India | Pranav Singhal

Meet Pranav

Growing up in Delhi, India, Pranav’s hobby of tinkering with electronics and gadgets sparked an interest in mechatronic engineering and robotics.  

“Mechatronic Engineering is a new and cutting-edge field that combines mechanical, electrical, and software engineering to create smart products and automated systems. I believe that it’s the future of technology. Since the industry focuses on real-world problem solving and is multidisciplinary in nature, I was keen to major in mechatronic engineering.”

UTS caught his eye since he was looking for a university with a strong Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering major and had world-class teaching facilities. UTS consistent ranking in the Top 100 universities for Engineering also helped him make his decision. Upon accepting his offer at UTS, Pranav learned that he was successful in receiving the  International Undergraduate Full Tuition Scholarship. The scholarship would cover 100% of his tuition during his studies.

I was excited and joyful to receive the great news that my biggest dream of studying at UTS would come true. The scholarship gave me the freedom to spend more time on extracurriculars and learn about the engineering industry. I joined societies, found friends, learned technical skills, and experienced the fantastic city that is Sydney.

Pranav’s involvement  in extracurricular activities like UTS Motorsports and Robotics Society (RoboSoc) gave him the opportunity to apply the theories he learned in class to real-world scenarios. 

“While at UTS Motorsports, I helped develop a driverless racing car for the Formula SAE competition. The project helped me learn CAD modelling, manufacturing skills, and develop soft skills like leadership, teamwork and project management. I learned how to use hand tools and CNC machines at the university workshop. In RoboSoc, I helped design the car for the Droid Racing Challenge. The project involved understanding the functionality of sensors and mounting them to the car. I learned to 3D print various parts and work with laser cutters. Our team even won first place!”

As part of his coursework and work-integrated learning, Pranav was required to complete an internship. With the support of FEIT Internships, he secured an internship at the engineering firm, RS Group.

“I worked as a Technical and Product Intern for 4 months during my summer break. It was my first ever experience in the engineering industry and I had an amazing experience. It allowed me to apply everything I learned in class in a professional setting. I worked on a project to develop an internal tool to match parts and fulfil quotes. I also made many professional connections.” 

Upon graduation, Pranav took on the challenging task of finding his first job as an engineer. 

“It was challenging at first to find an engineering role that would help me further develop on my education. It was a lot of trial and error with many job applications and interviews. Since I had some experience through my internship at RS Group, UTS Robotics Society and UTS Motorsports Autonomous, it helped me demonstrate my technical skills and passion to potential employers. I briefly worked at Iscar Australia to learn about metal manufacturing and tooling for CNC machines. I then moved to Reach Robotics since I was interested in working with robots. This position and career path was exactly what I wanted when I decided to go to UTS.”

Pranav currently works as a Production Engineer at Reach Robotics in Sydney where he assists with the manufacturing and development of robotic arms.