The evolution of Mechatronics in India – Increasing job opportunities and growth

In the current day and age, technology is at the forefront of every field. Expanding the horizon of career prospects, tech-induced options have made it easier for students to choose unconventional vocation options. According to India Today, the 2018 Open Doors Report on International Educational Exchange says that Indian and other international students in the US are turning to off-beat courses.

While robotics and automation gained popularity a while ago, the newest addition to the family is Mechatronics. A comparatively new branch of engineering, it is an amalgamation of mechanical, electronic and software engineering.

The course, which is now being offered by a select few institutes in India including Vellore Institute of Technology, University of Delhi and Lovely Professional University, it opens up multiple career options. After completion, the students can work in automation and robotics, computer integrated manufacturing systems, AI and expert systems, sensing and control systems, and transportation and vehicular systems.

With its promising future prospects, the drift towards the Mechatronics in India is visible. Rahul Barhate, a 20-year-old boy from Maharashtra was recently awarded the Best Apprentice Award in Volkswagen’s Mechatronics Apprentice Program. The award was handed to him by the top management at Volkswagen AG in Wolfsburg, Germany.

The Indian unit of German luxury car maker, Mercedes-Benz India has also extended its Mechatronics wing to North India. The company has signed a MoU with Noida Institute of Engineering & Technology and Krishna Institute of Engineering & Technology in Delhi.

Strengthening the government’s Skill India initiative, Mercedes-Benz is offering Advanced Diploma in Automotive Mechatronics (ADAM) program. The company’s first-ever tie-up with private colleges in India is an indicator of multiple avenues that the future holds for students.

Adding to the job opportunities are the technology backed startups. Along with IT, which is amongst the favorites of investors, non-IT sectors including Mechatronics are all the rage. The automation of even the smallest of things, has brought an increased demand for the manufacturing of such products, and thus a rise in the technological workforce.

The rise in automation, the oncoming of robots that match human intellect, and inclination towards all things mechanical, is shaping the future of Mechatronics in India. It is also closely associated with the Internet of Things (IoT), which is driving the learning curve for how Mechatronic systems are being designed, perceived, and manufactured, for a smarter, better tomorrow.