IIT Madras to roll out master’s programme on EVs

In a bid to equip students with skillsets required to pursue job opportunities in electric vehicle (EV) product development, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)-Madras is planning to launch a master’s programme on Electric Vehicles. The course, which will include EV Integration, Vehicle Aggregate Engineering, Communication and Calibration, Verification and Validation, and Product and Portfolio Planning, will be available to students in the third-year of their B. Tech and Dual Degree programmes from this month onwards. The institute expects 25 students to enrol in the first batch, it said in a release on Tuesday.  

The announcement comes at a time when the Indian electric vehicle (EV) market is at its inflection point and is witnessing a series of support measures by the government such as Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicle (FAME) and Production Linked Initiative (PLI) schemes. Furthermore, a report by consulting firm RBSA Advisors affirms that the country’s EV market is tipped to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 90 per cent in this decade to touch $150 billion by 2030.   

“While the Department of Engineering Design will anchor the programme, it will be delivered as a joint effort from various departments. Over the next few years, we are hoping to have more Programs with different structures in the e-mobility space,” revealed Prof. T. Asokan, Head, Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras. 

Also read: What to expect from India’s EV industry in 2022

IIT Madras, in an official release, maintained that this Interdisciplinary Dual Degree (IDDD) will boost the students’ engagement with e-mobility and will be offered for its B.Tech and Dual Degree Students.  The Institute provides its undergraduate students with an option to upgrade to IDDD programmes where the students will study for five years and obtain B.Tech in a parent discipline and M.Tech in an interdisciplinary area. 

While IIT-Madras is one of the first premier institutes to offer specialised courses on EVs, Autobot India (ABI) one of the private institutes in the country, offers research and Development programmes which are focused on Practical Learning Approach (PLA) model to give the technological edge in learning and knowledge about the EV technology and its application.