting up things in place and establishing traditions is a luxury, you can have- being a part of a young institute. Pre and Post convo sessions, Alumni meet, Alumni portal, Alumni magazine- I had a freedom to set up events & activities as I would want as an alumnus. Working round the clock for organizing the Alumni Meet – Magnum Opus and ensuring all things are in place, I learned how demanding the job of a coordinator/manager is. Being a part of the Alumni Cell helped me develop key life & leadership skills, and make awesome friends. We have a relatively small and disconnected alumni base. It’s been just 7-8 years since the first batch graduated. It’ll take time for them to get settled and plan for reunion and alumni meet. It was necessary to set the tradition in place and allow it to gradually gain momentum over time. We hope to see increasing participation from students and alumni during the Alumni Meet over the years. The current Alumni Cell team is quite capable, and I hope they keep all the traditions alive. All the best to the team!

You did an exemplary BTP – Tree Climbing Quadruped and were awarded for the same . How was your experience working over it?How was it working under some of the esteemed professors at our Insti? How did you win Samsung Research award with this project?

Creating something unique and making it work was the reason I joined Mechanical Engineering in the first place, and BTP was yet another opportunity at it. During one of the meetings with Deshmukh sir, we came up with this problem statement, and it seemed fitting well within my area of interest. I had full freedom exploring the topic and deciding over what to do and develop up to what extent. I enjoyed my time working on the project witnessing every life event of the robot- from getting up on his feet to start running and climbing and gradually getting better at it. Working all alone on a hardware focused BTP was a bit tough, but my close friends helped me at places to get through. Dr. Deshmukh has been really supportive. He encouraged me to follow my passion and take up the BTP in line with my interests in robotics even though it lied out of his focus area of research. He provided me with all the support and was just a phone call away when I needed any help or guidance. I was fortunate to have him as my BTP guide. I had put in a lot of efforts to get the robot in shape and working for the event in 3 months to be able to present it at the Samsung Innovation Award. I was so involved into getting the prototype working that I hadn’t prepared a proper script for the presentation. I was quite nervous while presenting it. The presentation went well, and I was quite confident at answering questions. The results came out as a surprise.

Any interesting experiences in the interviews that you gave for placements or internships?

Interviews were fairly simple for both the intern as well as the job. For both, I was kept on standby at first and then was given the offer after a casual talk over phone with the Higher leadership of the company. If you have nice CV and projects and you can explain your work with confidence and ease, I think, it’s not difficult to crack core placement interviews. Drive the conversation towards your projects or strong areas, by linking your introduction and answer to the questions with those topics. Be honest with the HR team and explain them clearly about your interest, they can even offer you a place in the company with the job profile relevant to your interest if they have suitable vacancy in their mind– happened with me.

What is the general placement scenario for ME students? Which field do the students prefer the most, and what are the opportunities available?

I won’t say that the general placement scenario is as good as other branches like CSE and EE. There are a few opportunities available and you should be among the top students in your branch to get placed at the firm of your choice visiting the campus. There are only a few high paying jobs available in the core, but if you work hard and consistently, you can increase your chances of getting a decent job. This year we had many good companies visiting our campus like John Deere, Maruti Suzuki, Altair, PMI, L&T, Arcellor Mittal and not to miss 3 PSUs GAIL, IOCL, HPCL offering jobs in core ME. PSU jobs are high paying and have a relatively less demanding work environment and provide ample time to prepare and pursue other ambitions. Design and R&D profiles provide exciting career & growth opportunities. Both profiles have their own fan base. Depending on the sector you specialize in, there are different kind of opportunities available. It’s not appropriate to think that you will be spending your whole time on the shop floor in core ME, though field experience is necessary so that you can utilize them when and where needed. Compensation might be lower in the beginning, but it increases exponentially with time and experience. Simulation Engineer, Design Engineer, Operations Manager, Supply Chain Manager/Engineer, Test Engineer, Quality Manager/Engineer, are few titles looking for a Mechanical Engineer to decorate them. Improve your employability in the domain of your interest, educate yourself regarding various industries operating in your domain, and fetch relevant opportunities.

How was your experience working with Engines and Daemons ? any favourite memories while working with your teammates for BAJA-SAE?

Being a part of the team Engines and Demons, I could make nice friends across the batches, in seniors and juniors. The whole journey with the team was just like BAJA Endurance with many ups and down, high and low. It has been an awesome journey with many life and tech lessons learnt. Engineering your own design, fabricating it, putting all your efforts and bringing it to life is a unique experience. I perfectly remember the day, when we brought our buggy on four wheels and drove it around the campus. Driving your own creation around the campus at full throttle (without any driving license ;p) was surely the best feeling of pride, joy and accomplishment. In the early days of 2019 season, we were planning to perform ramp jump test on our old vehicle to test its capacity. One of my teammates got himself injured while attempting that stunt on the OFO. Then we ran our car (worth >5L), at full throttle up the ramp. The car flew in style, pitched in flight and smashed on the ground on the front two wheels while drifting. The video on the team FB page contains just part of the story. After landing the rear wheels of the car came out and ran in opposite direction, and the front suspension assembly was deformed and out of place. Following which we took our car our shoulders chanting “Ram-naam satya h” and performed its last rites. That was quite eventful day!

How important do you think CAD-CAM-CAE skills for a B.Tech. ME student targeting core jobs? Are there any courses which ME students should pay special attention to for better employability. (Since you were a part of CAE club from the initial days)?

CAD-CAM-CAE are essential tools for a mechanical engineer, unless you enjoyed hours long drafting sessions in MD/ED. These are the advanced tools that you will use to implement complex problems and calculations. Believe me, you are not always going to design a simply supported beam, with ideal load conditions. Basic know-how of the tools greatly enhances your employability as a Mechanical Engineer. I’d suggest auditing the EdX course- “Hands on Introduction to Engineering Simulations” from Cornell. It has nice contents and provides insights about underlying mathematics of the simulation platforms. Basic Mechanical Engineering Courses such as Solid Mechanics, Mechanics of Materials, Fluid Mechanics and Machinery, Thermodynamics, Machine Design, KDM are the key courses for basic technical questions. Ideally, to become a better Mechanical Engineer, one need to have a good grasp over these subjects.

You have appeared in GRE. What advice would you like to give to students interested in specialising abroad after graduation . Also, MS/Direct PhD , which should be preferred?

Although not necessary, it’s better to start early, engage yourself with research groups in the institute, explore and get a clarity over your field of interest and plan ahead to carve a nice profile to secure admit in a top-ranked institution. Best timeline according to me will be to explore your branch and other areas that seem to be interesting to you in first year and start obtaining relevant skills. In the second year you can get involved in projects in research lab, summer/winter internship, and developing your skill set. That way you can gain some more experience, and then you can gauge your interest in the field or switch if required. Try to get some clarity on your area of interest and work with labs on a related project, build up your profile to be suitable in that field. You can even continue the project in the same lab as BTP or using this research experience you can look for internship/BTP opportunities out-side the insti in fourth year. I’ll advice to have at least one foreign internship experience. Clear GRE/ IELTS/ TOEFL, early before the start of your final year to have enough time preparing for SOPs and applications. The choice between MS/Direct PhD depends a lot on your career preferences and interests. Direct PhD may seem lucrative considering the funding options available, but one great advice I received was to not to go for direct PhD unless you are totally sure about your choice. Be careful while choosing your guide and the institution. It’s useful to have some experience with the guide through an internship or while working with him during your MS before committing for long term research.

Since you are a 2020 graduate… How has the Coronavirus outbreak affected your plans? What are your plans after graduating now?

I have joined as a GET at John Deere. This was basically my plan after graduation. Just that the COVID snatched from us a proper closure to our college life. And delayed our joining by a month and a half. The plan ahead is a bit blurry yet. I am planning to go for higher studies once the COVID crisis is over and economies settle down or I might also head up to start my own venture.

Any memorable college experiences you might want to share? (They can be stupid.. perhaps they ought to be)?

Looking for a perfect answer to this prompt took me on a trip through the whole four years, from the moment I arrived at Indore Jn. to the time I left the campus half-heartedly after the MSB was extended. There are countless memories associated with this place to cherish for a lifetime. It has become difficult for me choose the one to share here. So, I have decided to keep them stored in my memory vault, to dive again in nostalgia later. For those of you interested, I have already shared a few in the answers to prompts above.

What were your hangout spots during the 4 years of college? What were the most frequently visited places outside the campus/residence area? Did you go for any outings with friends?

If I exclude the time spent in the APJ hostel, I have spent most of my time in the insti at Central Workshop involved in one project or other. I enjoyed occasional strides in the campus with my friends, especially after monsoon when the natural beauty of the campus is at its best. I have had a few journeys being part of various competitions and events. BARC Bombay, Bhopal, DIAT Pune (twice), IIT Ropar, Chitkara University, Kanchipuram, IIT Bombay, Pithampur, IIT Roorkee, Haridwar and at last just before the pandemic- the wonderful trip to Panchmarhi. These were the outings I had during my college life. Not to miss occasional visits to restaurants & markets in the city, one to Chhappan, and visit to most of Jain temples in and around the city. I regret that I couldn’t realize my plans to head out to Sarafa after the Mid-Sem Break.

What do you miss the most about college ?

FRIENDS & FREEDOM. Freedom of doing whatever you want, following your passion, exploring new domains with the feeling of having a sturdy safety net to rely on if we fail. Having easy access to all the amenities, facilities, a ton of opportunities and activities to keep you engaged & fresh all day long. Late Night/Early morning strides around the campus after rains. And all of these would be nothing without the awesome company I had at IIT Indore.

Thank you IIT Indore for everything. You’ll always have a special place in my heart and memories.

We thank Chaitanya Mehta for taking out some time to share his experiences with us and to guide his juniors. We wish him the very best for his future endeavours.