My areas of interest are materials for automotive applications, metal casting, tribology and composite materials. My career goal is to actively participate in research and development activities in manufacturing and automotive industries. Having worked on improvement in properties and performance of materials used in automotive application during my Ph.D, I am confident that I have a strong aptitude for research in this field. I had a natural inclination towards science and technology and automobiles even from a very young age.
During the course of my B. E. degree, my chosen curriculum project was in the design and development of four-wheel steering mechanism for automobiles, enabling better stability and ease of steering in curve roads. I also developed parking system, which enabled to control over all the wheels, making the vehicle easy to navigate and park. I completed short internships in Brahmos Aerospace limited, where the aerospace components were manufactured. I attended course on Marine Engines and associated systems” in Central Institute of Fisheries Nautical and Engineering Training, Kochi, Kerala. It was during the short span of these internships and projects that I developed an active interest in the field of automobiles and manufacturing.
I did my Masters in PSG college of technology, Coimbatore, India and final project was done in National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (NIIST / CSIR), Trivandrum, India. I realized that I had the potential to pursue R&D while working for a sponsored project funded by Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment to develop high strength wear resistant clutch plate for battle tank. I was successful in developing functionally graded composites (A356-15 wt.% SiC) by centrifugal casting, where high strength and wear resistance are imparted at the outer periphery of the disk which is frequently in contact. After my masters I secured admission for doctoral studies at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, one of the prestigious technical universities in India. During my doctoral degree I worked on improvement in properties of A356 alloy, automotive material used in engine blocks. I studied the effect of Sc and TiB2 on the improvement in tensile and wear properties of A356 alloy and observed significant improvement in the properties which can be used for achieving high performance.
During my Ph.D, I was awarded Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship from Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) and Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) to undergo research work in Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada. I worked in centre for Near-net-shape Processing of Materials (CNPM), Ryerson university for four months (March -July, 2012) and I have chosen development of Mg based composites because of its great potential in automotive and aerospace applications due to their low density, high specific strength and good castability. I was successful in the synthesis of AZ91-5 wt.% TiB2 and AZ91-5 wt.% TiC in-situ composites. During my stay in CNPM, I interacted with students and Professors of Ryerson university and University of Toronto and it gave me immense learning experience and international exposure. I have always been interested in research and after my doctoral degree where I worked on improvement in mechanical and wear properties of materials used in automotive engine applications, my curiosity has only increased. I believe I have the inquisitiveness and perseverance to work for manufacturing and automotive industry and look forward to an intellectually fulfilling and synergic journey.