Semester-long industry exposure: 18 students avail elective at IIT-Gn

Ahmedabad: Bhoumik Patidar, a student of BTech (computer science), at IIT Gandhinagar (IIT-Gn) completed his external exposure activity (EEA) at Qualcomm. As part of the semester-long internship, he developed an open-source ELF linker – a software tool that combines compiled codes and libraries into a single, executable file.

“Working on a production-grade open-source project has improved my problem-solving skills. It also helped me build foundational software that modern computers rely on,” he said.Tejas Zunjare, a BTech (electric engineering) student, worked at HapiHygi Innovation as an intern. He worked on embedded systems and EC design for hygiene automation products. “The internship helped me see how to apply classroom learning to solve real engineering problems,” he said.These are two out of 18 students who availed an elective for semester-long EEA at IIT-Gn. Prof Bhaskar Datta, dean (academic affairs) at the institute, said that it is a unique initiative where the students utilise their seventh semester for hands-on industry exposure. “Students have not only worked on core technology projects, they have also explored areas such as fintech. They do not miss out on studies and can complete requirements, if any, in the last semester.

We see growing interest in EEA,” he said.The students gain 16 credits and work closely with industry mentors and faculty members to fulfil degree requirements. The students so far have worked with Qualcomm, Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited, Tower Research Capital, Samsung R&D, Oracle, California Institute of Technology, and IISc Bengaluru as part of the initiative.