The Indian automobile industry seems to have come a long way since the first car was manufactured in Mumbai in 1898. The automobile sector today is one of the key sectors of the country contributing majorly to the economy of India. It directly and indirectly provides employment to over 10 million people in the country. A recent research conducted by the global consultancy firm Deloitte says that at least one Indian automobile company will feature among the top six automobile companies that will dominate the car market by 2020.
The Indian automobile industry proved to be in good shape despite the economic downturn. This was majorly due to the fact of renewed interest shown by global automobile players like Honda and Nissan Motors which consider India to be a potential market.
The expansion of the Indian economy has resulted in the entry of global automobile players. They are looking at India as a huge market for investments and a primary base for production. Automobile giants like Hyundai, Honda, Ford Motors, Toyota, Maruti Suzuki, Mahindra and Mahindra, Nissan and General Motors, to name a few, already have their production plants in the country. This has created various opportunities for people with an Automobile Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Technical Engineering background. People with an interest in the technicalities of a vehicle can vastly explore into the multitudes of the Automobile Industry.
Career Opportunities:
Mechanical Engineers, Electronics Engineers, Electrical Engineers and those specializing in automobile engineering are involved in the assembly, testing, design, servicing and even marketing aspects of the automobile industry. Students of mechanical engineering can also opt for automobile engineering as an optional subject in many engineering colleges. Those who clear sections A & B of the Associate Membership Exam of the Institution of Engineers (India) are also eligible for jobs at par with engineering degree holders.
An Automobile Engineer is responsible for repairs, maintenance, designing and manufacturing of self-moving vehicles, such as cars, trucks, buses, vans, tempos, mopeds, motor cycles, scooters and tractors. S/he is concerned with the up-keep of vehicles to ensure their proper, efficient and economical running. At times, they may overhaul the vehicles by dismantling their assemblies and reassemble them after cleaning, removing defects and repairing or replacing worn-out parts.
An Automobile Maintenance Engineer exercises general supervision over mechanics and other workers in the workshop, factory or garage. He may in addition, design new models, keeping in view their performance, capacity, durability and cost of manufacture and maintenance. For this, he studies the data of working of previous models, introduces fresh ideas, makes new computations and prepares working drawings of the new model. Once the model is thoroughly checked and tested, the final drawing for mass production is prepared.
Design Your Dream:
If you’re more of an artistic person, another option is Automobile Design. As the name suggests, you would be tasked with coming up for new car designs. Automotive Designers handle the visual appearance or aesthetics of vehicles and contribute to the creation of concepts for vehicles. They create exterior designs, interior designs, as well as color and trim designs of vehicles. The best institute that offers courses at par with international institutes in the west is the one by leading and popular car designer Dilip Chhabria whose brand name is ‘DC’.
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan on the left (Brand Ambassador for 'DC') and Dilip Chhabria sitting on the right unveiling one of his Futuristic Designs.
Ace Car Designer Dilip Chhabria is a man who admits that he ate, drank and slept cars as a child, and has been in the driver’s seat since he started off his career. He revels in pulling apart a car and giving it his designer touch. His designs have been showcased in various Bollywood Films. Moreover, his company made the first prototype for the scintillating ‘Aston Martin Vanquish’ which featured in the James Bond movie, Die Another Day. With his impeccable artistic skills and illustrious career, he continues to inspire millions of people across the globe.
A career opportunity in the Automotive Industry that is expanding is a Body and Paint Specialist. As one of these specialists, you would have to repair damage that resulted from a car accident of some kind. You would have to fix the exterior of the car and then restore the paint job as well. Owing to the fact that there are plenty of car accidents around the country, this position is in high demand!
Vehicle Customization
If you take a trip down the memory lane, and remember those scintillating sports cars showcased in movies like Fast and the Furious, or video games like Need for Speed or Asphalt, you’ll get a fair idea about what Vehicle Customization is all about. Now-a-days people are becoming more experimental with their vehicles and wanting a complete overhaul by rebuilding the entire structure and making it into an eye catchy ride! The magical transformation of a GT 350 Ford Mustang from being just a muscle car to a coveted ride with electronic fuel injection and emissions regulations at the same time being attractive to hot rodders, is not an easy feat to achieve. That’s what vehicle customization is all about.
People with artistic skills and a sharp eye for detail can choose a career in Vehicle Customization. Car owners often want a custom car paint that stands out from other vehicles, and some request specialized emblems and designs that can resemble tattoos. In order to perform the same, the Vehicle Customizer should possess an aesthetic sense of color and design to create custom paint designs as per the customer’s desire. Automotive painting also requires manual skills to strip old paint and apply new paint in smooth, even coats. Custom paint jobs require a blend of artistic skill and manual ability to ensure beauty and consistency.
The growth of Automobile Engineering is such that, it provides a platform for the engineers to explore new horizons and areas. The growth of Automobile Engineering is very high and it is on the peak of adding more features to this field. India is on the verge of further expansion in this sector and is considered to be one of the leading manufacturers in development and production of two and three wheelers.
Due to massive growth in the Automobile Sector, the job opportunities are also growing. There are opportunities lying in the areas of manufacturing, service station, transport companies, defense services. One can go for higher studies to gain more experience and can do M.Tech or PhD to further enhance their knowledge. They can also opt for lectureship or for the post of professor in engineering colleges/universities. There are countless opportunities that one can explore in this gigantic field. But keeping a strong vision should never be forgotten. A famous quote that goes with the flow, ‘’Vision without execution is just Hallucination’’ ~ Henry Ford (Founder- Ford Motors)
Various courses available:
B.E in Automobile Engineering
B.Tech in Automobile Engineering
M.Tech in Automobile Engineering
Post Graduate Diploma in Automobile Maintenance
Diploma in Automobile Engineering
Certificate Programme in Automobile Technology
Institutes offering courses in Automotive Engineering:
Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal
Alpha College of Engineering, Chennai
Atharva College of Engineering, Mumbai
Xavier Institute of Engineering, Mumbai
Indian Institute of Industrial Engineering, Mumbai