While India keeps struggling with sustainable development issues, it will always be a necessity for mechanical engineers to take part in making the world greener and more sustainable by providing their expertise and innovative ideas
Amid global efforts to combat climate change, India is emerging as a leading driver of the transition to sustainability. Key to this process are mechanical engineers who lead the charge towards India’s sustainable future. Their knowledge in design, analysis, and problem-solving is vital to resolving national environmental challenges while also driving economic growth.
Carbon neutrality for instance cannot be achieved without renewable energy sources. In India, this sector experiences tremendous growth where mechanical engineers play an active role. They are involved in designing, developing, and optimising wind turbines, solar panels, and hydroelectric power plants. The understanding of fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, and materials science helps them maximise energy output while minimising environmental impact.
Besides traditional sources of renewable energy, mechanical engineers have begun exploring alternatives like tidal and wave energy. They are also working on the development of an energy storage system that includes advanced batteries and thermal energy storage systems for maintaining grid stability and reliability. It is through their harnessing of natural powers alongside engineering expertise that they significantly contribute towards meeting goals such as independence from fossil fuel sources.
Meanwhile, when looking at advancing Indian manufacturing capabilities, it becomes clear that sustainability is also a major concern. Mechanical engineers are leading this change by promoting green manufacturing practices aimed at reducing waste, conserving energy, and lowering carbon emissions. Mechanical engineering contributes significantly to developing machinery that consumes less power, among other areas such as enhanced designs, material uses, or operational processes’ changes to reduce electricity use in factories. This is particularly necessary for industries with high energy consumption, such as steel production or the automotive manufacturing sector. Furthermore, mechanical engineers also direct efforts towards developing products designed for life-cycle sustainability, including eco-friendly material selection till end-of-life disassembly/recycling stages adopting circular economy principles, hence ensuring both environmental soundness as well as economic viability.
Another major focus area revolves around waste reduction measures within industrial settings implemented by mechanical engineers to reduce waste generation and recycle more. This contributes to lower operational costs as well as minimising environmental impact. Indian industries are increasingly practicing closed-loop systems where waste materials are recycled for use in the same manufacturing process. A good example that shows how mechanical engineers are involved in green manufacturing is additive manufacturing or 3D printing. By using less material and producing complex components without the need for tools, this process also helps reduce environmental impact. In addition, mechanical engineers have explored avenues of using recycled materials and renewable sources of energy for production purposes in manufacturing processes, thus promoting circular economy.
Nevertheless, there are several challenges along the journey towards sustainability that confront India’s mechanical engineers. A transition into green manufacturing and renewable energy requires huge investments into infrastructure development as well as training programmes.
Further collaboration between industry, academia, and government is required to fast-track the adoption of sustainable practices. However, these challenges can be seen as opportunities too; increasing demand for sustainable solutions provides a platform for mechanical engineers to come up with innovations that can be scaled globally. Likewise, the role of mechanical engineers in driving sustainability is further enhanced by government initiatives such as “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat.”
While India keeps struggling with sustainable development issues, it will always be a necessity for mechanical engineers to take part in making the world greener and more sustainable by providing their expertise and innovative ideas.
(Manikandan N, Professor, Mechanical Engineering – Mohan Babu University)