Dr M Satyanarayana Gupta is the Head of the Department of Aeronautical Engineering at MLR Institute of Technology. With over 20 years of Engineering, he started his career with a B.E. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering. He regularly publishes papers in his area of expertise and has 39 published so far.

MLR Institute of Technology

In your 20+ years of experience, what are the special practices at the MLRIT institution that you observed and you would like to highlight?

MLRIT always strives to update itself and introduces new technologies in teaching and learning every year. From the first year onward, students practice cutting-edge technologies like AR and VR, IoT, and 3D printing as part of innovation practises that are included in the curriculum. The college encourages and supports the faculty and students to participate in research activities and actively participate in professional body events. I have published around ten ScI and Scopus papers every year. I have also received the “Indian Aerospace Faculty Leaded Award” from the IAAA Professional Society.

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 MLRIT?

MLRIT always adapts and evolves its curriculum to prepare students for the rapidly changing technological landscape. It has collaborated with industry and professional societies for the development of curriculum, to provide insights into the latest technological advancements and real-world applications, and in order to be updated with the latest trends and ensure students receive a relevant and competitive education.

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

The biggest challenge is including the latest technologies into the curriculum. The use of autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is rapidly expanding in every sector. The latest curriculum includes IoT-based Drones, UAV Design, Deep learning in Flight Vehicles, AI and ML for UAVs. Doing so will equip students for emerging job opportunities in this challenging domain.

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

We established lab facilities in collaboration with industries like Tata Technologies, AerX Laboratories, and Synergem to make industry-ready students. The department has also signed MOUs with Tata Advanced Systems, SOARON, Dronydotin, and Pavaman Aviation to provide internships, field projects, and industrial visits for the students. These collaborations will bring benefits in terms of jobs, internships, and more.

Can you explain us about the infrastructural facilities available with respect to Aeronautical department at MLRIT?

We are the only engineering college to have a supersonic wind tunnel testing facility in Telangana and AP. MLRIT is the first college to establish a center of excellence in Flight Simulation and Composites in collaboration with AerX and NAL. The department has the CoE in computational engineering to host and train the various certification programmes offered by Dassault Systems. Every year, 70% of our students complete Solidworks associate certification, and 10% complete professional certification in Mechanical Design offered by Dassault Systems. In addition to the above unique facility, the department established state of art facilities to meet the curriculum.

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

The department encourages participation in competitions organized by various industries, professional bodies, and premier institutions in order to spark innovation and critical thinking among the students. The Aeronautical Students bagged nearly INR 3 Lakh over the past three years in events such as the SAE Aero Design Challenge, Drone Design Challenge, Anveshana, IAAA Aircraft Build Challenge, Bi-Cycle Design Challenge, and Electric Two Design Challenges. The institution has collaborations with IIT Hyderabad, MSME, and T-Hub to support the students in transforming their ideas into actual products. Over the last couple of years, our students have also started their own start-ups.

You are an individual who is actively involved into research and publications. How do you promote the culture if research activities among students?

Our department organizes expert talks to cultivate research activities in young minds. It insists students publish papers and file patents on their project work. The college sponsors and supports filing patents through the IPFC cell. We have a total of ten patents and 24 papers which have been published by Aero students during the last two years. 

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

The aerospace industry has been steadily growing due to increased air travel, rising demand for new aircraft, and advancements in aviation technology, defense and space exploration. The Government of India is also spending a lot in manufacturing indigenous fighter aircraft and space exploration programs which are made in India. This growth translates to more job opportunities for Aeronautical Engineers. Our students have been placed in core companies during the last three years in organizations like TASL, ALTEN India, CYIENT, and VEM Technologies.

What is your vision as a HOD of Aeronautical engineering for the coming years at MLRIT?

Our vision for the Department of Aeronautical Engineering is to be a center of excellence in the field. We want to lay a heavy emphasis on Research and Innovation and to serve the needs of industry with human values to build a strong nation.