IITGN StudentScope: Kuntal Patel, BTech batch of 2018, Electrical Engineering

Raise your hands if your parents are the first source of inspiration for you. Growing up, Kuntal Patel, a fourth-year BTech (Electrical Engineering) student at IITGN, also looked up to his father, a Mechanical Engineer himself, and developed a strong inclination towards technology and automobiles. His strong interest in automobiles was fueled at IITGN, where he worked on developing an indigenous Battery Management System (BMS), which forms the brain of Electric Vehicle (EV) battery packs, specifically suited to Indian EV requirements.

“The mobility landscape is evolving, and fuel-powered vehicles are rapidly being substituted by Electric Vehicles (EVs). So I was naturally driven to learn about and work on technologies that will propel this ongoing transition to electric mobility and batteries, plus the Battery Management System that forms the core of all modern Electric Vehicles”, said Kuntal.

He considers his four-year journey at IITGN full of vivid experiences combined in offline as well as online modes. As a Class Representative of his batch for three years, he had the opportunity to work closely with the professors of the EE discipline. In addition, he was actively involved in managing the students’ hostels as the Head of the hostel committee and learnt to manage the challenges in running the hostel functioning smoothly during the pandemic with support from the Covid-19 student task force. Kuntal also played a key role in rolling out new initiatives to make the hostel life more engaging and fun and organising Spring Carnations’22 after the Covid curbs were lifted. A volleyball and chess enthusiast, he loved playing games with his teammates every day at the campus. “Experiences, challenges, responsibilities, and opportunities provided by IITGN have added immense value to my learning. I have also made several close friends and well-wishers during the best four years of my life spent at the institute,” he acknowledged.

Fascinated by automobiles since childhood, Kuntal plans to set up his career as a Tech Consultant/Entrepreneur in the long run, most likely in the Electrical Engineering space. Apart from that, he also wishes to own and run a Café someday. He is excited to join the Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) soon as an Executive Trainee. Besides being an avid sportsperson, he loves listening to music and networking with people.