Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute

Foundation and early years (1887–1960)

The institute was founded in 1887 and commenced with two departments, the Sir J. J. School of Mechanical Engineering and the Ripon Textile School.

Development and post-autonomy (1960–present)

Prior to 1960, Victoria Jubilee Technical Institute was the only institute offering Engineering degree and postgraduate courses under the University of Bombay and enjoyed de facto autonomy. In 1997, the institute was renamed to Veermata Jijabai Technological Institute.

The institute was granted financial and academic autonomy from 21 June 2004. As a result, the autonomous VJTI has implemented a revised syllabus for its students in June 2004 at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels by implementing a credit system. The revised scheme of examinations, which follows a grading system and letter grade point system has been implemented. An important part of curriculum is the practically oriented project at the final year of graduation and the dissertations offered by the postgraduate students, as also the in-plant training undergone by the third year Diploma students.

Significant changes under autonomy are the setting up of Distance Education Programmes (DEP) with IIT Bombay, with VJTI being a Remote Centre; as also the modernization of the library to a digital library. Postgraduate students may see the journals online throughout the week, with facility for printing. Several students societies, inter-college festivals, and the college magazine 'Nirmaan' serve as a platform to enhance students personality. VJTI initiated a newsletter named 'VJ.News' in March 2010.

Under a World Bank grant, the Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP), a modernization will offer central computing facilities to students, who will also have access to improved laboratory and workshop facilities. The faculty at the institute runs testing and consultancy work. Industries has sponsored laboratories - for instance, the high voltage laboratory, courtesy Siemens; and the Computational Fluid Dynamics laboratory, courtesy Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

Individual students profiles through departmental brochures are centrally positioned with the 'Training and Placement Office' of the institute. The office liaises with over hundred companies and places students for employment and in-plant training through campus recruitment programmes. In 2010, VJTI added Electronics & Telecommunication Engineering to its list of streams.

VJTI was conferred with the title of 'Knowledge Partner' for the upcoming Centre of Excellence Of Sports Textiles of Government of India.

Ranking

Admissions

The admission process is carried out separately by Directorate of Technical Education along with 5 other autonomous institutes in Maharashtra. Respective admission rounds are known as CAPAI (Centralized Admission Process to Autonomous Institutes).

Academic departments

The institute has 12 academic departments. Of these, nine offer certificate, diploma, degree, postgraduate and/or doctoral programs. These are:

Three academic departments have supporting roles and conduct foundation courses for degree and diploma programs, but do not offer any programs of their own. These are:

Organization

At the institutional level, VJTI is governed by a Board of Governors with a Chairman, the Director as a member and other Members of the Board. Members include Heads of Industry, prominent VJTI alumni as well as Heads of other educational institutions. The Chairman of the Board is Nusli Wadia, Chairman, Bombay Dyeing.

The key people in the execution of the institute's activities are the Director (O. G. Kakade), who is assisted by the Dean (Academic Programs), Dean (Students Activities), Dean (Resource Mobilization & Finance) and Dean (Research & Development), and the heads of the departments.

Society of Robotics & Automation

The Society of Robotics & Automation was founded in 2008 under the Mechanical Engineering Department of VJTI. The student society works in the field of robotics and automation. Senior student members train and assist students to undertake projects, participate in competitions, undertake industrial and research projects. Students from the Society of Robotics and Automation won Round 1 of the DRDO Golden Jubilee Students Competition organised by the DRDO in association with the ADE, for which they received a cash prize of Rs. 50,000. They were one of ten teams to represent their institute at Round 2 held in Bangalore in May 2009. The students of SRA also represent VJTI in ROBOCON (Asia-Pacific Robot Contest), were ranked 9th in Robocon 2011 and won an award for the 'Most Economical Robot' in the same year.

Inferno Robotics

Inferno Robotics, the institute's official combat robotics organisation, was formed in 2013. The team performs designing, simulation, analysis, and fabrication of robots for different tournaments, chiefly focusing upon combat robotics for different events all over India. It also delivers lectures, mentors, and educates students for a better experience in engineering, real life situations and crisis management. In 2014, Team Inferno won six successive robotics championships. In 2015, Team Inferno stood fifth at National Robowars among 36 teams from all over India at Technovanza, 2015. In 2016, Inferno stood third at Robotic Challenge Plinth, Vadodara.

Society of Automotive Engineers, VJTI Collegiate Chapter

The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), VJTI Collegiate Chapter was formed in 2008. The SAE provides a platform for those students interested in the field of automotive engineering. SAE originally consisted of two separate clubs: VJTI Racing and Aero VJTI. Aero VJTI no longer comes under the aegis of SAE however, and as of 2014, is an independent student body.

A team named 'Team Motorbreath' of VJTI Racing represents the VJTI in competitions in the field of land mobiles like Baja SAE of SAE International.

Aero VJTI

Aero VJTI is a club with a passion for design and development of radio-controlled aircraft. It is the first club in VJTI that competed at an international event, as early as 2011. Since then, Aero VJTI has been to five competitions and has brought glory representing V.J.T.I and India on the world stage. Each competition requires students to design and manufacture a remotely piloted aircraft according to a stringent mission profile and design constraints laid out in a Problem Statement. The students also conduct aircraft building workshops in V.J.T.I and other colleges in Mumbai including SPCE & Fr. Agnel's college, apart from schools. This is done with a view to spreading knowledge regarding aeromodelling, aviation and other related topics among fellow students.

Achievements:

1) A second-place finish in the Design Report scores worldwide out of 80 teams at flyoff of the AIAA Design/Build/Fly Competition, held at Wichita, Kansas,USA from 15–17 April 2016 [1] 2) Ranked 3rd worldwide and 5th in the Design Report at the Future Flight Design Competition, Turkey in May 2015, represented by Team Vayuputras.[2] 3) Team Phoenix from Aero VJTI marked our debut at the AIAA Design/Build/Fly Competition in Wichita, Kansas in 2014. The Udaan aircraft finished 48th worldwide, braving gusts up to 72 kmph in stormy weather. 4) In 2012, Team Golden Eagles built the largest aircraft of the club, Brahmastra as an entry to the SAE Aerodesign West Competition in California. The plane had a lifting capacity of 18 kg, nearly five times its empty weight. Another team, Vihang won the 1st prize for oral presentation in the Advanced Class category. 5)Team Golden Eagles from Aero VJTI finished 5th in the design report and 21st overall at the SAE Aerodesign West Competition (Regular class) held in Fort Worth, Texas in 2011.[3]

Debate & Literary Arts Society

The Debate & Literary Arts Society, known as the DLA, is a VJTI student organization under the Humanities & Management Department. The DLA's activities are primarily divided into three areas: the VJTI newsletter (VJ.News), debates, quizzes and The VJTI Model United Nations (VJMUN). Besides these, the DLA also organizes regular seminars and lectures on economics, literature, creative writing, etc. The DLA is responsible for many of the events organized at Pratibimb, VJTI's annual cultural festival. Its committee is led by two general secretaries who are appointed by the institute every academic year.

Entrepreneurship Cell

The Entrepreneurship Cell (E-Cell) of VJTI conducts events, workshops and seminars that aim to develop the management acumen and stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit in students. It conducts stand alone events ('Mandi' being a popular one) as well as management based sectors in Pratibimb, Technovanza and Enthusia, the three festivals of VJTI.

Pratibimb

Pratibimb is the three-day national-level annual cultural festival of VJTI, organized under the aegis of the VJTI Social Group. It consists of one day devoted to intra-college (i.e. inter-departmental) competitions, termed as 'Impact'; while the other two days consist of events, competitions, workshops and entertainment programs that are open to students of all colleges.

Technovanza

Technovanza is the 3-day national-level annual techno-management festival of VJTI, organized by the students on non-profit basis. It consists of competitions, exhibitions, workshops and seminars on robotics, programming and other technical, management and social sectors; along with entertainment programs which usually have a technical basis. The festival is considered the largest techno-management festival in Maharashtra and one of the largest in Asia.

Rangawardhan

Rangawardhan is a four-day Annual Marathi cultural fest dedicated to promoting Marathi drama, literature, music and other art forms. It conducts performances, exhibitions, seminars and competitions during Pratibimb (VJTI's Cultural Festival), as well as its own standalone events. It stages dramatics and music performances at college functions.

Enthusia

Enthusia is the national-level annual sports festival of VJTI, organized under the aegis of VJTI Gymkhana. It is one of the largest intercollegiate sports festivals in Maharashtra and India. Engineering and medical colleges from Mumbai and Maharashtra participate in the three-week-long sporting event. The event has both inter-college & intra-college (i.e. inter-departmental) matches.

Ganeshotsav and Chetna

Ganeshotsav and Chetna are annual institute-level festivals organized by the students and managing staff of VJTI Hostels. They consist of cultural, technical and sports events, along with VJTI Hostels' Alumni Meet. Ganeshotsav occurs in the odd semester while Chetna in the even semester. 2014's Chetna was cancelled due to reasons unknown.

Departmental festivals

They are annual national-level technical festivals pertaining to a certain engineering stream and organized by students, faculty and alumni of a particular department of VJTI. They are:

Textile Manufactures Department & Textile Past Students Foundation - TPSF

Production Engineering Department & Production Engineering Students Association - PESA

Technical & Applied Chemistry Department

Management and Business event held by Project Management department every year

Nirmaan

Nirmaan is the annual magazine of VJTI. Its operations are conducted under the aegis of the Nirmaan Committee. It includes articles by students, faculty and alumni. It used to be published once every academic year, and now is a running electronic copy updated more frequently.

It has undertaken activities such as foreign language sessions, as part of its Globalization and Internationalization Programme, among others. As part of the 125 year quasquicentenary celebrations, the Nirmaan issue portrayed 125 years of heritage of the college, sourced from the VJTI Archives.

VJ.News

The official newsletter of VJTI is published four times a year. It is managed by the Debate & Literary Arts Society. It contains institute news, placements, further studies, interviews and general topics.

VJTI Alumni Association

Formed in March 1944, the VJTI Alumni Association was formerly known as the VJTI Old Boys' Association. In 1973 the association was renamed "The VJTI Alumni Association" and was formally registered with the Charities Commissioner under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. The revival of the Alumni Association was spurred at Blueprint 2020, held in April 2004 with the encouragement of the then Principal and Secretary.

Departmental alumni bodies

Several departments have their own alumni bodies which also conduct annual departmental alumni meets. These include Textile Past Students Foundation (TPSF) and Production Past Students Association. VJTI Hostels also conducts an annual alumni meet.

Notable alumni