The Indian Institute of Technology Madras has started a master’s programme in electric vehicles for its BTech and dual degree students. This interdisciplinary dual degree (IDDD) is expected to enhance research capabilities in the field of e-mobility. The enrollment begins this month and the initial intake is expected to be 25 students.
The programme will prepare students to work in the field of Electric Vehicle (EV) Product Development including EV Integration, Vehicle Aggregate Engineering, Communication and Calibration, Verification and Validation, and Product and Portfolio Planning. While the Department of Engineering Design (DOED) will anchor the programme, it will be delivered as a collaboration between various departments.
Highlighting the unique aspects of this programme, DOED in-charge, Professor T Asokan, said, “The course will be the result of nearly eight departments collaborating to induct the skills required for a student to engineer EVs. The content offered is carefully curated to build sufficient depth in each domain, starting from vehicle basics and going to very specific EV aggregates including batteries and motors.”
IIT M provides its undergraduate students with the option to upgrade to IDDD programmes, where the students will study for five years and obtain a BTech in their parent discipline and an MTech in an interdisciplinary area. As a part of this new programme, students will be undergoing core courses that will build the foundation for EV Engineering. It is only then that they will be allowed to pursue electives in the specialisation of their choice. They would also do a capstone project as part of their degree requirement.
Asokan added that, over the next few years, the institute hopes to have more programmes in the e-mobility space. Professor of Practice, Karthick Athmanathan, said, “These are exciting times for the e-mobility sector. We are clearly at the tipping point. It is important to have more resources skilled in various aspects of EV Engineering and e-mobility."
Over the years, IIT Madras has been building capabilities in the country for e-mobility through its various programmes as well as incubating a host of start-ups in the e-mobility space through the IIT M Incubation Cell.
