REMINISCENCE

OF
ENGINEERING
INDIANIZATION

Engineering has been the basis for

the development and progress of
humankind. Engineers of the future
will focus on applying rigorous
scientific analysis and synthesis of
multidisciplinary concepts to
develop sustainable solutions that
integrate economic, social, cultural,
and environmental systems. As a
diverse group of Engineering
Professionals, we have the capability
to solve complex interdisciplinary
engineering challenges to achieve the
common goal of service to society
and growth of the engineering
profession.

L V Muralikrishna Reddy, PhD, FIE

Immediate Past President,
The Institution of Engineers (India)

REMINISCENCE OF
ENGINEERING INDIANIZATION

L V Muralikrishna Reddy, PhD

FIE, FIET(UK), FIIChE, FISTE, FIIPE, IEEE-HKN, IntPE, CEng(UK)

Immediate Past President, The Institution of Engineers (India)

President, Foundation for Educational Excellence
mlingireddy@yahoo.com
+91 98452 24134

Reminiscence of Engineering Indianization

L V Muralikrishna Reddy, PhD, FIE
Immediate Past President,
The Institution of Engineers (India)

India is a land of heritage structures, temples, forts and palaces,

and gigantic buildings; with the monuments tracing their lineage
to the history of civilization. Recognizable building and structural
activity can be traced to the Indus Valley Civilization.
Ancient temples, historical monuments and structures built
across the country in the previous centuries bear testimony to the
levels of excellence achieved by artisans in combining ingenuity
and skills with the application of technologies such as innovative
construction approaches, transportation methodologies, a wider
choice of materials that were propagated leading to the
development of structures with long-lasting value; and
significant historical and archaeological importance. Noted
structures include the Sanchi Stupa, Madhya Pradesh in the
3rd century; Ajanta and Ellora Caves in Maharastra during
nd
th
th
2 -6 Century; Nalanda University in the 5 Century;
th
Sri Virupaksha Temple, Hampi in the 7 Century; Temple of
th
Sri Padmanabhaswamy, Thiruvananthapuram in the 8 Century;
Brihadeeswarar Temple, Thanjavaur in 10th Century; Qutub
Minar, Delhi in 1200; Sun Temple, Konark in Odisha in
th
12 Century; Meenakshi Amman Temple, Madurai during
th
16 century; Taj Mahal, Agra in Uttar Pradesh in 1632; Jantar
Mantar, Delhi during 1728-1734; are some of the heritage
engineering structures created in India by renowned yet
unknown engineers.
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

India has had a glorious history of traditional knowledge, skills,

exceptional imagination, and the citizens' ability to work hard to
create a multitude of useful products that attracted foreigners
leading to cross-pollination of ideas, practices, and culture
resulting in a vibrant economy around the 1800s. In this period,
India was considered technically and economically a progressive
country, and was reckoned as a powerful entity in the global
comity of nations. Before colonization, India had reached highlevel of excellence in the trade of artefacts, textiles, ivory and silk
products.
The Industrial Revolutions during 1750 to 1850 in Europe
including Britain, Germany, France, and Italy; the United States of
America; and Japan that resulted in the widespread use of
machinery in manufacturing, the beginning of electrification, and
the deployment of modern organizational methods for operating
large-scale businesses led to the decline of artisan activities in
India, and has been widely referred to as De-industrialization.
De-industrialization of India led to the growth of the agrarian
economy with consequent development of engineered
irrigation and canal systems to support an exponential growth in
agriculture. Enhancing agricultural productivity required trained
engineering knowledge in the important areas of design and
development of sustainable irrigation systems, mechanized
agricultural operations, techniques for reclaiming land for
irrigation, amongst others.
The construction of the railway system from 1850s for
transportation and connecting centres of production of raw
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

materials including cotton, coal, minerals, and agricultural

produce with the manufacturing centres including textile mills,
iron and steel plants, paper mills, and agricultural hubs for
promoting trade and commerce gave impetus to the
establishment of the engineering industry in India.
It may be useful to connect the establishment of the Corps of
Engineers of Indian Army with the raising of two pioneer
companies way back in 1780 in the erstwhile Madras Presidency
Army that led to the growth of the Military Engineering practice
in the country. Military Engineers included the Madras, Bengal
and Bombay Sappers who were primarily involved in building
roads, bridges, water supply lines, camps and other general
engineering works in order to help the soldiers and Military
operations. The needs of railways and irrigation projects were
met by drawing on the engineering resources of the Military
Engineers at that point of time.
The foundation of Indian Engineering has its roots in the
establishment of a substantial knowledge base across multiple
disciplines based on best practices developed by artisans and later
by the engineers from Military, Irrigation and Railways, resulting
in the nation achieving significant success in deploying
engineering concepts to transform natural resources into myriad
solutions that address societal needs and also initiated
Indigenization process of Engineering.
The contribution of Indian engineers has been more sectoral,
with examples including irrigation, water supply schemes,
transportation; than being restricted to the narrow definition
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

based on the engineering discipline, highlighting the deep

understanding and practice of interdisciplinary engineering. A
pertinent illustration would be the contribution to the Built
Environment that includes advances in the development of
infrastructure including irrigation, water supply schemes to cities
and societal habitats, housing, roads, railways, and ports,
amongst others. Deployment of engineering concepts extended
from the use of natural materials including stone and timber, to
steel, concrete including pre-stressed and smart materials.
Irrigation-Water Delivery Systems
In the context of the diversity and range of climate, rainfall and
weather conditions across the country, irrigation systems are
extremely important to minimize the dependency on rainwater
for agriculture. Irrigation of cultivable land has been practiced in
India for many centuries. Kautilya's Arthashastra (4th Century) is a
repository of information on construction of dams, canals, and
management of canal water. Earthen and masonry dams were
constructed in large numbers, sometimes going into thousands,
during the 2 nd -17 th century. Earthen dams erected during
nd
rd
2 -3 Century include those in Poonary, Veeranum,
Chembarumbakkam, Cauverypakkam (in modern-day Tamil
Nadu), Cumbam (present-day Andhra Pradesh), Nuggar (today's
Karnataka), amongst others.
It is a well-known fact that Water was a focus area during the
British rule, and irrigation schemes were the colonial inventions
and important engineering discipline of Hydraulics. The
irrigation strategies of the colonial times, while influenced by the
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

political and economic context of the then period, had their core
intent based on the crucial aspects of famine avoidance;
development of crops and technologies for overcoming food
shortage; promotion of water harvesting technologies with the
objective of environment protection. It is essential for the presentday engineers to revisit the projects of yester-years to understand
the approaches developed then to address critical issues
including flood control; development of drainage, sewage and
sanitary systems for habitats; management of wetlands, and use
of water bodies for navigation, aqua culture, drinking water; and
evolution of policies for water usage.
The British has constructed a series of irrigation Canal Systems in
th
the 19 Century after millions of people died due to famine in
various parts of the country. By the end of the 1850s, Godavari and
Cauvery Canal Systems; Bari Doab Canal in Punjab; Ganges
Canal in the North West India; and the Krishna Delta System came
into operation. In next 25 years Four Canal systems in the Bombay
province including Mutha and Nira, Two in Bengal including
Sona Canal; Lower Ganges and Agra Canals; and Chenab and
Sirhind Canal Systems were added subsequently.
A British General and Irrigation Engineer, Sir Arthur Thomas
Cotton devoted his life to the construction of irrigation and
navigation canals. To his credit, Anicuts (dams made in streams
for maintaining and regulating irrigation) across Godavari
nd
(Godavari is 2 largest river after Ganga) river at Dowleswaram
in 1852 became very popular. In 1858, Sir Cotton developed
ambitious proposals for connecting almost all major rivers of
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

India and suggested drought relief measures by interlinking of

canals and rivers. He is responsible for making the Godavari
districts the Rice Bowl of India, and was widely known as the
Delta Architect.
In 1880s, there was a policy conflict and debate amongst the
British rulers on the need to focus on developing Irrigation
projects for food safety and famine protection, or to develop
Railways for connectivity to facilitating passenger commutation
and trade activities. However, more investments are prioritized
for Railways and also given importance to Irrigation Water
Projects.
The multi-fold increase in agriculture in the last century has been
possible through significant addition of vast tracts of land
hitherto remaining unused due to water scarcity through
Irrigation Systems. In 1899, Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, as
Executive Engineer of Poona Irrigation District, Bombay
Presidency (now State of Maharashtra), introduced for the first
time in Bombay Presidency, the Block System of Irrigation, an
entirely novel system of rational as well as economical
distribution of water from the Irrigation canals in the Deccan tract.
The concept and development of perennial canal systems in the
country were novel technologies that were utilized for harnessing
fluid environment; and were well-operated through a framework
of social rules, and rational economic practices that resulted in a
synergistic relationship being built between water and land
through an interdisciplinary practice of Irrigation
Engineering.
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

Canals constructed through the deserts of Punjab and Sind clearly

produced large gains in terms of net output. A major aim of canal
system irrigation contemplated by engineers was to decrease the
ravages of scarcity. In its design, modes of operation, and
intended effects, canal irrigation was ultimately a cultural
expression representing the priorities and aspirations of their
architects and was inextricably intertwined with vital aspects of
British rule.
As far as irrigation was concerned, at a policy level it was linked
simultaneously with famine prevention, expansion of cultivation,
improved cultivation practices, extended cultivation of cash
crops, minimizing disputes across tribes and social groups,
revenue stability, enhanced taxable capacity, and political
stability. The constraints and difficulties confronting the
pioneering engineers and the related experiments, controversies,
and resolution methodologies led to the evolution in design and
construction of technically feasible and functionally effective
systems of canal irrigation.
Brilliant Hydraulics Design Engineers have since 1850s been
responsible for building engineering marvels in irrigation, canal
systems including drinking water supply schemes, dams and
barrages across the important rivers in the country to extend
usage of river systems for irrigation, power generation,
navigation, and transportation.
Post Independence, Dr. Kanuri Lakshmana Rao (Dr. K.L. Rao);
Padma Bhushan Awardee, and Minister in the Government of India
for Irrigation was a renowned Engineer has initiated large water
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

projects in free India. An alumnus of University Birmingham, UK

with a Ph.D. and a Past President of the Institution of Engineers
(India), Dr. K.L. Rao designed many Hydro-electric projects
including the worlds largest masonry dam across River Krishna
in Telangana namely Nagarjuna Sagar, a water monument, and
was well-known for his belief that to feed a growing population
and envisaged India needs to invest on increasing the area under
cultivation by enhancing the irrigation facilities. He also
conceptualized the interlinking of all the rivers in the country
through a National Water Grid. His book Indias Water
Wealth is considered as a reference book even today.
Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Indias first Prime Minister coined the
phrase Dams are Temples of a Resurgent India in the context of
dams providing water and electricity to large population groups.
With the knowledge acquired from earlier periods, the
Government of India has planned and executed high technical
value-add dams including the Tehri Dam, a multi-purpose rockearth-fill embankment dam on river Bhagirathi; Bhakra Dam a
Concrete Gravity Dam across the Sutlej River; Hirakud Dam
across the Mahanadi River; Sardar Sarovar Dam, a gravity Dam
on the Narmada River; and the Koyna Dam and Hydroelectricity
Project in Maharashtra. Currently, India is ranked third in the
world in dam building after the USA and China. India has
emerged a prolific dam builder in the context of the National
Register of Large Dams in the country maintained by the Central
Water Commission, enumerating 4877 completed large dams and
313 in various stages of construction.

Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

India's first hydroelectric power project started generating 4.5

MW of electricity in 1902 for mines in Kolar Gold Fields in Mysore
State (now Karnataka) from river Cauvery, Karnataka and has
since expanded to include the large hydroelectric projects
including Khopoli in 1915, Bhivpuri in 1919, Bhira in 1922,
amongst others. Hydropower plants have the unique advantage
of producing power that is both renewable and clean, and are
gaining impetus with Indias ranking as the 7th largest producer
of hydroelectricity power with the present installed capacity of
43,000 MW. Technologies have been developed to harness
power from Small, Mini and Micro Hydel projects from mountain
rivers & canals.
With growing concerns in the context of water scarcity and
increasing food demand, the pressure is started mounting on
Engineers to manage water efficiently through Canal Systems,
Dams and Barrages. Technological advancements and
innovations are being deployed to enhance water management
through effective irrigation facilities, watershed development,
and water conservation methodologies. It is essential to adopt
emerging technologies including camera and sensor-loaded
unmanned aerial vehicles for crop monitoring; big data, remote
sensing; genomics, amongst other technologies to double food
production in the next 25 years for long-term inclusive
sustainable development.
Engineers should articulate and highlight the positive social and
economic impact of water development system including
irrigation hydropower, flood control, navigation, rural
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

10

development, amongst others. The knowledge and technology

expertise accrued over a large number of years to design and
operate irrigation systems without environment damage is
sizable; and the country has the indigenous capability and
capacity to address future challenges of water availability for
irrigation and meeting future human needs, without foreign
expertise.
The Impact of Railway Engineering
In 1845, a large amount of foreign capital was invested in India
through the East India Railway Company and then by the
Colonial British Government, primarily to move troops for their
wars, and also to transport cotton for export to the newly
established mills in the United Kingdom. Introduction of the
Railways system in India revolutionized the process of
Industrialization in the country resulting in the transport of
goods, including raw materials and produce destined for export.
Various Industries such as cotton, plantations and mills; coal
mining; paper; iron and steel were established in different areas of
the sub-continent, and the railway network expanded across the
country.
Railway operations in India began in 1853, ten years after the
presentation of a detailed proposal by Charles Blacker Vignoles, a
Railway Engineer and a Professor of Civil Engineering at the
University College, London. In the first decade of the Railways
operation in India it had a network of 3756 kilometers, and by
1900, it expanded to 40,000 kilometers across the Indian Subcontinent attaining the distinction as the worlds fourth largest
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

11

Railway System. At the time of the Sesquicentennial celebration of

Indian Railways in 2003, the network had expanded to about
64,000 kilometers of route length and currently stands as the
worlds largest Railway Network with a network of 67,000
kilometers.
Railways has emerged as an important programme introduced in
the Colonial India that resulted in transfer of technology from the
industrialized West to the East. It created a significant impact not
only in the sphere of engineering and technology, but also on the
socio-economic, trade and commerce, political, and cultural life of
the people of Indian Subcontinent.
Even though the British created the Indian Railway network for
moving raw materials and mobility of the Army personnel and
equipment, they left behind a fully functional railway system and
considerable talent-pool of skill and expertise. Today, the Indian
Railway system is acclaimed to be the second largest in the world
with a workforce of about 1.75 million, and the daily running of
about 11,000 trains (over 7000 passenger trains), thus emerging as
the lifeline of the Nation. Indian Engineers are working in the
Himalayas to build the worlds tallest railway bridge over the
Chenab river.
Railway Engineers have emerged as one of the pillars of Indian
Engineers along with Military Engineers, Works Engineers
(PWD) and Irrigation Engineers. It is a fact that Railways has
created a huge demand for Engineering and Technical Personnel
in British India. Engineers overcame several challenges while
building the rail network, including indigenization and local
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

12

manufacture of rolling stock, the construction of bridges to span

water courses, managing unpredictable river-courses, and track
alignment; with successes highlighting the Indian ingenuity and
expertise. Railway Engineers in India accomplished several
milestones including fording some of the major rivers in the first
decade of construction. The technology of railway engineering,
nature of its operations and the background of its construction in
a colonial environment were to lay the foundation for the
development and capacity building of a different kind of
Engineering and Architecture.
The early period of Railways in India may not be directly related
with establishment of engineering colleges in India, but the
engineers graduating from those colleges found appointments in
the Railways, and subsequently continued their service to the
Railway community through teaching and administrative
assignments in the then fledgling engineering colleges and
institutions.
The rapid growth of Indias Population has put enormous strain
on all transportation systems including Railways.By 2050, around
75% population of world will live in urban areas, resulting in the
emergence ofMega and Metro Cities. These megatrends will have
global impact in terms of mobility and transport infrastructure;
and Railway system will play an important role in technology
development and innovation.
Metro Rail Systems have emerged to be highly efficient masstransit systems in terms of low energy consumption, high
volumes of commuters transported, flexibility to increase peakReminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

13

hour, peak-direction trips, and significant reduction in commute

time, and the adoption of these systems in several cities are
resulting in India slowly emerging as leaders in Urban Mobility
Rail Transportation Systems.
Sustainable transport networks are the need of the hour for
developing economies to connect population centres with
industrial hubs to facilitate rapid economic growth. Several key
engineering areas to be explored and progressed including
vehicle and track designs;shape optimization of high-speed trains
for improved aerodynamic performance, use of non-conventional
technology like Magnetic Levitation, Digital Signaling, Lightweight rolling stock, and Autonomous Coaches, amongst others.
Industrial Renaissance in India
In the middle of nineteenth century, India used to export cotton to
the United Kingdom, and then reimported the textile. Cotton
exports grew during the American Civil War, when supplies from
the USA were interrupted. Indian entrepreneurs provided the
impetus for founding a cotton industry with the first Indian
cotton mill, "The Bombay Spinning Mill", being opened in 1854 in
Bombay by Cowasji Nanabhai Davar. In next 25 years, it spread to
Nagpur, Ahmedabad, Sholapur, Kanpur, Calcutta and Chennai
with 70 mills being established by end 1895. Jamsetji Nusserwanji
Tata and Morarjee Goculdas were pioneers in establishing and
growing the cotton industry in the country by setting up textile
mills.
Towards the second half of the 19th Century, due to political
compulsions, India became more of a raw material supplier to the
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

14

European countries where finished goods were produced due to

the large-scale industrialization in Europe resulting from the
Industrial Revolution. Textiles and steel were the mainstays of the
British Industrial Revolution that had their origins in India.
Industrial history shows that one of the earliest industries
relocated from India to Britain was textiles and it became the first
major success of the Industrial Revolution, with Britain replacing
India as the world's leading textile exporter. Historical records
show that rust-free steel was an Indian invention, and it remained
as an Indian skill for centuries. The much-acclaimed Sheffield
steel from the United Kingdom was Indian crucible steel. It has
often been quoted that leading scientists from Europe worked for
decades to reverse-engineer how Indians made crucible steel, and
through this extensive learning, modern alloy design and
physical metallurgy developed in Europe.
Iron and steel industry has its origin in 1907 with the
establishment of the Tata Iron and Steel Company in Jamshedpur,
Bihar; Iron and Steel Company in 1908 at Hirapur in Bengal; and
the Mysore State Iron Works at Bhadrawati in Mysore in 1923.
While analyzing the engineering sector landscape with reference
to the timeline, we notice that in the period 1930-1950, Indian
engineering focused on the deploying engineering practices and
methods for production of sugar, textiles, chemicals and steel. The
diminishing inflow of remittances from Britain encouraged
Indian entrepreneurs to seize the initiative for pursuing new
opportunities for establishing private enterprises with focus on
import substitution.
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

15

Attempts at large-scale import substitution created demand for

capital goods resulting in the structural transformation of the
nascent Indian industrial economy leading to the production of
sophisticated machinery, aircraft, ships, locomotives, other
capital goods and machinery, automobiles, development of
machine tools; drugs and pharmaceuticals; ships; metals and
industrial controls and instrumentation with the objective of
enhancing productivity, technology indigenization and achieving
self-reliance.
Walchand Hirachand, a legendary engineer and industrial
entrepreneurs promoted Hindustan Aircraft Limited with the
help of Mysore Government at Bangalore in 1940. At the
beginning of the operations, Walchand mobilized 300 Indian
engineers highly trained in machines and machinery along with
2000 skilled workmen under the leadership of 22 American
technicians. The state of Mysore and in particular Bangalore was
indeed a key source of Indian engineers and technicians for
Hindustan Aircraft Limited. Soon after, HAL began assembling
Harlow PC-5A, a two-Seater; and its first aircraft was delivered in
8 months time of establishment. A year later, HAL had built and
carried out a test flight of its First Indigenous design a NineSeater troop-carrying glider of wood-and-fabric construction.
Commercial operations at the Tata's steel works and the
establishment of Bombay's metallurgical workshops heralded the
era of technological maturity for car manufacture resulting in
Ghanshyamdas Birla creating Hindustan Motors in 1942, and
Walchand Hirachand establishing Premier Automobiles Limited
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

16

in 1944. This led to Premier Automobiles establishing its own

ancillary industries, and the establishment of India Pistons in
1952.
The passing and adoption of the Industry Policy Resolutions in
1948 and 1956 led to India becoming a mixed economy. These
Industry Policy Resolutions articulated the role of the public and
private sector, with the public sector focusing on developing
heavy and basic industries, and establishing social and economic
infrastructure, while the private sector was entrusted with the
establishment of consumer goods industries. Hindustan
Aeronautics Limited, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited,
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Indian Oil
Corporation, Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited, Bharat
Electronics Limited were some of the leading public sector
enterprises created in the early years.
Expansion of Engineering Education
Engineering Education came to India in 1794 with the
establishment of the first survey school at Madras to serve British
natives to study Indian land revenue maps, resulting in civil
surveying becoming a branch of knowledge and a profession in
India. Engineering was not yet classified into several disciplines at
that time; the term meant engineering for civil purposes as
distinct from military functions. Civil Engineering as a discipline
of education for Indians started receiving emphasis in 1840s in
order to have experienced staff undertake and complete the
envisaged road and irrigation projects.

Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

17

James Thomson of North-Western provinces had proposed to

extend execution of Ganga Canal, and envisioned the
establishment of a School at Roorkee in 1847. This later came to be
known as the Thomson College of Civil Engineering in 1854, and
became the Roorkee University and now is known as IIT Roorkee.
After Roorkee, colleges have come up at Shibpur, Poona (Pune)
and Madras (Chennai) as a way to produce intermediate-grade
engineers for the Public Works Department with limited
curriculum focused on Civil Engineering based on British policy
at that time.
During colonial rule in India, engineering activity was primarily
initiated and managed through organizations including the
Military Engineering, Geological Survey of India, Public Works
Department, and Indian Universities; with the knowledge, and
expertise of Engineering remaining confined to the Officers and
Staff of these Departments. Almost all the PWD officers came
from the Military Engineering Services, and Principals and
Faculty of the newly-established colleges were domain experts in
Military Engineering. This gave engineering a strong, disciplined,
standardized, structure to the engineering curriculum of that
period.
In the context of the larger number of complex engineering
projects envisaged to be taken up by the India Public Works
Department (IPWP), the colonial government was forced to
establish a Civil Engineering College in August 1871 at Coopers
Hill in Surrey named the Royal Indian Engineering College
(RIEC) with first batch intake of 49 students. This improved the
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

18

recruitment process of qualified Civil Engineers in IPWD. The

exacting standards of contemporary Civil Engineering
recruitment can be seen from the enrollment pattern in 1877 that
comprised 18 from Royal Engineers, 45 from Coopers Hill and 12
from the Indian colleges.
In 1880 there were 257 Coopers Hill Graduates serving IPWD of
whom 65 were in Irrigation, 67 in Railways, 18 in Telegraph
Offices and 107 in the Provincial Services. However, two factors
that continuously bothered Coopers Hill were the exorbitant cost
burden on the Government of India and IPWD, and the
requirement of Civil Engineers, and their intake into Coopers
Hill.
The Colonial Rulers were of the opinion that continuing the
programme would impose significant financial burden on
revenues from India, and a decision was taken to close down the
RIEC. The college produced 816 engineers at the time of closure in
1906 after 35 years of its existence. It is doubtless that the college
made a significant contribution to the development of
engineering education in India and has been a vital factor in
raising the standard of engineering practices education
positioning the RIEC as a premier engineering college.
The colonial state and its entities ceased being the only
custodians of engineering in early 1900s; Indians were attending
US Universities including the renowned MIT (USA); largely
based on individual and private initiative getting funding from
outside the British Indian state. In 1908 MIT trained Ishwar Das
Varshney set up a Glass Factory in Poona under the umbrella of
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

19

Nationalist Organizations, called the Paisa Fund Glass Works.

The Paisa Fund, so called because it raised money by asking for
donations of paisa each (a paisa was sixty-fourth of a rupee at that
time) was founded by Bal Gangadhar Tilak to develop indigenous
Indian Industries. The Paisa Fund Glass Works had successfully
laid a foundation for the development of glass industry in India,
leading to the All India Glass Manufacturers' Federation, Central
Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, and the Ishwar Das
Technical Institute.
th

Persuasion by the Swadeshi movement in the early 20 Century

and the evolving British policies led to private participation in
establishing institutions for Science and Engineering education in
the country. Notable initiatives included the establishment of the
Indian Institute of Science at Bangalore in 1909 by Jamsetji
Nusserwanji Tata in partnership with the Mysore Government,
Banaras Hindu University in 1916 (College of Engineering added
in 1919) by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya (becoming an IIT in
2013).
From 1900-1930, thousands of Indians studied in Great Britain to
prepare for careers in India as Barristers, Civil Servants or
Engineers. Dr. Anant Pandya, MIT trained, earned his Masters
and Doctorate in 1933 in Civil Engineering, and in 1939 he became
Principal of Bengal Engineering College in Shibpur, the first
Indian-origin Principal holding the position of greater
responsibility in India at the age of 30 years. His position as one of
the Indias leading engineers was affirmed in 1941 by the Indian
Science Congress.
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

20

But by 1947, the relative educational importance of these two

countries (Britain & US) to India switched with a larger number of
Indians pursuing Engineering Education in the United States of
America (the USA). Foreign trained Indian engineers would play
a large role in building independent India and these engineers
were increasingly American rather than British trained. India has
sent 600 Engineers and Scientists during 1946-47 to Europe and
North America to get trained in engineering fields including Coal,
Mining, Aeronautics, Metallurgy, Cement, Chemicals, Textiles,
Tools, Food, Fertilizers, Petroleum, amongst others. After their
return, engineering progressed in many fields with pioneering
experience gained during their period of training and internship
in the USA and many of the Research Institutes & Industries
established and benefitted large.
Post-Independence, about 900 Indian students went to the United
Kingdom and close to 1200 students went to the USA to gain
advanced engineering skills to take up more challenging
assignments in Indian Industry and Research Labs.
The rapid industrialization and development plans of the
Government of independent India led to a spurt in the setting up
of Engineering Institutions during 1950-60 to meet the growing
demands for Indian Engineers. Privately Sponsored Institutions
have played important role in development of Engineering
Education in the country.
In the first fifty years of Independence, US-returned graduates
attained most of the highest level positions in the Indian
Engineering community. The lives of US-trained Indians
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

21

suggested confidence that they could use their MIT education to

build India according to their interests, integrate with the country
and jointly progress for the nations success.
Indias Programmes and Development of Engineering and
Technological prowess is due to not just its connect with British
and US education systems, but is also based on the legacy of
Engineering being the national industry.
Currently India with 1.5 million enrolments for engineering
programmes through IITs, NITs, Private and Public Technical
Institutions and Universities numbering over 4,000, presents with
a unique advantage of attracting huge number of engineers to
utilize their engineering knowledge and skills for addressing the
challenges of a rapidly growing economy requirements.
As engineering activity spans planning, research, design,
implementation and operations, it is imperative for students to be
acclimatized to the practical operational context of typical
contemporary industries. It is therefore essential for the
educational system to enhance the academic learning through
internship programmes that focus on capacity building through
practical training in collaboration with the industry; promote
interdisciplinary teaching in addition to conventional
engineering subjects; build the research culture in academic
institutions and research collaborations; and strengthen industryacademia-students engagement to solve real world engineering
challenges.

Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

22

Sir M Visvesvarayas Contribution to Engineering

The Institution of Engineers (India) has adopted Indias Engineer
Statesman, Bharat Ratna Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya as the
role-model for Indian engineers, and is celebrating his Birthday,
15 September as Engineers Day.
Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya, born on 15 September 1861 was a
renowned Indian engineer from Karnataka. His contributions
have played a major role in transforming the nation into a modern
India. His contributions to engineering were substantial, and
have been acclaimed as an eminent engineer of pre-independent
India. A multi-faceted personality, Sir M Visvesvaraya was
recognized as a great Engineer, an efficient Administrator, and a
visionary Engineer Statesman. His contribution as an
Educationist, Economist, and a Social Worker have been
significant, and recalled with affection by renowned leaders of
that era.
M Visvesvarayas exceptional technical skills demonstrated by his
first rank in the Licentiate in Civil Engineering (LCE) helped him
to earn the appointment as Assistant Engineer, Public Works
Department of the Government of Bombay. He started his
engineering career at the entry level, and swiftly received
promotions based on his contributions and accomplishments. His
engineering career spanned more than three decades during
1884-1919.
His engineering skills and expertise were sought by several states
of pre-independent India including Hyderabad, Baroda, Gwalior,
Indore, Kolhapur, Bhavanagar, Sangli, Akalkot, Phaltan,
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

23

Wankaner and Morvi. He undertook consulting assignments

from Bombay, Nasik, Sukkur, Karachi, Surat, Dhulia,
Phandarpur, Dharwar, Bijapur, Nagpur and other municipalities
to address important aspects of water supply; flood control and
management; sanitation; and town planning.
At Sukkur, he worked on the construction of water works of
Sukkur city and completed the work in August 1895. In opening
the works the Governor H. E. Lord Sandhurst observed, it shows
that you took great care to obtain the services of the most able
engineer that you could provide yourself with. (Times of India
16th Dec. 1895)
Visvesvaraya prepared a memorandum on the irrigation works in
Bombay Presidency to be considered by the visiting Indian
Irrigation Commission, appointed by the Government of India, to
tour throughout the country and advice Government on
measures to be taken to expand cultivation of irrigated crops. In
the memorandum, the distinctive features of the Bombay
irrigation, changes proposed in the system of administration,
assessment and management with a view to improve the
irrigation method, increase the area of crops and revenue, and
expand irrigation were covered.
In the matter of drinking water supply schemes, Sir M
Visvesvaraya extended complete, independent schemes to many
cities and towns in India, recommending additions and
alterations to existing schemes and offering suggestions to
remedy specific defects. These were at Dhulia in Khandesh, Surat,
Poona and Kirkee Cantonment, Nasik City, Dharwar, Bijapur,
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

24

Belgaum, Kolhapur, Akalkot, Gwalior, Indore, Goa, Rajkot,

Bhavanagar, Baroda, Sangli, Pandharpur, Ahmednagar and
Orissa.
In the memoirs of his public life, Sir M.V. had forecast the effect of
the various schemes propounded by him, in the following words:
When the improvements suggested by me were carried out
and the city was equipped with clean houses, flush-down
lavatories, dustless roads, paved footpaths, and a plentiful
provision of open spaces, parks and gardens, Hyderabad
would be able to hold her head high among her sister cities in
India.
No account of the construction of the Dams on the Musi river
would be complete without mentioning the fact that when the
scheme for the construction of the flood control reservoirs was
under the active consideration of the Government during the
Prime Ministership of Maharaja Sir Kishen Prasad, Sir M.V.
received a notable compliment from Mr. Rosco Allen, expert Chief
Engineer of Hyderabad, and later Consulting Engineer and
member of the Indian Irrigation Commission in his letter
addressed to one of the Coopers Hill product, Mr. Fazil Mooraj,
Secretary, PWD, in 1919,
I would congratulate Hyderabad, firstly in their wisdom
in taking steps to turn this dire misfortune into a positive
blessing, and secondly on their selection of an engineer
whose designs are what one might expect from the
distinguished engineer who drew them up.

Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

25

Father of the Nation, Mahatma Gandhi had dreamt Independent

India to be a place where there would be no poverty, no disease,
no ignorance, and no depravity. This dream can only materialize
when every citizen solemnly resolves to discharge his duties with
all his wisdom and might.
The Nation is what the citizens are; the Citizen is the Unit
of the Nation.
- Relevance of Sir M Vs Ideals in Present-day World
There is a convergence between the views articulated by the
Father of the Nation; Bharat Ratna Sir M Visvesvaraya and the
Founding Fathers of the Indian Constitution who articulated
duties including humanism; the spirit of inquiry and reform;
developing the scientific temper; and striving towards excellence
in every spheres of collective and individual activity so that the
nation continuously rises to higher levels of endeavour and
achievement.
Through his life, Sir M V had set an example that it is possible to
achieve the peak of success by practicing engineering with
conscience, integrity, dignity and honour.
IEI: Excellence in Engineering
The Institution of Engineers (India) [IEI] is the largest professional
body of engineers with membership strength close to one Million,
encompassing 15 engineering disciplines and provides engineers
a global platform to share their professional interest. It also has
the distinction of producing the maximum number of engineers
in the core engineering disciplines, thus augmenting the nation-

Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

26

building efforts. The Institution was established in 1920 and is the

only professional body in the country bestowed with the Royal
Charter in 1935.
In consonance with the authority vested with the Institution
under the Charter, the Institution has been conducting Sections
A & B Examinations (popularly known as AMIE Examination) in
different engineering disciplines since 1928. This non-formal
engineering education programme has produced close to
3.5 Lakhs of engineers to address the countrys need for efficient
engineers; emerging as perhaps the largest number of alumni of
Engineers in the world created by any single institution.
IEI has had the immense fortune of having eminent stalwarts as
Presidents including Sir Rajendra Nath Mookerjee, KCIE, KCVO, a
leading industrialist with significant contribution to Industry,
Railways, and the Construction sectors including the Victoria
Memorial Building, Kolkata; Raja Jwala Prasad, Eminent
Engineer from Uttar Pradesh who have prepared the Ganga
Canal Grid Scheme in 1924; Dr. A.N. Khosla, Padma Vibhushan
recipient with momentous contribution to the development of
waterways and navigation, engineering education, and public
service; Dr. M.S. Thacker, Padma Bhushan recipient with
substantial contribution to Power, Education, Science and
Technology sectors; amongst other leading engineering
luminaries; Dr. Triguna Sen, Past President, IEI was an eminent
educationist focused on imparting quality education in diverse
disciplines including engineering, technology and science.

Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

27

Contemporary Engineering
Starting from the early beginnings of the setting up of the Indian
National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) in 1962,
India has emerged as one of the six largest space agencies in the
world, maintaining one of the largest fleet of communication
satellites (INSAT) and the remote sensing satellites (IRS) to
facilitate integration and connectivity across the length and
breadth of the country and efficient and reliable earth
observation. India has the unique distinction of achieving selfreliance through the development and standardization of cost
efficient and reliable launch systems, the Polar Satellite Launch
Vehicle (PSLV), and the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch
Vehicle (GSLV) heralding an era of spectacular international
collaboration.
In the recent years, engineering has been used to create the
networked world through computers, information technology,
and the internet with spectacular innovations in automating
repetitive activities, freeing human mindshare for analysis and
research to expand the frontiers of engineering and technology.
India is one of the fastest developing nations with about 64 per
cent of the population being in the working age group, below the
age of 35 years. Leveraging this advantage requires channelizing
this demographic dividend to effectively enhance national
productivity and intellectual property through contemporary
engineering education. India at 2% of the world economy and
15% of the world population, India has to build giant modern
economy, engineers and engineering will play decisive role with
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

28

Passion, entrepreneurial zeal and build manufacturing

capabilities, productivity and competitiveness.
The future of an independent and resurgent India, having
emerged from the shackles of colonialism and foreign rule seven
decades ago, is brimming with opportunities. India with a
population of about 1.34 billion inhabitants will have to leverage
engineering and technological innovations for sustainable
growth and development in the context of availability and
limitations of natural resources. Bridging the gap between India's
global ranking in terms of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and
the Human Development Index (HDI)-9th in the former, and
130th in the latter requires large-scale adoption of inclusive and
sustainable living practices to meet the basic necessities while
minimizing disparities and enhancing equality of outcomes.
The Indian Engineering fraternity with substantial contribution
by the 'Indian Engineers', has made several strides to overcome
international and domestic challenges and leverage a large,
skilled workforce to address critical requirements spanning Food,
Water, and Energy security; Affordable Healthcare; and
Economic Transportation, and has positioned India as a global
hub for Information Technology Services, and Business
Outsourcing. These developments and advances owe their origin
to the strong engineering base laid in the 1900s.
In Conclusion
It is important to capture lessons learned from the rich history of
engineering innovation in society. By an honest appraisal of the
case-studies of the past, we would be able to identify vital lessons
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

29

and best practices that when integrated with contemporary

technological advances, would help us to strengthen the
probability of success to bequeath a legacy of successful
engineering marvels for the succeeding generation.
Engineers and Engineering will continue to play a significant role
in building tomorrows society. Contemporary Engineering has
taken on the development of systems of mammoth scale and
increasing complexity. Engineers will need to integrate social,
economic, and cultural perspectives while taking cognizance of
societal and public policy constraints. These challenges are multidisciplinary in nature, and developing solutions for these would
require inputs from multiple disciplines of engineering and
natural sciences; and also from social sciences and humanities. It
is therefore essential to adopt a Systems Perspective.
Innovation occurs at the interface between disciplines, and it is
essential for the engineering workforce to develop expertise to
work effectively in the innovative tension arising from the
confluence of multiple disciplines. These problems underscore
the need for engineers of the highest calibre driven by the passion
to be the catalysts of tomorrow. Single-minded pursuit of
excellence, is imperative to address these pressing social needs,
and expanding thought to include societal progress is the need of
the hour.
In the years to come, Engineers will serve as master creators,
environmental stewards, innovators, integrators, and leaders in
shaping public policy translating dreams, ideals, hopes and
aspirations into reality for the betterment of society.
Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

30

Considering the present day problems faced by our society and

Planet Earth today, and the constraints expected to arise out in the
future, the Engineering Profession must revisit its mind set and
adopt a new mission statement, to contribute to the building of a
more sustainable, reliable, and equitable world.
Sustainable Development is impossible without the full support
and inputs by the engineering profession that can happen
through a more holistic approach to engineering amalgamate
economic, social, cultural, and environmental perspectives.

Reminiscence of Engineering Indianiza on

Dr. L V Muralikrishna Reddy

Dr. Reddy was the President of the Institution of Engineers (India) for
the session 2014-2015. He has the singular distinction of attaining
multiple credentials recognizing highest professional engineering
achievements-International Professional Engineers (IntPE) and
Chartered Engineer (CEng,UK). He has been inducted into the IEEE Eta
Kappa Nu (IEEE-HKN), that recognizes individual excellence in
education and meritorious work in professional practice, and recently
elected Fellow of the World Academy of Productivity Sciences
(WAPS), in recognition of his commitment and contribution to the
discipline of Productivity Science across the globe. He currently holds
the IEI Chair, Interdisciplinary Research at NDRF. Current Academic &
Research Interests are Medical Device Development, Institutional
Building, Chemical, Energy and Engineering Education.

Acknowledgements

I likes to thank all my professional organizations including The IEI, IEEE, IIPE,
IET(UK), ISTE, IIChE, ASME, TTF, FARE, EDAF and ITC and large number of
Engineering Institutions and Universities, that are enlarged my perspective and
have extended support to this global initiative of energizing Engineers through
this publication.
Special thanks are due to Mr. P K Subraya Holla for research and compilation,
Mr. Srinivas Durvasula for editorial support and Mr. S Shanmugam for
publication support and Mr. K. Vijaya Reddy for Logistics Support.

Contributors
(Alphabetical Order)

Dr. K. Brahmaraju

Er. K. Rajanikanth

Dr. Enti Ranga Reddy

Dr. K. Ramachandra

Dr. K. Gopalakrishnan

Dr. Ing. B.V.A. Rao

Dr. T.V. Govindaraju

Er. P.K. Thiagarajan

Er. D.V. Nagabhushan

Prof. R.M. Vasagam

Er. D.V. Pichamuthu

Dr. S.K. Prasad

Dr. K. Venkata Subbaiah

Dr. Wooday P. Krishna

Foundation for Educational Excellence

Bangalore 560 071.
president@feeindia.org
www.feeindia.org