My Motivation to Study Masters in Automotive Technology

I stand by the quote by a famous actor Seam Hampton - “A dream without ambition is like a car without gas you're not going anywhere,” which always cranks up my engine and drives me through my dream path. My fascination towards machines and thirst for an experimental study amongst experts in Automotive Technology motivated me to apply for Masters in Automotive Technology at the Eindhoven University of Technology.

My inquisitiveness for machines started when I was travelling in a train. A series of carriage being drawn by a single block engine kindled my fascination at a very young age. All the answers to my curious mind were answered when I visited a locomotive maintenance depot where my father worked. I was spellbound by the huge engine blocks and the turbo-units and was awestruck when I looked at the heavy machinery. My tryst for machines eventually rose and I kept visiting the place for a long time after my secondary school. Interacting with the engineers, I started building up on my dreams of becoming a Mechanical Engineer. As a school-going kid, I had extraordinary dreams - dreams that I desired to turn into reality. My zeal to succeed and competitive spirit only motivated me to stand out among everyone and complete my secondary schooling with an overall of 91% which was later improved to 96% during my intermediate study.

During my undergraduate education at VNR Vignana Jyothi institute of engineering and technology, I strived to dig to the roots of my study. Through the course, I found myself digging deeper into subjects such as Thermodynamics, Thermal Engineering, Kinematics and Dynamics of Machinery and Machine Drawing. Never fully satisfied by conventional classroom learning, I tried to learn from every source possible. I insisted on being trained practically, industrially which explains my prolonged stays in the laboratories. This led me to achieve an academic aggregate of 8. 73 (CGPA) at my undergraduate study. A strong believer of practical training, I worked hard to engross myself in the practical concepts of the field and found myself participating in other co-curricular activities beyond my classroom to explore the field in depth. I completed a certificate course on CATIA and ANSYS from Central Institute of Tool Design, India. Additionally, I had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience on the engine blocks of various two and four wheelers during the Fast Track Assembly and Disassembly Workshop by Ezenith. I learnt with utmost interest, the working of an engine. I further pursued my internship at Indian South Central Railways, where I worked on Turbochargers of Diesel Locomotives, which provided me profound knowledge regarding the design and working of turbochargers used in locomotives. My passion for machines and knowledge on drive trains heightened. It was during the end of my third year that I got an opportunity to be an on-site intern in Manufacturing and inspection divisions at the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, a very well-known industry of the country.

During this phase, I gained a real time exposure to the manufacturing industry and its functioning. I learnt in intricate detail, the challenges, problems faced in manufacturing and subsequently learnt the solutions and workings. My zest for building materials further strengthened when I, along with a team of 24, participated in SAE BAJA 2017 Championship wherein we presented a working prototype of an ATV (All-terrain vehicle). I led the powertrain team where we designed and fabricated the couplings connecting the gearbox with the engine. I have actively worked on the power calculations and gear ratios. I learnt a great deal about the fabrication of a vehicle, design parameters and the selection of right materials for the parts during this project. I also noticed that the conventional power train systems haven’t changed significantly for over a century and are due for a major revolution. Noting my strong inclination over innovative and research-based learning, I decided to pursue research in the field of Automotive Technology.

During the final year of my bachelor’s degree, I worked on the Design and Analysis of a Hoverbike. I took the liberty of taking charge in designing and analyzing the hoverbike. This is where I used my certification knowledge of CATIA and ANSYS. I designed the chassis and airfoil on CATIA and analyzed the model in ANSYS. I also learnt computational fluid dynamics during this phase to conduct the CFD analysis on the whole model. The prototype was extremely successful and stood among the top 5 projects in the department. It was designed to be compact, efficient and eco friendly while supporting heavy payloads. It is an underlying fact that true learning happens outside the traditional classroom. My stint as a production executive of the TEDx event organized at our university has taught me valuable lessons in life. Not only did it help hone my leadership skills, but also, I was provided with a wonderful opportunity to network with engineers, artists, entrepreneurs and grow as a person.

My enthusiasm towards organizing also made me actively participate in the core committee crew of the college’s technical fest CONVERGENCE for three consecutive years wherein I accepted the responsibility of local publicity, hospitality and operations. Working with a huge team taught me the challenges of real time event planning and enriched my managerial skills. I was also part of the college’s literary club, Stentorian which helped me participate in numerous events in and outside my city helping me grow into the confident person I am today. My experience with Tata Consultancy Services as an Assistant System Engineer helped me in improving my software skills to core. My primary role is to implement changes in the client applications as requested by the clients.

During this experience, I was trained on various languages such as C++, Java and PL/SQL. I believe that my disparate experiences will converge and eventually connect all the dots. If there was one thing that was constant in my academic career, it was my effort to understand the core value of engineering, to serve to the best of my capabilities and to contribute to clean and efficient energy. At this critical juncture in my career, I aspire to study at the Eindhoven University of Technology, with an exceptional graduate curriculum. With excellent faculty and research opportunities the university has, I think TUE will be my launch pad in revolutionizing design optimization. I am convinced that if offered an opportunity I would excel and strive to bring laurels to your university.