Aerospace is a unique field in engineering design that requires physics based simulations to validate if parts meet various design criteria without actually testing them in real flight !
Asha Koshy, our next pathbreaker, Manager R&D at GKN Aerospace (India), works with and manages an R&D team that builds aero engine parts for the future, as well as develops new technologies for new products that go into future aircrafts.
Asha talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about significant turning points in her career that led her from the world of Civil Engineering to the fascinating domain of Aerospace.
For students, Research and Technology is an interesting and vast expanse where there is a lot more to be explored. It is never too late to start all over, and never be restricted by what you have currently.
Asha, can you share your background with our young readers?
I grew up in Kerala, and completed my grade 10 and 12 in a boarding school. Back in those days, Marthoma Residential school, Thiruvalla was one of the few schools affiliated with ICSE and ISC board with a boarding facility. I studied math and science during my grade 11 and 12. I loved solving math problems, which gave me an inner sense of thrill and satisfaction. During school days, I was an avid reader of all kinds of books. Sports was not my strong interest though we had to spend a lot of time outdoors. I also love pristine nature and long walks .
Both my parents worked in Bahrain, and so from an early age I travelled on flights during summer vacations. Seeing the aeroplane and getting to fly as an unaccompanied minor gave me many privileges. As kids, we would be escorted by cabin crew and sometimes taken to see cockpits and talk to pilots during the journey. These jumbo jets and people who worked there fascinated me. I secretly wanted to become an airhostess.
What did you do for graduation/post graduation?
I did my B.Tech in Civil engineering from TKM College of engineering under Kerala University and during our final year, I also attempted the GATE exam. I got a GATE score that fetched me admission to Masters Course in IIT Madras with a specialization in Composites and Structural Analysis.
Can you talk about some of the influences that led you to a career in Aerospace Engineering?
After completing my grade 11, where I pursued both math and science, I wrote the kerala engineering and medical entrance. Back in those days, we had only 5-6 engineering colleges with merit seats and so, during the engineering counselling session, I went with my father and uncle, who was a Maths Professor, to pick the stream and college. They advised me to select the college first. TKM College of Engineering, one of the best engineering colleges in Kerala was decided first. Then we picked civil engineering. Though I could have got other branches in other colleges, my father wanted me to study in a college nearest to my home !
I remember my uncle telling me, civil engineering is one of the fields where you will get to study different aspects of engineering with a wide variety of topics. I did not think much about what branch I took as long as it was engineering. He also told me to stay within the top 10 in the university.
During the engineering course, I was drawn towards structural design and analysis. It was interesting to design something and do mathematical calculations to see if what you design is safe under different conditions. It was the right mix of math and physics. When I got a centum in the university exam for structural analysis, I was sure that this was an area that I wanted to pursue further.
When the final year results came, I stood 4th in university. I still remember the professor who taught us structural analysis, smiling every time I got my exam scores until the day I went to collect my mark sheets. She advised me to apply for IIT as I had a GATE score. She also gave me the contacts of a Prof. in IITM for pursuing a research internship and asked me to join IIT Madras for a masters in the next academic session. Thus, I landed in IIT Madras, did a year of research internship and joined the master’s course. The IIT Prof. guided me to take composite structures, which was an emerging field with a multidisciplinary scope if I wanted to diversify into different areas in the future. I did my thesis work in damage tolerant design in composites, figuring out how we can prevent flaws and cracks in composites from growing, so we can make safer designs. I am forever grateful for the timely advice and mentorship those professors gave me.
How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path
During the time of campus interviews, we had the option to move into the IT field or stay in the core domain. I wanted to stay in the core domain and continue with what I was learning. Hence, I opted for companies looking for core areas rather than IT companies.
After finishing my Master’s, I joined GE Aerospace as an analysis engineer working in computer aided engineering (CAE). I was happy that I could continue in the structural analysis area and was delighted to get to design aero engine parts as an engineer. Studying civil engineering and pursuing a career in aerospace was not as difficult as I thought. I learnt that when your basics and learning foundations are set, switching from designing one product to another product is easy.
My work in GE aerospace was to perform simulations to verify the designs we make. Aero engines are designed to fly and they can fly only if certified by the likes of the FAA (Federal aviation agency). To see if the design works, we cannot perform testing for every design as it is very expensive. We need to do physics based simulations to see if the part we design meets various design criteria. For example, if it has enough strength to withstand all the forces that act on an aircraft during every flight or how often we need to repair or replace a part of the engine or when precisely a part cracks up and so on. Though I studied composite materials, most of the work I did was on metallic materials. There are a lot of similarities and differences when we design parts made of metals or composites.
After working in GE Aerospace for almost 6.5 years, for family reasons I wanted to move to another place. I was contemplating moving to other areas/domains and weighing my thoughts one day while walking on the terrace of my house. Our house is near the airport and I saw aeroplanes flying over my head, landing and taking off , blinking like stars in the night sky. Looking at that sky, I realized how attached I was to this field of work and decided to stick to this domain.
I joined my second company, Cyient, for a short stint of 3.5 years . Cyient provides engineering services to another aero engine player, Pratt and Whitney USA. In Cyient, I worked for Pratt engines, similar to what I did in GE but also leading and managing teams.
Since then, I have been working in the same aerospace domain after which I moved to GKN aerospace and have been working with this company for the past 14 years.
As I gained more experience, I moved from being an individual contributor to leading, managing and building new teams. Each step gave me a new perspective, new learnings and experiences.
How did you get your first break?
Getting into IIT was a great first step after graduation that eventually charted my career journey
What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?
Cracking the IIT interview for my masters degree was the first challenge.
Once that was done, I got into an entirely new area of composites and fracture mechanics. Learning in IIT is very different from other colleges in India. Getting your fundamentals right, learning to think on your own, applying the knowledge and cracking a problem was the key to gaining a degree from IIT.
Getting into the corporate world with an equally competent batch of cohorts, keeps you on your toes to establish yourself firmly on the career ladder.
Keeping a cool head, having clarity of thought and upskilling yourself helps in overcoming your obstacles. Taking one step at a time: sometimes slow, sometimes fast, is what I believe that helped me hitherto.
Where do you work now?
Currently I work with a great aerospace company called GKN Aerospace. www.gknaerospace.com
What problems do you solve?
Currently I work with and manage a team in India that does research and development work, building aero engine parts for the future, developing new technologies for new products that go into future aircrafts.
GKN designs and manufactures parts of aero engines and aircrafts for major aerospace OEMs in both commercial and military segment.
Working in Research and Technology development is very interesting where we conceptualize an idea, and work through different technology readiness levels before it can become a product that can go into an aero engine. Flight safety is very critical while working in the aerospace field. We need to do simulations, testing and certification of the product before it can fly. We work on different technologies, like 3D printing, digitalization and automation to improve our designs and manufacturing processes, make new designs for future propulsion systems using alternative fuels, develop new methods based on physics based simulations , try alternative materials for new designs etc.
What skills are needed for your role? How did you acquire the skills?
To work in this area, one needs to be a good engineer, with a lot of passion and interest in designing parts for aeroplanes. We need to also do calculations and understand the physics behind these calculations, as well as work efficiently using programming skills to speed up the way we do calculations. One also needs to manage a team, develop management and leadership skills.
While basic skills are learnt in college, as you join a company, you learn more by working on hands-on problems, by applying what we learnt in college. So, getting the fundamentals right is the first step. Once we start working, we also learn through industrial training programs and learning courses to upskill us.
What’s a typical day like?
I typically start the day by 9.00-9.30 am in the morning and work for 8.5 hours. I would need to attend meetings, plan different work and activities, meet with people and see how the planned tasks are going on. I need to solve issues and ensure we deliver quality results on time. Sometimes I need to travel and connect with different colleagues working from other parts of the globe and work together.
What is it you love about this job?
I love the fact that we are working on niche technologies and making products that are safe for people all over the world to fly around all the time.
How does your work benefit society?
We work on technologies that not only shape the way we fly in the future but also help in building a cleaner and sustainable environment . We also work on making flights safe and comfortable for all travellers around the world.
Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!
I had an opportunity to co-author an engineering book for NAFEMS series, How to analyze practical problems using FE software? Our motive was to help students pursuing engineering courses get practical knowledge to connect what we do in industry with what students learn in academics. We tried to bridge this gap through this book and it was a great experience for me, putting my learning into a book form to benefit future talents.
Your advice to students based on your experience?
Every student is gifted with a unique ability and if you keep your mind open and genuinely put effort into learning things, you will be able to identify what is your unique passion and gift.
The earlier you are able to identify this, the better you will be able to channelize your energy towards it.
It is never too late to start all over, and never be restricted by what you have currently. I think when we put effort to excel in whatever little things we are doing now, greater things will come our way. Excellence should be your standard and do not settle for mediocrity, be it in studies or anything you pursue. Compete with yourself and not with others.
Future Plans?
Research and Technology is an interesting and vast expanse where I believe there are lots more to be explored. I am currently in the pursuit of this. Establishing a strong research ecosystem in India in aerospace between academics and Industry is my dream.