Dr. A. Anitha Lakshmi is an Associate Professor and the Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology. She has a total of 16 years of teaching and industrial experience and has completed her PhD from Andhra University. Dr. Lakshmi has pursued her M.Tech. from Andhra University as well. Her research area is metal forming. Before her present role, Dr. Lakshmi worked at G. S. Moze College of Engineering, Pune, as an Assistant Professor. Furthermore, she has worked as a Technical Assistant at TCS, Pune.

Gokaraju Rangaraju Institute of Engineering and Technology [GRIET]

You have fabulous career of 16+years of teaching experience, what is the reason behind keep connected with the education sector? 

The impact you have on the world around you is clearly seen in the field of education. As your students learn, you get to learn with them, which is another benefit. There aren't many jobs out there that permit this. My passions include research and teaching. I must continually improve my skills as an educator and keep up with the latest developments in addition to teaching students. I enjoy this process of learning and contributing to the success of students.

What are your interests and what are the special practices that you have observed while working with this organization?

My passions include research and teaching, where I have to continually improve my skills as an educator and keep up with the latest developments in addition to teaching students. There is no limitation in our organization for upgrading our knowledge and skills. We have a GRIET skills development centre for our faculty as well as for the students, irrespective of the branch they are from. We also have collaborations with premiere organizations to increase awareness about the latest technologies in practise in the industry. Our faculty are also flexible in continuing the research along with teaching. We get very good support and encouragement for publishing our research articles.

Technology is going through a lot of dynamic changes these days, what steps are you taking in order to be updated with the latest trends and incorporate them into the curriculum at GRIET?

The term technology is volatile and it is transforming rapidly. Students and faculty need to keep up with the present technology, for which we consult our stakeholders like industry, academics, alumni, and parents. While designing the curriculum of our programme, we have taken care to include value-added courses, industry-supported labs, industrial visits and internships. These are the major components included in our curriculum in order to be updated with the latest trends.

What are the current biggest challenges in the field of Mechanical Engineering domain in general, and how do you plan to address them as a HOD?

The biggest challenges in the field of Mechanical Engineering are the development of new technologies and adopting them into our curriculum. We have 3D printing as part of our laboratory course and professional course, where they will be learning both theoretically and practically. We have a collaboration with the ICT Academy and we also have a CAD/CAM laboratory course. Students are encouraged to participate in hackathons with their products developed using robotics and IoT knowledge. Students are also pursuing NPTEL certification courses and taking part in workshops, guest lectures and seminars on these new technologies. With the development of these new technologies and the increasing demand for more efficient and sustainable products, mechanical engineers will continue to be at the forefront of innovation.

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How do you collaborate with industries and other academic institutions to provide practical exposure, internships & placement facilities for your students?

We have MOUs with various premiere academic institutions like IITH, BITS Hyderabad, NITW, and SkyRiders. We do consultancy projects for industries like Measure India, Nagarjuna Construction Company, and Thermo pads. Students are actively involved in research and consultancy projects and they complete mandatory internships in these industries. These activities are done to give practical exposure to the students. Students are allowed to sit in placements for the core as well as for IT sector organisations as per their interests.

Can you explain about the infrastructural facilities available with respect to Mechanical department at GRIET?

The infrastructural facilities available with respect to the Mechanical department at GRIET are excellent. We have spacious smart board classrooms, well-equipped laboratories, tutorial rooms, a department library, and a smart innovation lab for students. All of these facilities would be of no use without our trained and experienced staff members. Moreover, there are HOD rooms, a research lab with a scanning electron microscope, a uniaxial tensile testing machine at high temperatures, and a friction measuring machine. The college has also provided a pin on disc machine, and an electro-servo hot forming machine.

How do you support and encourage the students at Mechanical department towards innovation?

The department works persistently to improve student learning through creative methods. We try to improve students' understanding of and proficiency through innovative techniques and approaches. By using creative methods, we try to broaden students' perspectives on modern issues, academic instruments that are just emerging, and social and contemporary issues. We also encourage kids to innovate in their ideas, actions, and performances through various club activities. Some of the activities we do towards this end are the use of working models/animations/ mini projects/PPTs/charts/ case studies, using online teaching and learning resources on Microsoft Teams/ Google Classrooms, and using project-based learning. These methods support and encourage the students in the Mechanical department to innovate.

We can observe many students opting for specializations like CSE more, compared to core branches. What is the scope of Mechanical engineering in the coming years both domestically and internationally?

Students are less likely to pick mechanical engineering as a stream because there aren't many job opportunities for graduates. The field of mechanical engineering has broadened because of the development of new technologies, and new areas include computer-aided design, robotics, geomechanics, and nanotechnology. Robotics and mechatronics, which combine the mechanical engineering stream with other streams, are popular choices among engineers. Even if the average annual salary for mechanical engineers falls below INR 3.5 lakhs, having an understanding of robotics and electrical systems would help you negotiate a higher salary. Though it is currently less than computer science, the pay offer will eventually increase. The BLS (2021) reports that jobs in this field are expected to grow 7 per cent, resulting in the addition of 20,900 jobs, with positions rising from 299,200 to 320,100 by 2030. There will be a gap between the demand and supply of mechanical engineers in the near future. The demand for skilled mechanical engineers will exceed the supply. The mechanical engineers should be well-versed with new technological knowledge, coding, and communication skills

What is your vision as a HOD of Mechanical engineering for the coming years at GRIET?

One of the most diverse and versatile engineering fields is Mechanical Engineering. I want students to opt for Mechanical Engineering by choice. If it is opted for by chance, within one year they should transform themselves with an inclination to develop the best products that have an impact on society, such as environmental systems. I want to see my students as entrepreneurs to set up manufacturing industries within India.