Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Automobile Engineering

Automobile engineering or automotive engineering is the branch of engineering which deals with the study as how to design, manufacture and operate automobiles like buses, trucks, cars etc. and also their respective engineering subsystems. This can also be a grouped under vehicle engineering.

An automobile engineer’s main duty is to design, test and develop vehicles and/or components from concept stage through to production stage. The vehicle after being launched in the market also needs improvement. Then it comes to the duty of the automobile engineer to improve the vehicle in response to customers' feedback.

Automobile engineers further can specialize in the areas such as aerodynamics, alternative fuels, chassis, electronics, emissions, ergonomics, manufacturing, materials, motorsport, power train, rapid prototyping, vehicle and pedestrian safety or supply chain management etc. The responsibility of automobile engineer is always in maintaining the high standard of vehicle by the use of traditional methods and state-of-the-art technology.

In recent times, owing to the rapid growth of automobile industries in the country, the demand for skilled professionals has also been increased considerably. Hence opting for a career in automobile engineering will be interesting as well as rewarding.

Courses & Eligibility

An aspirant of automobile engineering must start his/her academic career in Science at intermediate level i.e. plus two (with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics). After completion of plus two or class 12th in science stream he/she has to sit for entrance examinations conducted both at national and state level (e.g. IITJEE, AIEEE, BITSAT etc.). After qualifying the entrance exam he/she would take up BE/BTech in automobile engineering which is of four years duration.

One can also opt for Diploma program after completion of his/her class 10th. In this case he/she will only be recognized with the status of a junior engineer. However there are very few institutions offering diploma programs in automobile engineering.

One, who still wants to study further after completing BE/BTech, can pursue MTech program offered by Indian Institutes of Technology and few other engineering colleges/universities in the country. For doing M.Tech the candidate needs to qualify the GATE examination.

Individuals with interests in research and development can take up PhD program after his/her post graduation studies.


Career Prospects

With the rapid growth of automobile industry in India, the demand for qualified and skilled automobile engineers has also been increased in recent times. The overall reason is due to the increasing demand for vehicle.

The possibility of an automobile engineer to find job is maximum in automobile manufacturing industries. Apart from it one can find jobs in service station, private transport companies and Defense Services. Self-employment is also possible in setting up automobile garages or maintenance of workshops. Job opportunities are well in India as well as in foreign countries including the Middle East. In Middle East the pay scales are good and opportunities are many.

One who is still having the desire to continue his/her educational career can also continue by joining MTech and PhD programs. In this case he/she could become a researcher or scientist and further help in the development of the field. One can also join as part time or full time lecturer or professor in engineering colleges/universities in India and abroad.

Pay-Package

The average starting monthly salary of a fresh graduate of automobile engineering ranges between Rs. 10,000 – Rs. 15,000. The trend will increase with increase in experience and skills. Freshers from elite technological institutions including IITs, NITs, and BITS are offered very high pay package owing to their academic excellence and skills. After having three or four years of industrial experience, one can a expect salary up to Rs 40,000 per month. There is no limitation for the right candidates to progress in this field.

Institutes/Universities

There are few institutions in India offering courses in automobile engineering. The demand is more as compared to the production. BE/BTech course in automobile engineering is offered by elite technological universities including the IITs and NITs. Other pioneer institutes are Birla institute of Technology, Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), College of Engineering and Technology (Anna University) and several other state level engineering colleges.