New Delhi, July 8 -- Success for today's engineering students depends not just on what they learn in the lecture hall, but how well they apply that information in real-world scenarios. As engineering education evolves beyond the classroom, IIT Gandhinagar is enabling undergraduate students to spend an entire semester working in industry, research labs, academic institutions and startup ecosystems, and earn academic credits towards their degree.
IIT Gandhinagar's External Exposure Activity offers BTech students in the seventh semester an opportunity to gain hands-on experience with industries, research laboratories, academic institutions, start-up ecosystems and get academic credits to fulfill their degree requirements. The institute integrates professional exposure in its curriculum and gives students an opportunity to get hands-on experience, develop industry-relevant skills and explore career paths before graduation.
The benefits are significant for students. During this activity, students spend a semester in industry, research laboratories or start-ups, gaining exposure to workplace culture, working in teams, across disciplines and within real-world constraints. Such experiences help students make informed decisions about their future careers, higher education and entrepreneurial ambitions.
Since its introduction in the 2025-26 academic year, 18 students have participated in the programme, working with companies and research organisations such as Qualcomm, Solar Defence and Aerospace Limited, Tower Research Capital, Samsung R&D, Oracle, California Institute of Technology, and IISc Bangalore. Students have also undertaken external exposure at startups such as HapiHygi Innovations Pvt. Ltd.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.