Contrary to the Popular Belief, Income and Job Openings

are Higher in Petroleum and Chemical Engineering than in

Most Other Engineering Courses including IT – Prof.
V.S.R.K. Prasad, Director of IIPE
JULY 28, 2018

Insights
1. The career of a chemical engineer and petroleum engineer is quite exciting and
highly remunerative.
2. The profession requires not only high-class technical skills but also management and
soft skills. One has to communicate a lot with the policymakers.
3. The profession gives immense satisfaction as one works in the core sector of the
country’s growth i.e. energy sector. Only innovative minds and high dedication make
a petroleum engineer successful.
 4. The profession also gives an opportunity to visit foreign countries and experience
state of the art technologies in the field of oil and gas production.
5. The industry is quite dynamic and demands one to update oneself. There is no room
for complacency for a chemical or petroleum engineer.
6. One has to be physically fit to do well in this job, especially on off-shore sites, where
work is taxing, the environment is polluted and there is a danger to your life, though
a lot of precautions are taken.
7. Working hours are also not fixed, so one may not have much time for family and
friends.

Personal Details
Name – Prof. V.S.R.K. Prasad
Profession – Director, Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy (IIPE), Visakhapatnam
Age – 66 years
Gender – Male
City – Visakhapatnam
Industry – Higher Education
LinkedIn – ​https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-prasad-veerapaneni-b3641563/

Where have you been born and raised?

I was born in a small village in Krishna District, Andhra Pradesh in a middle-class family.
I completed B.Tech, M.Tech. and Ph.D., all in Chemical Engineering, from Andhra
University and joined the same university as a faculty.
My father was a high school teacher and my mother was a homemaker. I have two elder
brothers. He was a self-made man, did his graduation and B.Ed. and settled as a high
school teacher. My mother, though not highly literate, is a practical person who managed
the household affairs very efficiently.
I admire my life partner for her excellent qualities, which surprise me time and again. She
had kept me free from most of the familial responsibilities, giving me more time to
concentrate on my profession.

Who had the most influence on you and how?

I am most influenced by my paternal uncle, Dr. Jayarama Krishna, Specialist in Animal
Genetics, who worked in N G Ranga Agricultural University, Hyderabad. He became a
professor at the age of 38. He played a vital role in shaping my career and I regard him as
my mentor.
My high school teacher, Sri Radha Krishna, is instrumental in making me more focused and
disciplined towards academics. At Andhra University, I had the opportunity to interact with a
few great academicians like Prof. Bhaskar Sharma (Director, Gayatri Vidya Parishad), who
happened to be my teacher and colleague, Prof. Bhavaraju Serveswara Rao (Chairman
Gayatri Vidya Parishad) from whom I learned the fine art of administration, Prof. G J V Raju,
my Ph.D guide at Andhra University opened the doors of research and made me realize the
true purpose of research.
I strongly believe that we get influenced by many people at different points of time in life. I
do not shrink to say that even today I learn a lot from my students. Incidentally one of my
students happened to be my teacher in the USA in 2007 when I went there for three-month
training in Nano Technology.
The novel ‘Good Earth’ by Pearl S. Buck had a great influence on me. I read the various
versions of Ramayana and Mahabharata which inspired me to understand that everything
has more than one aspect. This lesson is very valuable to me today as an administrator
since I have to understand the version of the other person too.

Please give us a summary of your career.

I started as a lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering, Andhra University in
1979. I was promoted to Reader and Professorship eventually and took voluntary retirement
in 2008.
Then I served as Principal, ANITS till 2016. I became Advisor Academics to IIPE in 2016
and became the first Director to IIPE (Indian Institute of Petroleum and Energy) in 2017.
As Member Lions club, I participate in all its activities.
I also serve as Chairman, SEAC (State Expert Appraisal Committee), which is responsible
to give clearance to the industries regarding the pollution control. It is a state government
appointment.

Which institutes are best for petroleum engineering?

University of Houston (USA)​ is the best institute to learn sub-sea explorations and
technology. ​Texas A&M University​ and ​Robert Gordon University​ are the premium institutes
for petroleum engineering.
In India, ​Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (Gujarat)​,​ Rajiv Gandhi Institute of
Petroleum Technology (Rae Bareli, Uttar Pradesh)​, ​Maharashtra Institute of Technology
(Pune)​, are the best.
All the IITs which offer chemical and petroleum engineering are equally good.
State level universities and reputed private engineering colleges also offer chemical
engineering. ​IIT Kharagpur​ and ​IIT Madras​ offer Master Programs in the same stream.
For master’s program students can always look for overseas institutes for a better
exposure.

What are the costs associated with the education/training of this

profession?
At IITs and petroleum universities, it is from 1.5 lakhs to 2.25 lakhs INR per annum.
Reputed private engineering and private universities charge 1 lakh to 1.5 lakhs INR per
annum.
At premier foreign universities, the cost would be around 9 to 10 lakhs INR per annum and
other foreign universities may charge 5 to 6 lakhs INR per annum.

How does one enter in this profession?

One has to get a very good GATE (Graduate Aptitude Test Engineers) rank. Based on the
rank, the premier government organizations like HPCL, GAIL, OIL, ONGC etc. will call you
for an interview.
The postings will be across the country. You will be required to work both on-shore and
off-shore sites.
The entry-level designation would be Executive Engineer (Training), and there on Chief
Manager, Deputy General Manager, General Manager, Chief General Manager, Executive
Director, and Director finally.
One can also apply to OPEC (Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries) and work
abroad. The software industry also absorbs these graduates through campus recruitment.

What is the range of remuneration one can expect when starting

out in your line of career & industry?
My line of career has been faculty position at the university, Principal at a private
engineering college and Director of a national level institute.
The UGC (University Grants Commission) scales will apply to all the positions starting at
INR 60,000 per month to INR 2,00,000 per month.
I would like to give details of the remuneration for Petroleum and Chemical engineering
graduates who work at Industries. If they choose again teaching the remuneration will the
same as mentioned above.
5 years of experience — 5 to 6 lakhs INR per annum in the government sector.
10 years of experience — 8 to 9 lakhs INR per annum in Govt and 12 lakhs to 15 lakhs in
Pvt. sector
15 years of experience — 15 to 20 lakhs INR in Govt. and 20 to 30 lakhs INR in Private
sector.
20+ years of experience — 20 to 30 lakhs INR and above in Govt and 30–40 lakhs INR per
annum in the Private sector.

Please describe your work.

My typical day starts with a morning walk on the beach. As the Director, IIPE, my day starts
at 8.30 am. I have a lot of communication with the Ministry of Petroleum, IIT Kharagpur, and
HPCL. These organizations are directly involved in the development of the institute. I
monitor the progress of the permits and contracts of the construction of the buildings. I have
to meet people from other IITs. Also I have to plan for new labs and supervise the regular
class work. I also conduct meetings with the experts to frame the syllabus for the ensuing
academic year and to design the syllabus for the new programs to be introduced. There are
no fixed hours of working. Sometimes I stay back at the institute till 8 pm.

What are some of the positives, which would encourage

someone to consider this career/job?
Unlike the software jobs, which are practiced by several engineers, this field offers attractive
remuneration.
The oil companies offer better facilities like family insurances, living quarters, recreational
activities and so on.
More job security in comparison to the IT sector. Though the work on site is quite
challenging, the rewards are equally attractive.

What are some of the challenges that you would want someone
to be aware of when considering this career/job?
In general, an engineer faces the gap between theory and practice at the beginning of the
career. Only proper internships will help them overcome the professional and technical
problems.
Apart from this, an engineer has to work for the benefit of the fellow human beings. As a
petroleum engineer, one needs to be physically very fit to work on off-shore projects.
The working hours are not fixed and you are exposed to pollution. Your safety is another
issue.
You also need to know resource management.
Many a time, petroleum industries may face public wrath, thus they need to have the best
communication skills. Since they work in plants and offshore, they have to work in shifts.
The regular social life is not always possible.

What are the relevant trends/skills/technologies that are currently

commanding a premium in your job profile?
One has to be computer literate. All skills relevant to administration like resources
management, people management, time management and the best possible
communication skills are required. Developments in engineering streams are dynamic and
every day there is a new discovery or innovation. From time to time one has to acquire skills
in the new technologies.

What kind of person would be happy in your career?

People who love a little bit of adventure and physically fit are best suited to this profession.
The onsite work in the middle of the sea drilling is quite a demanding task. For chemical
engineers, apart from the routine job, the lab work would be quite exciting.
One with loads of energy and with an eye for precision fares well.
One should also be highly disciplined if chose to work in this industry. As a faculty, one has
to constantly keep oneself updated about the latest developments.

Given another choice, what would you do differently as far as

your professional selections are concerned?
Teaching is in my blood. I come from a family of the teachers. I could not think of any other
profession other than teaching. It gives me immense satisfaction in producing the most
useful citizens of this country.
Still, if you persist, my second option would be to work in the laboratories pursuing research
in the premier R & D institutes.

What would be your advice to students or professionals who are

just starting their journey on a path similar to yours?
Think and decide what you want from life. Do not go by the popular beliefs while selecting
your specialization. Dependency, transparency, and truthfulness are very important for any
professional student. Goal setting and working on the realization of the same actually
provides a direction to the young minds. According to me, anyone without a proper goal
becomes directionless and useless. I strongly believe that all the engineers should also
have enough knowledge of management skills. Since they all have to take an administrative
position in their profession, it is important that they acquire all kinds of soft skills.

Contributing Writer - ​Vivek Daddala

Liked this article? Check out ​our conversation with Prof. Sudhir Jain​ (Director
at ​IIT Gandhinagar​).