Agricultural engineering has a place amongst the many disciplines of Engineering. In this field of study, the principles of engineering science and technology are utilized in the area of agricultural production and processing. The principles of animal biology as well as plant biology are combined with those of mechanical, chemical and civil engineering as to enhance the available machinery and develop methods to modernize agriculture.

Courses offered in Agricultural Engineering

• Bachelor of Technology in Agricultural Engineering – This is the graduate level program in Agricultural Engineering. The minimum eligibility for this 4 year course is a pass in class 12. To get admittance into the BE/B.Tech course, it is needed by students to write an admission test.
• Master of Technology in Agricultural Engineering – This is the postgraduate level course in Agricultural Engineering. The eligibility criterion to join this 2 year course is a Bachelors’ degree in the relevant field.

Institutes That Offer Courses in Agricultural Engineering

There are about 43 agricultural universities in our country. These universities are given the status of deemed, state and central. These universities are well known for their courses. Besides these institutions, a few other technological institutions (IIT’s) and universities are known to offer courses in agricultural engineering.

A listing of the agricultural universities in our country that offer BE/B.Tech & ME/M.Tech courses in agricultural engineering are mentioned below.

• Agricultural Engineering College and Research Institute
• Allahabad Agricultural Institute
• College of Agricultural Engineering
• College of Agricultural Engineering and Technology
• G B Pant University of Agriculture & Technology
• Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur
• JNTU College of Engineering
• Kelappaji College of Agricultural Engineering & Technology, Tavanur
• PK Institute OF Technology & Management
• Shivdan Singh Institute of Technology and Management (SSITM)
• Zakir Hussain College of Engineering & Technology

Career Scope for Agricultural Engineers

The career scope for graduates of agricultural engineering is good in India. They are given the opportunity to choose the Management of water resources, mining and rehabilitation, machine development and food processing instead of manufacturing industries. Agricultural engineers have the opportunity to get employed with the NGOs as well.

Students of agricultural engineering who are interested in research can join the IARI and become agricultural scientists. Projects that are agri based now take on experts of agriculture for the purpose of evaluation of crops. Teaching agriculture as well as its allied subjects is another option available for all students of agriculture. Farming is yet one more alternative on hand for agricultural engineers.

Areas where agricultural engineers can get jobs are mentioned below in detail:

Public Sector:

• Department of Agriculture
• Development organizations
• Labs
• Research Institutions
• Universities

Private Sector:

• Agricultural co-operatives
• Farming companies
• Fertilizer and irrigation companies
• Industry service organizations such as the sugar industry
• Manufacturers of agricultural equipment
• NGOs

Students of agricultural engineering can get jobs as specialists in big corporations’, private consultancies and other private and public sector firms.