Interview: Ankur Revankar
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THE INTERVIEW:
Could you first tell me a little bit about your current job role and what you are responsible for?
I am a Verification Engineer employed at Volvo India Pvt Ltd within the Electrical Department in the Trucks division. My responsibilities involve trouble-shooting any electrical issues found in the pre-production build vehicles, ensuring all electrical connections and functions are in working order before handing them over for endurance testing and certification, supporting the factory units and assisting with front office organisation.
Could you describe your background, qualification and how you got involved in Formula Student?
I am a Mechanical Engineering graduate from R.V. College of Engineering, Bengaluru. I was part of the Formula student team, Ashwa Racing, from 2010 until I graduated in 2013. Till date, I am proud to be associated as a mentor of the team and with their latest endeavors.
After hearing that a very similar event is being held in India with a purpose of boosting the quality of vehicles being developed in the Formula Student world, as a former member, I wanted to get involved to assist engineering students to ensure that they do not make the same mistakes as I did in my student years and to continuously improve. This drive made be get in touch with the organizers of the event and hence get involved in the event.
Describe your role on the Formula Bharat team.
I am predominantly responsible for the Tech Inspection of the cars at the event. In addition, I have assisted in document reviews for SES and IAD submissions.
Currently I am reviewing the photo submissions made by the teams and addressing concerns at the same time.
As a document reviewer, what tips can you give to student teams?
The students should keep in mind that document submission is equally important as the manufacturing of the vehicle. Many times, teams overlook this.
It is a general tendency to look into document filling and submission at the last moment. Doing it alongside their design process will not only buy them time for self assessment, but also demonstrate the level of preparedness to themselves.
Formula Student is all about mentorship and passing on the ‘lessons learnt’; are there any lessons learnt during your time on the student team, that you would like current participants to know about?
Yes, you are right. The entire journey of Formula Student has been a continuous learning process. The best learning which we ‘Indians’ need to understand and implement is ‘Jugad does not Work’.
In my opinion, we are engineers; not mechanics to make things work one way or another. Every problem will and should have an engineered solution to it. In pursuit of solving the problem either in the nick of time or money constraints, we do not understand the long term cost we shall incur in order to get it fixed.
Over the years you have been involved with FS, what has been the best moment?
It has to be the technical scrutiny event at FSAE Italy 2012. My team, Ashwa Racing, entered technical scrutiny on Day 1 at around 2pm and came out with the technical inspection sticker after 29 mins!
Are you still in touch with your student team?
Yes, I am still in touch with the student team. I find that this connection post-graduation is a constant reminder of things you have done as a student and that it is a way to achieve successes that you weren’t able to grasp during your student years on the team.