STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

On completing my Bachelors degree in Industrial & Production Engineering, I was

faced with a tough decision, to either pursue a Masters or to seek industrial experience. I
realized that being a part of the industry will give me an opportunity to apply my
engineering concepts to real-time projects as well as witness the influence of research on
industrial innovations. My two years at Cummins, a global power company that
manufactures diesel engines, has given me experience in the field of product
development and industrial design cycle. Most importantly, through my interaction
with global colleagues, I have learnt the value of teamwork and diversity for solving
shared challenges. Now I am ready and excited to take the next step in my educational
journey. I come with a deeper passion for academics and an invaluable understanding
of the industrial world.

I had no expectations when I joined college but now it has molded me with a strong
foundation in industrial engineering through subjects like operations research, work
system engineering, computer integrated manufacturing, production operation
management etc. Natural inclination towards creativity fuelled by the industrial training,
I was assigned a project on “Manpower Reduction” in Eicher Motors Pvt. Ltd.,
Pithampur during our industrial training program which was a part of our curriculum.
This industrial exposure provided me with a basic knowledge of industrial processes. In
college I had also enrolled myself in the prestigious Institute of Engineers (IE) club &
other college clubs like Red-X etc. In these societies I learnt to shoulder responsibilities
and take on the onus of managing a group while conducting and coordinating various
events. These events trained me to become more skilled at multitasking and taught me
how to balance my work. I gained knowledge of how to approach my academic pursuits,
from projects to exams, in a methodical way.

I was a part of special program initiated by Cummins known as “Young’s Manager

Development Program” in which we are given opportunity to work in different
departments during our training period. Thus my experience with Cummins has been
very rewarding because I got to work in different departments which helped me
immensely in brushing my technical skills over a wide area. In my first year I was at
the shop floor working in manufacturing dept. where I got a close look at the industrial
& manufacturing processes. I consider myself fortunate because I was able to get some
on-hand experience too during this time. Over this time I also developed a keen interest
in several areas associated with industrial engineering and gained knowledge about the
practical implementation of Kaizen methods, lean manufacturing, learning
productivity, 5S, 6 sigma, poka-yoke through mini projects. Then I got opportunity to
work in Sourcing dept. where my key responsibility was to handle quality issues,
quality system implementation, new parts developments & cost reduction of various
parts for suppliers. Finally I moved to Materials Dept. where I am currently working as
an Assistant Manager & looking after optimization of inventory level to minimize
wastage, making appropriate arrangements to ensure on time deliveries, resolving
quality issues of existing parts, maintaining quality standard procedures in the
department, managing logistics, negotiating with transporters for cost effective
transport solutions. All put together it has provided me with profound knowledge of
supply chain management as well as core of industrial processes. This enriching
experience has provoked me to carry out a research in the field of logistics optimization
as a result of which currently I am working on a project for “Optimization of
Transportation freight” for all Cummins entities in India & this project has been
initiated by Cummins Inc., US.

I have no doubt that Penn State is ‘the’ appropriate one for me, since it provides a unique
mix of educational advantages. It is one of the most dynamic universities providing
personal attention and extensive academic resources along with superior education in
the field of Industrial Engineering with the help of a capacious course. Here, I will
receive an education that gives me both, the technical skills and the intellectual discipline
to become a leader in industry. It is a University where research is an integral part of
the department and the entire faculty is highly qualified. It is a meeting ground of
various social lives and cultural ideas. In all, it is a comprehensive university that
furnishes an education that will serve me well in my career and prepare me for a
lifetime of learning. This will ultimately help me provide vital contributions to society
and work in a way to expedite the advancement and betterment of humanity as a
whole.