Engineering branch won't matter in 2047, excellence will: IIT Madras Director

Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) director V Kamakoti has urged the engineering aspirants to prioritise passion over salary packages while choosing engineering branches as excellence matters more. Speaking on the Professor Mahesh Podcast, Kamakoti said that a "herd mentality" around Computer Science is pushing students away from core disciplines that will be equally critical to India's growth by 2047.

The IIT Madras director also stated that Computer Science offers high starting salaries, the field demands constant reinvention, making experience a liability rather than an asset.

He also requested parents to ask their children what they truly want to study and let their heart be the final judge rather than following a "100,000" different pieces of outside advice.

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'Don't chase 1 cr package, strive to be very best in your work'

"Money beyond what you need can lead to disaster, so instead of chasing a 1 crore package, strive to be the very best in your field, even if you are a cobbler, be the best cobbler," Kamakoti said during the podcast.

Urging students to not to rely on Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools during their foundational years in college, Kamakoti said that using ChatGPT to solve problems at the undergraduate level is equivalent to enslaving oneself to a machine.

"In CS, gray hair can unfortunately become a liability because a person one-third your age can often do twice the work for half the salary. Core disciplines like Civil or Mechanical Engineering reward experience with expertise that cannot be substituted,” he stated.

"If your foundation is strong, you can build as many floors as you want; if it is weak, the building will fall when you reach the fourth or fifth floor," he said.

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India not lacking behind in innovation, opportunity: V Kamakoti

Highlighting some of the IIT Madras achievements, he said that startups such as Agnikul, which produces 3D-printed rockets, and GalaxEye, known for satellite cameras, shows India is not lacking in innovation or opportunity.

Addressing students who will turn 38 by 2047, Kamakoti said that the ultimate aspiration should be technological sovereignty and national contribution.

He also added and said: "If your child loves building sandcastles, put them in Civil Engineering; if they are always tinkering with a spanner, choose Mechanical; if they calculate cricket run rates in their head, they belong in Statistics. Excellence is what will be rewarded in 2047, regardless of the specific branch."