Proactive interaction within Industry and collaboration with Academia needed to support Aerospace ecosystem: Former ISRO chairperson, Kiran Kumar
Bengaluru: India needs increased proactive interaction between organizations and skilled talent to support the Aerospace ecosystem’s effort to cater to the global market, said former chairman of ISRO and Indian space scientist, A. S. Kiran Kumar.
He was speaking at an event hosted by Atria University (AU) celebrating the10th anniversary of Aerospace forum of Society of Automotive Engineers India (SAEINDIA) at Radisson Blu Atria yesterday. SAEINDIAis moving at a rapid pace in the aerospace industry, which is the fourth frontier, he said. India has been able to demonstrate a superlative capacity of building launch vehicles, instruments, and satellites as well as bringing services to the space technology to the benefit of society. Keeping up with the growing requirements of the aerospace industry, the available talent pool must be leveraged, he added. He also elaborated on ISRO’s contribution to Indian space research activities.
Speaking about the need to bridge the gap between academic skills and industry requirements, Bala K Bharadvaj, MD, Boeing Engineering and Technology Centre, India and President of SAEINDIA, said that universities must strengthen students’ knowledge with solid background on fundamentals and adequate exposure to the current industry practices. The students too must be willing to put extra effort and learn what is relevant about the organization they will be working for. They must learn, adapt, apply, and be willing and open to learn, he added.
Taking the lead on narrowing academia-industry gap, Atria University has partnered with SAEINDIA to extend industry knowledge and experience to students.The partnership allows Atria University to collaborate with SAEINDIA members from leading companies in the Mobility & Aerospace sector like Boeing, GE, Honeywell, Mahindra, Maruti, Rolls Royce, Suzuki, Tata, Toyota, TVS, Volvo, etc.
Speaking about Atria University and SAEINDIA collaboration, Shaheem Rahiman, CEO – Atria Educations, said this exciting collaboration allows Atria University students ample opportunities to learn by working on real world industry problems. Students choosing Atria University’s majors in Mobility and Energy Sciences, a first in Indian Higher Education, will benefit from Industry led courses, co-research opportunities, and mentorship by SAEINDIA members.
Welcoming the gathering, Global Executive Advisor of SAE International, Murali Iyer said that SAEINDIA is the preferred technical body for knowledge dissemination and skill development of mobility professionals, students, and faculty. It is a trusted think-tank advising policymakers on mobility-related matters. It has been diligently providing hands-on experience to students in the country. He said that SAE International is in conversation with SAEINDIA leadership to introduce student related activities and professional development courses across the country.
The programme was also attended by Dr. David Schutt, CEO of SAE International, among others.