The Institution of Engineers (India) (IEI), Coimbatore Local Centre, in association with the Department of Production Engineering, PSG College of Technology, inaugurated the two-day 40th National Convention of Production Engineers and National Seminar on “Sustainable Smart Manufacturing for Circular Economy” on Friday at the college campus.
The convention is being organised under the aegis of the Production Engineering Division Board (PRDB) of IEI.
Senthilkumar, Chairman of IEI Coimbatore Local Centre and Head of the Department of Production Engineering, welcomed the gathering and highlighted the importance of sustainable and smart manufacturing practices in addressing the emerging challenges of modern industry.
Pratheesh Kumar, Organising Secretary of the convention and Associate Professor in the Department of Production Engineering, delivered the theme address and emphasised the need to integrate digital technologies, resource efficiency, and circular economy principles into manufacturing systems.
Satyanarayana, Chairman of the Production Engineering Division Board (PRDB), IEI, presided over the inaugural function and delivered the presidential address. He underscored the significant role of production engineers in fostering innovation, sustainability, and industrial competitiveness.
Thyla, Principal (FAC) of PSG College of Technology, delivered the special address and appreciated the efforts of IEI and the Department of Production Engineering in organising a national-level platform for knowledge sharing and professional development.
Gopalakrishnan, Vice President – Manufacturing, ELGI Equipments, Coimbatore, delivered the guest of honour address and shared insights on manufacturing excellence, lean practices, quality systems, and continuous improvement initiatives.
Rajkumar Ammaiappan, Senior Vice President, TVS Motor Company, Hosur, inaugurated the convention and delivered the inaugural address. He highlighted the growing importance of sustainable manufacturing, digital transformation, and innovation-driven growth in the Indian manufacturing sector.
During the inaugural session, eminent engineering professionals were felicitated. The awardees included Alluri Venkata Varaprasada Raju, Head – Project Planning and Coordination/Quality Management Systems, HES Infra Private Limited, Hyderabad, and Hariharan, Professor and Dean, Department of Manufacturing Engineering, College of Engineering, Guindy, Anna University, Chennai.
The prestigious IEI Young Engineers Award was presented to Challa Suresh, Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Avanthi Institute of Engineering and Technology, Andhra Pradesh; Pradeep Kumar, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MBM University, Jodhpur, Rajasthan; and Tapas Debnath, Scientist ‘C’, Centre for Additive and Special Manufacturing Process, Central Manufacturing Technology Institute (CMTI), Bengaluru.
The convention souvenir was released by the chief guest in the presence of other dignitaries.
The convention features memorial lectures, invited talks, technical paper presentations, panel discussions, and interactions with experts from leading industries, academic institutions, and research organisations across the country. The deliberations focus on sustainable smart manufacturing, circular economy, Industry 4.0 technologies, operational excellence, quality engineering, and advanced production systems.
Pradeep Kumar, Honorary Secretary of IEI Coimbatore Local Centre and Associate Professor in the Department of Production Engineering, proposed the vote of thanks.
The convention will continue on June 20 with technical sessions, invited lectures, and discussions on emerging trends in production engineering and sustainable manufacturing.
Nearly 150 delegates from academia, industry, and research organisations across the country are participating in the convention and contributing to the technical deliberations.
