Engineering Scope

Choice of B.Tech degree in Biochemical Engineering makes a lot of sense as being a combination of Engineering and Biotechnology it offers immense opportunities in numerous fields. Here are some exciting possibilities you can explore after graduating:

Further Education-

Master's Degree: To advance one’s career, one can consider enrolling for a Master of Science in Biochemical Engineering or Biotechnology or any related field to get a further degree and specialty.
MBA: MBA together with your degree in BTech would provide you with knowledge and skills in business management coupled with knowledge in the bio-industry that will make you the best person for management jobs.

Employment in Diverse Industries-

• Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology: This is something biochemical engineers can easily relate to. Career opportunities in this field can include fine-tuning pathways to manufacture drugs at various capacities, engineering structures known as bioreactors, or enhancing techniques commonly referred to as fermentation.
• Food and Beverage Industry: It is useful in food processing, providing solutions to methods of fermentations as in brewing or yogurt-making, food quality assurance or even creating new foods.
• Biofuels and Renewable Energy: Work towards India’s commitment of providing clean energy to its citizens by modeling and analyzing the bio-refineries for deriving fuel from agricultural residues or any other renewable feedstock.
• Chemicals and Petrochemicals: The rules of biochemical engineering can be useful to invent bio-similar materials for conventional chemicals, improve production cycles or design equipment for biochemical transformations.
• Environmental Engineering: Tackle the environmental problems by developing the processes to treat the wastewater, remove pollutants from the contaminated sites or to invent the environmentally friendly industrial processes to reduce amount of wastes produced.

The scope for biochemical engineering in India is quite promising, driven by several factors:

Thriving healthcare and pharmaceuticals: India is fast emerging as a hub for healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, and there is a demand for dedicated workers who can come up with drugs and vaccines, or design medical instruments. Some large products of biochemical engineering include the invention of bioreactor technology in the large scale production of these products with a positive spin on the accessibility of health facilities.

Growing food and beverage sector: The growing food industry including processed and packaged food gives biochemical engineers the opportunity of employment in food processing, preservation and quality analysis.

Focus on renewable energy: Specifically, biochemical engineers can help India achieve its clean energy policy by utilizing feedstocks of Agricultural residues, other renewable raw materials for the production of bio-fuels.

Environmental concerns: In dealing with environmental concerns, biochemical engineers are capable to incorporate the necessary measures in the design of wastewater treatment and bioremediation of contaminated sites and designing of environmentally friendly manufacturing processes to reduce pollution production.

Yes, technically one can do both – become both an architect and structural engineer since the two professions are not mutually exclusive. However, it's not so common but still you need to consider following points:

Different skill sets: Structural engineers and architects, though the two work jointly in designing buildings, have different tasks to perform. While architects are concerned with how the entire project looks like, the functionality of the designs, and how to plan the use of available space, structural engineers are concerned with the structural stability of the building. Training in both areas takes considerable education as well as time to gain experience in the techniques.

Education and licensing: Both professions require specific degrees and licenses. An architect needs a professional degree in architecture, while a structural engineer needs an engineering degree and relevant professional licenses. Completing both sets of requirements can be lengthy and demanding.

While a career in Marine Engineering can be rewarding but it has its own pros and cons, such as:

Demanding work schedules: Long hours with working stretching in most cases up to 12 hours a day with little or no time off. This can be stressful, physically and mentally draining, thus interfering with productivity and work-life adjustment.

Limited shore time: Many times you will be away from family and friends for months or even years at stretch causing feelings of loneliness.

Challenging environment: Working in the engine room, there are aspects such as heated conditions, noise, and vibration that can be detrimental to your health.

Limited career progression: The remuneration is good; however, the promotion rate might slower that the rate in other engineering disciplines.

Specific job market: Marine industry has its low and highs, and these fluctuations make the job security of the employees unstable.

Risk of accidents: Since most of the work involves handling complex machinery and working in harsh conditions, the inherent risks include frequent accidents and injuries.

The salary of an engineer depends on various factors like specialization, role, organization, and work. The average starting salary in India for a fresh engineering graduate can range from INR 3-5 Lacs per annum. The salaries vary according to the number of years of experience as well as location. Many companies offer greater salary packages in metropolitan cities which are hub for IT companies as well as other reputed MNCs. The salary also varies as per the entry level of the candidate. After gaining experience of 2-5 years, candidates can expect a salary of INR 8-12 Lacs per annum and subsequently shift from technical to managerial positions.