Over 90% of IIT graduates do not take up jobs related to their engineering disciplines. Instead, they chart diverse paths—joining startups, pursuing entrepreneurship, IIMs, civil services, consultancy firms, data analytics, or coding.
Why do most IITians not pursue careers in their specific branches of engineering? Is it a drain on IIT resources?
IIT is not about mastering a particular engineering discipline; it is about learning problem-solving skills and the ability to learn any new domain. More than 95% of my batchmates from IIT Delhi have not pursued careers in their specific engineering domains. Yet, their impact has been monumental.
Some have built successful investment funds or become influential investors; others have joined the IAS, IPS, or allied services and contributed to society, and many have ventured into entrepreneurship, excelling in fields far removed from their undergraduate engineering branch.
Take the example of Indian-origin CEOs leading some of the world’s largest companies. Sundar Pichai, the CEO of Google, is a metallurgy engineer from IIT Kharagpur. Arvind Krishna, the CEO of IBM, studied Electrical Engineering. None of them work in their exact fields of study, yet their education has empowered them to lead innovation and global change.
Consider India’s rise as a global software and outsourcing hub. This achievement can largely be attributed to three factors: Indian-origin professionals in leadership positions at US tech giants, the abundant availability of software talent, and Indian entrepreneurs (most of them not Computer Science graduates) who pioneered software and KPO companies in India.
IITians have been at the forefront of this transformation, blending their technical acumen with problem-solving skills to create a global impact.
The contributions of IIT graduates extend far beyond technology. IIT alumni have excelled in governance, research, and public service.
We have a former RBI governor, the present RBI governor, a former defence minister, a former ISRO chairman, and a former Atomic Energy Commission chairman from IITs.
These examples illustrate that the IIT journey is not just about engineering but about shaping leaders who drive change across various domains.
RETHINKING UNDERGRADUATE ENGINEERING CURRICULUM
This brings me to a crucial point. At the undergraduate level, most professional fields offer generalist degrees.
For instance, in medicine, students complete an MBBS degree before specialising in ENT, Ophthalmology, or Dermatology. Specialisation happens at the postgraduate level or even later, such as DM in Neurology.
Or when you pursue an undergrad degree in law, you don’t become a LLB in criminal law! The premier design institute, NID, does not offer an undergraduate degree in graphic design or UI/UX design.
In engineering, however, students must choose a branch like metallurgy, chemical, or textile engineering before entering college. At the tender age of 17 or 18, most students have little understanding of these fields.
In any case, the branch selection is purely dictated by JEE rank rather than genuine interest or aptitude.
After graduation, many IITians pivot away from their chosen branches. Thus, should we rethink the undergraduate engineering curriculum?
I propose a more generalist approach to undergraduate engineering education at IITs. Instead of specialised degrees in specific branches of engineering, students could pursue a Bachelor’s in ‘Engineering’ or a Bachelor’s in ‘Technology’ (BTech)with a broad-based curriculum that covers foundational engineering principles and skills.
Specialisation can then happen at the postgraduate level (MTech), where students can choose to focus on a specific engineering discipline.
This approach is particularly relevant in an era where skills are rapidly becoming obsolete. IIT teaches us how to approach problems from first principles, learn new skills, and adapt to new challenges—skills that are transferable across domains.
THE ROLE OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY INNOVATION
Innovation occurs at the intersection of disciplines. For instance, the Stanford Biodesign programme, a collaboration with AIIMS Delhi and IIT Delhi, is a prime example of how engineering and biology converge to create groundbreaking medical solutions.
Ignited by the Stanford Biodesign programme and with biology now a compulsory subject in the first year at IIT Delhi, every department has taken up biotechnology projects.
Who can imagine that the textile department at IIT Delhi is developing silk gel to inject into the spinal cord to rejuvenate the damaged cartilage? We need more such multi-disciplinary programmes.
Further, it would also be good to expose undergraduate engineering students to the basics of design, management, organisational psychology, etc.
As Socrates wisely said, “Education is the kindling of a flame, not the filling of a vessel.”
IIT is not about memorising formulas or mastering a narrow domain; it is about igniting curiosity, fostering creativity, and building the ability to tackle any challenge.
By embracing a more generalist approach, IITs can equip future graduates to navigate the complexities of an ever-changing world.
– Article by Rajneesh Bhandari, author, innovator, thinker and a serial entrepreneur. He is alumnus of IIT Delhi and founder of NeuroEquilibrium