Statement of Purpose

Space is the final frontier. When we set our sights on the planets and stars and make every effort to
reach them, we often surpass the limits of human creativity and innovation. As a person who has been
working in India’s submarine project for the past couple of years, and who is well aware of the research
facilities and opportunities available here, I have come to the conclusion that aerospace engineering
education in India, especially graduate studies, is in its nascent stage. Since it has been my childhood
dream to join the space program of my country, it is only logical that I pursue graduate studies in
aerospace sciences. A graduate degree from the highly reputed School of Aeronautics and Astronautics
of your University will provide me a firm foundation based on which I can work towards my dream of
being a pioneering scientist at the Indian Space research Organization (ISRO) and furthering the ongoing
research in this field.

During my undergraduate years, I was a part of several key projects initiated by the Naval Science and
Technological Laboratories (NSTL). They included resistance estimation studies of single and double
hulled vessels and cavitation phenomena of submerged propellers. Towards the end of my junior year, I
was involved in an oceanography study which estimated the effectiveness of using helical strakes in
reducing vortex induced vibrations (VIV) of marine risers. My senior year projects consisted of advanced
ship design ventures and vibration analysis of a hull using finite element method programs. Around the
same time, I interned at Garden Reach Shipbuilders & Engineers Ltd for a period of 2 months during
which I worked on a small project on the ‘Hydrodynamic Optimization of Underwater Sonar Pod Design’.

I graduated as the Bronze Medalist of my department and was selected for the post of Senior Engineer
at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd (MDSL) in 2014 for the diesel-electric submarine project, P-75
Scorpene. At MDSL, I am working in the role of a Systems and Design Engineer. My job is to conduct
hydrodynamic and acoustic analysis of the submarine hull to ensure the noise and efficiency thresholds
demanded by the Indian Navy, are met. I am also a part of the team developing a Single Seater
Submersible Vehicle (SSSV).

My areas of interest lie in the core disciplines of fluid mechanics and fluid structure interaction. As an
ocean engineer, I have had a rigorous introduction to these subjects but now I wish to acquire a deeper
understanding of them and carry out advanced research in the areas of aerodynamics and propulsion
systems, with high emphasis on computational methods. Professor Tom Shih is a distinguished scientist
under whom I would like to work. I have frequently referred his publications for theoretical as well as
solution-based ideas on numerical methods. Since I wish to delve into aerospace propulsion systems as
well, I also look forward to taking up courses under Professor Haifeng Wang and work under him at the
Purdue Computational Energy & Propulsion Lab (CEPL).