ABOUT ME
Intro
I’m Pranav Thakur, an engineer always pondering the Golden Circle questions. Building things and innovation sparked my early interest, which led me to choose a path in aerospace, manufacturing, automotive, and programming. As I progressed along my career path, I realized that business and operations played an important role in solving real-world challenges. I wanted to delve deeper into this mechanical entrepreneur journey and build solutions that truly solved consumer problems.
This enthusiasm led me to take on projects related to prototyping, architecting sounding rockets from scratch, fostering new connections, and achieving global rankings in international competitions and internships. My key learnings included CAD/CAM/CAE, manufacturing processes, supply chain and product management, databases, web development, and data engineering. These experiences helped me earn my bachelor’s in mechanical engineering, with a minor in manufacturing & data science, from Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal, India.
As a Production & Operations Manager at BCT, I evolved in project management by developing and integrating ERP using API, Python, AWS, and certifying AS9100 to handle workflow management with diverse teams and customers, and I kept hold of my technical and design skills to learn advanced CNC and CMM machinery to deliver products with quality assurance and stipulated deadlines. Helped in sourcing vendors for outsourcing to channelize product flow, identified potential customers, and established relations to grow the business by pooling in major purchase orders for the incoming fiscal year. Helped in scaling the supply line by cutting down lead times by 15 – 20 %, scheduling and forecasting products to increase the revenue by $75,000 for the fiscal year.
I realized the learnings from global markets would be enormous and could be a potential for my multidisciplinary skill set. So, moving ahead, I chose to pursue my master’s in mechanical engineering and Material Science at Duke University. Caffeinate more to read ahead, as I love coffee too. I also love re-energizing myself with sports-filled days, watching movies, Formula 1 races, and reading in libraries. The gist is, if you are interested in manufacturing, data science, operations, management, or aerospace, I would love to connect!
Looking forward to opportunities!
Education
- Coursework: Business Fundamentals, Supply Chain Management, Aerodynamics, Space Systems Design, Finite Element Method, Experimental Design Methods, Vehicle Dynamics
- Graduate Teaching Assistant: ME344 Control Systems
- Student Advisory Board Member
- Graduate Teaching Assistant: ME 321 Advance Mechanical Design
- Payload & Structures Member, thrustMIT, Student Rocketry Team, 2021-2024
- Organizer Tech Tatva Tech Fest, Escape Velocity, 2022 – 2023
- HRD Organizer Revels Fest, Odyssey of Dreams, 2023-2024
Sherwood Public School, Middle School, 2010 – 2018
Hobbies
- Sketching portraits and painting Madhubani. Published a few to the Hindu paper and the times children magazine.
- Played cricket at under 14 state level, Hyderabad cricket association. (HCA)
Research Papers
1. A Novel Non-Pyrotechnic Radial Deployment Mechanism for Payloads in Sounding Rockets
2. Design and control of "STEWIE", a robotic payload stabilization mechanism for rocket flights
Filed a patent for the radial deployment mechanism in the Indian Patent Office (Application No.: 202341075776)
