INFORMAL INTERACTION WITH INDUSTRY EXPERT, KPR Institute Engineering and Technology, Autonomous Engineering Institution, Coimbatore, India

The event started at about 10:00 AM as Dr. Bharathi Ganesan introduced the speaker Mr. B. Karthick to the students group containing about 30 2nd year, 30 3rd year and 2 final year chemical engineering students.
Mr. B. Karthick is the Assistant Manager in Chemical recovery section of Seshasayee Papers and Boards Limited, Erode. He holds a M.Tech Chemical Engineering degree.
As it was an informal interaction with the industry expert, faculty members were not present to encourage students to freely ask questions.
The students asked about the low initial salary when compared with IT jobs. Mr. Karthick replied that after about 5 years, the technology of IT industry gets updated whereas the skills learnt by Chemical Engineers in industry grow and become valuable only after about 5 years. Hence the demand and value of chemical engineers increases over period of time, hence the salary also. He asked the students to look for long term association with industries.
Many students asked about the role of women in chemical process industries. Mr. Karthick acknowledged that in paper and pulp industry, women are not present as process engineers but are present in procurement, technical and quality assurance sections. Further he said certain industries such as pharmaceuticals may have opportunities for women. Slowly the industry is accepting women he concluded.
The students asked about possibility of bulk requirement by chemical industry, to which Mr. Karthick responded that it is not much possible. Only 2 or 3 persons per industry may be absorbed for placements or internships as safety is of higher concern. He also stressed the competition given by Mechanical engineers who have overlapping skill set needed to operate a chemical plant.
Mr. Karthick gave an overview on various certifications or exams after B.Tech on safety, energy audit, boiler inspection etc to get into government sector.
Mr. Karthick stressed upon process control as the main vital subject for survival in industry along with the basics of process calculations, momentum-heat-mass transfer courses.
Mr. Karthick concluded the talk that if students are ready for shift basis and to learn after coming to industry also there is scope for growth in their life.