INTERNATIONAL SPOTLIGHT
A FIRST FOR INDIA’S ENGINEERING FUTURE
India is stepping into the global engineering spotlight with IMECE India, creating a platform where innovation meets collaboration and the future of manufacturing and aerospace takes shape.
Written by Aida M. Toro
FOR THE FIRST TIME, India is hosting the International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE), signaling the country’s growing influence in advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and defense. Presented in partnership with the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) and the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE), the conference gathers engineers, researchers, educators, and industry leaders to explore emerging technologies, sustainability, and workforce development.
For Shripathi V, global head of aerospace and defense, technical and business development at Hexagon, the conference represents a turning point in India’s engineering landscape. With more than two decades of experience across Airbus, Boeing, GE, and India’s Aeronautical Development Agency, he has seen how innovation transforms industries. At IMECE, he chairs the Simulation sub-track within Additive Manufacturing, leading discussions on processes that increase efficiency, reduce errors, and elevate production quality.
“Simulation allows us to explore more options without the cost and risk of real-world trials,” Shripathi said. “It’s a tool that helps maintain quality, minimize failures, and speed up development. That makes it indispensable in today’s manufacturing environment.”
The conference goes beyond technical presentations. The Engineering Education Symposium provides a platform for educators and industry leaders to collaborate, align expectations, and examine the evolving needs of the workforce. According to Shripathi, these discussions are long overdue in India.
“Today, the question is not just how much we make for India but how much we make in India. This platform enables collaboration and aligns industry capabilities with national needs.”
—Shripathi V, global head of aerospace and defense, technical and business development at Hexagon
“Professors gain insight into industry requirements, and industry leaders are pushed to think long-term,” he said. “Whether it’s advanced metallurgy, new materials, or next generation manufacturing methods, solving these challenges requires collaboration. India cannot address them in isolation.”
Diversity and inclusion are also central to IMECE’s mission. ASME India’s Women in Engineering initiative has already laid groundwork and the conference continues this momentum by highlighting gender representation in engineering. Shripathi recalled his own mechanical engineering classroom, which included only one woman. He believes interdisciplinary growth—combining AI, electronics, aerospace, and mechanical disciplines—will gradually close such gaps and structured initiatives like IMECE accelerate progress.
For students and early-career engineers, IMECE offers more than technical knowledge. It provides mentorship, networking, and access to conversations that shape careers.
“You can learn a lot online,” Shripathi said. “But nothing replaces direct interaction with some of the brightest minds in the field. That exposure saves years of trial and error and provides perspective you simply can’t get from a video or textbook.”
IMECE is also strategically aligned with India’s national priorities. As the country advances its “Make in India” agenda, particularly in defense and aerospace, the conference creates a forum for startups and established companies to coordinate efforts, share expertise, and drive technological adoption.
“Today, the question is not just how much we make for India but how much we make in India,” Shripathi said. “This platform enables collaboration and aligns industry capabilities with national needs.”
What sets IMECE apart is its holistic approach. Instead of focusing on a single discipline, it spans the full spectrum of manufacturing—from additive and subtractive methods to simulation, automation, and AI. For Shripathi, the event’s breadth is its defining feature.
“This is the only event in India that integrates simulation, manufacturing, electronics, automation, and AI on one platform,” he said. “Every participant—from students to senior leaders—contributes to an ecosystem that reflects the future of engineering.”
Narendran Balan, who has worked with ASME for nearly 20 years, views IMECE India as the realization of a long-term vision: connecting academic learning with industry practice. His journey began as a young engineer in Bangalore navigating ASME’s global network and evolved into a leadership role guiding conferences, educational initiatives, and now the launch of ICME in India.
“Engineering education is siloed,” Balan said. “Students learn mechanical, electrical, or aerospace engineering, but industry problems don’t come in isolated categories. Solutions require collaboration across disciplines. IMECE creates the environment where this can happen.”
Balan emphasized that bridging the gap between academia and industry requires sustained engagement. Faculty must stay connected to real-world challenges, industry must participate in education, and students need exposure to problems that extend beyond textbooks. IMECE’s combination of technical sessions, educational symposia, and networking opportunities facilitates exactly that.
“ASME provides the platform, but the conversations themselves transform perspectives,” Balan said. “They help students, educators, and professionals see their work in new ways.”
“Engineering education is siloed. Students learn mechanical, electrical, or aerospace engineering, but industry problems don’t come in isolated categories. Solutions require collaboration across disciplines. IMECE creates the environment where this can happen.”
—Narendran Balan, core committee member of the MEEd India Symposium and former senior manager at Boeing
India’s demographics and industrial ambitions make IMECE particularly timely. With a young, technically skilled workforce and government initiatives promoting manufacturing, aerospace, and sustainable technologies, the conference acts as a “force multiplier,” accelerating collaboration, innovation, and adoption of advanced methods.
Inclusivity remains a central theme. Balan noted that expanding participation in engineering is essential to the field’s growth. “When I studied, women were underrepresented,” he said. “Today, emerging interdisciplinary fields are creating space for more voices. IMECE makes that inclusion visible and actionable.”
Yathiraj Kasal, business head and general manager at Wipro 3D, shares a similar perspective. With extensive experience in additive manufacturing, including roles at Honeywell and GE, he has helped lead ASME’s AM 3D track and sees IMECE as a platform for demonstrating the broader impact of additive technologies.
“Our goal is to encourage adoption and maturity in additive manufacturing,” Kasal said. “IMECE enables the sharing of insights across sectors—from aerospace to energy to semiconductors—creating opportunities for innovation and efficiency that extend well beyond one industry.”
Both Balan and Kasal see IMECE as a space where young engineers gain not just technical knowledge but the confidence to shape the future. Balan frequently cites the “three Cs”—curiosity, creativity, and courage—as essential traits, while Kasal encouraged bold thinking and collaboration with experienced professionals.
As India hosts IMECE for the first time, it signals that India is moving from participating in global engineering conversations to leading them, defining the practices and priorities that will shape manufacturing, aerospace, and defense for years to come.
Aida M. Toro is a lifestyle writer in New York City.
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