09-05-2025
IIT-Madras launches first-of-its-kind career counselling podcast
Hyderabad: The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M) has launched a first-of-its-kind podcast series focused on career options for students in science and technology.
According to the IIT-M, the podcast titled 'Prof. Mahesh Podcast. Future. Simplyfied' will air a new episode every week. It aims to inform students and parents of the exciting prospects in various disciplines and to simplify career choices in science, engineering, and technology fields.
The podcast will be available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and all major platforms.
IIT-M said the new initiative reflects its mission to create impactful educational tools beyond the classroom. By providing credible, up-to-date guidance, 'Prof. Mahesh Podcast. Future. Simplyfied.' promises to become an essential resource for students, parents, and educators navigating decision-making in the modern STEM landscape.
Supported by IIT Madras Global (the Office of Global Engagement at IIT Madras), the podcast will stand out for its educational depth, practical advice, and student-centric approach. It arrives at a crucial moment, as technology and career paths evolve faster than ever, leaving many young people searching for reliable guidance.
Addressing a press conference on Thursday to mark the podcast launch, Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, 'We want to create pathways for bright students to be able to go into any discipline and make a difference to society by following their passion.'
Congratulating Prof Mahesh Panchagnula on the podcast launch, V Kamakoti added, 'Prof Mahesh has been a fountainhead of ideas for the Institute. This latest venture spearheaded by him will fix the information asymmetry problem in the country, where parents and students are making decisions without fully realising the career potential in each discipline.'
Highlighting the need for such podcasts, Prof Mahesh Panchagnula, who is also the Head of the Centre of Excellence on Sports Science and Analytics, IIT Madras, said, 'I want to take the stress out of career decision-making and help students, parents, and well-wishers make informed, confident choices. It is time to cut through misinformation and ensure that credible information is available to all stakeholders about different paths in science and engineering, especially in a growing country like India.'
On Thursday, the first episode was aired, featuring Madhura Swaminathan (ISI Bangalore) speaking on 'Emerging Trends in Agricultural Intelligence-How Does Food Get on Our Table? and Balaraman Ravindran (IIT Madras) on 'Emerging Trends in AI and Data Science.'
Prof Panchagnula said that the new podcast seeks to bridge the gap between academic aspirations and real-world opportunities by offering – Expert Interviews: Conversations with leading professionals and innovators; Student Q&As: Real questions answered, busting myths and clarifying doubts; Career Insights: Simplyfied breakdowns of emerging trends in India and abroad and it will have multilingual access with summaries available in Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, and English.
