Gandhinagar,July 6: 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, Indian Institute of Technology 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.
IITGN’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.
The programme aligns with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, which encourages hands-on learning, interdisciplinary education and stronger connections between academia and industry. The initiative not only aims to enable students to graduate with practical experience but also with a strong academic knowledge throughout their graduation.
Highlighting the need for real world professional experiences for students, Prof. Bhaskar Datta, Dean (Academic Affairs), IIT Gandhinagar, said,
“The semester-long external exposure programme is part of IIT Gandhinagar’s commitment to nurturing future–ready students who are capable of contributing to a technology-driven economy.”
Mr. Bhoumik Patidar, a student of BTech Computer Science and Engineering (Batch 2026), completed his External Exposure Activity at Qualcomm. He contributed to ‘ELD,’ an open-source ELF linker, by implementing x86_64 backend support.
“Working on a production-grade open-source project has definitely sharpened my problem-solving skills and reinforced my passion for systems programming and building the foundational software that modern computing relies on,” Mr. Bhoumik Patidar said, reflecting on the experience.
The programme builds on IITGN’s years of experience with summer internships in industry and academia, where students have gained valuable skills, and in many cases, have received pre-placement offers from organisations, and published their research in impactful conferences and journals.
One of the key features of this programme is its flexibility, allowing students to choose opportunities based on their academic interests and career goals. It recognises that meaningful learning can take place in a range of professional environments beyond the traditional classroom.
Building on these insights, IITGN developed a structured mechanism through which students can spend an entire semester pursuing approved external exposure activities. These may include industrial internships, academic collaborations, research engagements at premier institutions, exposure in research and development laboratories, or entrepreneurial ventures hosted through recognised incubation centres.
Mr. Tejas Zunjare, a BTech in Electrical Engineering student, worked at HapiHygi Innovation Limited as an Electronics Engineering Intern for his External Exposure Activity where he worked on embedded systems and electronic circuit design for hygiene automation products. His work includes battery charging and battery management circuits, PCB design, sensor integration, circuit simulation, component testing and hardware troubleshooting.
“The internship helped me see how the stuff you learn in a classroom can be applied to solve real engineering problems,” Mr. Tejas Zunjare said, looking back on the experience. “It increased my interest in embedded systems and electronics, boosted my confidence to do real engineering projects, and motivated me to continue building my career in embedded systems and hardware design,” Mr. Tejas Zunjare shared.
The initiative has the unique feature that it formally incorporates external exposure as a credit-bearing part of the academic framework. Unlike traditional internships, students in the IITGN model can work on an external project for a full semester without compromising academic progress, providing greater involvement and responsibility.
The programme is offered via the course module IN 498 – External Exposure. Students may receive up to 16 academic credits, which apply toward degree requirements. Their work is rigorously scrutinized through a formal process comprising input from the host organisation and periodic reviews by the relevant department at IITGN.
The programme is an elective option, letting students choose between this exposure route or stay in normal classes, giving them total flexibility to pursue their interests. This is in line with IITGN’s holistic approach that values freedom, exploration and personalised learning.
The semester-long External Exposure Programme at IIT Gandhinagar reflects a changing approach to engineering education, combining classroom learning, real-world experience, industry interface and innovation, preparing students better for a rapid-changing world.