Culture of openness, transparency is what makes ISRO tick: ISRO Scientist Dr Umamaheswaran

Bengaluru: A monumental gathering of India's foremost technology and science shapers on Sunday converged at the GITAM, Bengaluru campus for RevolutioNex, an Industry Advisory Board Conclave aimed at bridging the gap between academia and industry in the field of engineering.

Attended by industry luminaries such as Dr G Raja Singh from DRDO (Brahmos Project Deputy Director) and Dr. Umamaheswaran, the Satish Dhawan Professor at ISRO, facilitated interaction between students and leading experts — fostering innovation and supporting the restructuring of GITAM's engineering curriculum to make it more industry-ready.

Dr. Umamaheswaran, the Satish Dhawan Professor at Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) outlined how India's space odyssey has come from sounding rockets to Chandrayaan-3, Aditya-L1 and Gaganyaan. Highlighting the numerous, unsung applications of space technology in modern communications, navigation, aviation and disaster management, he spoke about the ethos of ISRO and encouraged students to imbibe these values.

"People ask what makes ISRO tick. We are very lucky to have a succession of visionary leaders. ISRO's defining characteristic is its openness and transparency. Nobody is discouraged to speak, even if the final decision is collective. Finally, deep passion for and absolute commitment to your work is crucial," said the ISRO veteran and former Human Space Flight Centre Director.

The conclave featured themes and discussions on a range of critical topics, including emerging industry trends, the role of universities in meeting industry expectations, addressing talent challenges, and a captivating success story from the BRAHMOS Missiles Program.

In attendance were science and tech thought leaders, including Vishwanth MS, VP of Centum Electronics; Ravishankar R, Director at Honeywell; Dr Ravikumar G V V, VP at Infosys; and Kamlesh Khangani, BU Head at L&T Tech Services, RK Shenoy, Senior VP at BOSCH, Adisesha, Director of Technology at Collins Aerospace, and Srimathi Shivshankar, Chief Vice President at HCLTech, and Kottai, the Global Head of AWS, who set the stage for insightful conversations.

The Pro Vice Chancellor GITAM (Deemed to be University) Bengaluru, Prof KNS Acharya, who helmed the event said, "India is sitting on a massive opportunity. In the next 5-6 years, India is poised to grow in a $7trillion economy. Business is guaranteed but are we ready to deliver the right talent? GITAM is blessed to be guided by leaders from 25+ companies on the revamp of our engineering curriculum. We are opening discussions with the Industry Advisory Board, and the outcome will be taken into account. From the next academic year, we will have a new academic curriculum being rolled out."

The Chancellor of GITAM (Deemed to be) University, Virander Singh Chauhan said, “The culture of a University is to get educated, not skilled. Industry is universally very important for University and vice versa. But the core value of education remains where it should remain. We don't need to worry too much about putting skills down young people's throat. One third of the US population was unvaccinated, when they had more vaccines than anyone — since they didn't believe in vaccines. Skilling is inevitable in a good University, but it is incumbent upon a University to ensure that graduating people are going out not just as skilled but educated."

This convergence of tech titans and academics represents a pivotal moment in the development of engineering education. It underlines the commitment to producing industry-ready graduates who can drive innovation and contribute significantly to India's thriving tech and science landscape.