KCG College of Technology

 Sandeep Sen
December 17, 1903, is a monumental day in aeronautical history. It is the day when the Wright Brothers first took flight on the plane they built. They were not the first people in history to fly but the Wright brothers were the first to fly in a powered and controlled aircraft. Previous flights were gliders (control but no power) or free flight (power but no control), but the Wright brothers combined both, setting the new standard in aviation records.

An aeronautical student today has the same zeal to fly as the Wright brothers did, however, the aerospace industry of the country is currently conceived to be a somewhat closed prospect. Most students that graduate from the course are of the view that the opportunities in the aeronautical industry are extremely limited. This belief is only a myth as our country consumes one out of every six Airbus aircrafts manufactured worldwide; stands ninth in aviation and aerospace, and is moving towards being the world's fifth biggest in this vertical. It is only a matter of time before European and other global giants venture into India to soak in the aviation industry of the country. However, these opportunities do not make the task any easier for a student. He needs to be proficient to the point of being perfect in order to secure a job in this space. KCG College of Technology has understood that the knowledge of specifications are tantamount for the student to acquire a job in this extremely competitive field. The courses in the university are designed for student with the zest to earn an exciting career after the completion of the program.

The field of aerospace today is a varied one and quite unlike the one that the Wright brothers had experienced. They were the engineers, ground staff, aviation experts and navigators. That is not applicable today. Today major software companies are hiring aero students for their software development in aerospace. When Infosys Technologies recruited 99 students from the 2011 batch from KCG, they needed engineers that were capable of handling the various developmental and testing processes. There are many other reputed companies regularly visit the campus for recruitment such as Ramco, L&T Infotech, Capgemini, HCL, Mahindra Satyam, American Megatrends, Syntel, CTS, and TCS, dissolving the myth � lot of aero students are recruited by software companies that develop the software for airplane equipment manufacturers. Other high profile recruiters for these aeronautics students are Defense service particularly the Air Forces and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) happen to be two major employment providers for Aeronautical Engineers. Moreover, the Aeronautical Engineers often get employment in organizations such as Hindustan Aeronautical Ltd (HAL), Defense Research and Development Laboratories (DRDO), National Aeronautical Lab (NAL), Aeronautical Development Establishment.

An entrance to these prestigious names requires talent of the highest level and only the selected few are called in. To facilitate this, the institute holds conferences, meets and fest where big corporate names are involved. It also conducts value added programs in association with the paraphernalia used in industries, students are trained on soft skills from first year onwards at various levels. Guest lectures are given by experts from industries to expose the students to the latest technologies used around the world, different pedagogical methods are used in classroom to meet the needs of all kinds of learners. This allows the students to interact with industry stalwarts and get a feel of the professional world before they are called upon to step into it.

The institute also takes the students through a rigorous curriculum and offers the best infrastructure in order to aid its students in channeling their talents.

The department of engineering in KCG was started in 2007. The course covers, Aerodynamics, Aerospace Propulsion, Aerospace Structure, Aircraft Design, Aircraft maintenance, Air transportation, Avionics, and Project work. The faculty is a right blend of both young and experienced Professors from pioneer Educational institutions like I.I.T., I.I.Sc., M.I.T. and with a long industrial experienced from advanced aerospace and aeronautical institutions like ISRO, DRDL, HAL, NAL, IAF and supported by highly skilled and experienced lab instructors. Under the able guidance of these professors, the students carry out important research and entrepreneurial activities within the campus.

An important AICTE funded research was completed in the area of Hydrogen Dual fuel Engines (Alternative Fuels) by the students and currently funded research is on going in the area of Co Extrusion of Al-Cu alloys. Also research facility is available in the area of Composite Materials, Computer Aided Engineering, Tribology and Extrusion.

The institute also has well equipped laboratories: the aircraft structures lab imparts practical knowledge on various structural designs and developments, the aero engine lab allows students to do various tests on maintenance and repair, an aircraft systems lab where the students are trained to overcome various snags and clogs in the process. The avionics lab trains the students to learn about basic digital electronics circuits, programming with microprocessors, design and implementation of data buses in avionics and the propulsion and airframe labs are used to teach them the basic concepts in aerospace propulsion and riveting, welding, and fabric patch repairs so that Aero students are conversant with different materials and fabricating processes. These labs allow the students to get a hands-on feel of the work that they would be doing at their jobs.

When the Wright brothers built their plane that reshaped history, they were not fortunate enough to be exposed to such advanced technologies. However, with their initiative students can learn a valuable lesson that with the right amount of power and control anybody can fly. KCG institute with its various facilities and competent faculty gives this power and control to its students so that they are able to master a career of their choice.

Current Issue

TheHigherEducationReview Tv