Agricultural Engineering

Although scientific and technological advancements in the electronics and communications sectors have been unimaginably great in the past few decades in India, agriculture still remains the number one occupation sustaining this country. The agricultural sector in India represents 20% of the country’s GDP and is widely acknowledged as the backbone of our economy. In fact, the giant technological leap has worked in favor of this field, contributing to the increase in India’s agricultural productivity and quality and, thereby, to a rise in exports. Therefore, engineers are always on demand in this sector as they play a vital role in designing agricultural machinery, equipment, and structures. Agricultural engineers have a prominent role in food processing and production of various agricultural and bio-renewable products. They regularly execute environmental impact assessments and provide research results. To be successful in this field one should be ingenious and innovative.

Courses and Eligibility:

A candidate aspiring for a career in agricultural engineering must complete the 10+2 level in the Science stream with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and/or Biology. Most agricultural institutes/universities conduct entrance examination for admission to the BE/BTech program in agricultural engineering. Some may even consider the marks obtained in the 10+2 qualifying examination.

For pursuing ME/MTech programs in agricultural engineering one should have completed BE/BTech in the same discipline. For this purpose, one needs to qualify in the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering (GATE) examination.

Career Prospects:

There are excellent career opportunities in the agricultural sector for engineering graduates in both private and public sectors. They can work in Departments of Agriculture (State as well as central government), development organizations, and institutions/labs as teachers or scientists. In the private sector they can work in agricultural cooperatives, fertilizer and irrigation companies, farming companies, industry service organizations, and NGOs.

Apart from joining manufacturing industries, they can also opt for water resource management, forestry, mining and rehabilitation, food processing, peri-urban and rural development, machine development and many more areas. Agricultural engineers can also work in NGOs under various schemes and projects.

They are now working as specialists in private consultancies, large corporations, and government and non government organizations; some have become engineering managers of large farms or estates.

Remuneration:

Remuneration of agricultural engineers is not less than that of engineers in other branches. A fresh graduate can expect a salary of Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 15,000 per month at the entry level. After gaining a few years of experience on good projects, one can earn up to Rs. 30,000 per month. There is no limitation on how far the talented can progress in this field.