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This Dean left the US to build IITM's entrepreneurial future | Prof Ashwin Mahalingam | BP2B S2E13

From Concrete to Culture: How IIT Madras Engineered India’s Strongest Innovation Ecosystem In this episode of The Best Place to Build podcast, we talk to Professor Ashwin Mahalingam, Dean of Alumni and Corporate Relations (ACR) and a Civil Engineering professor at IIT Madras. Prof Mahalingam shares his unique journey: from co-founding a successful equipment rental startup in the US to returning and becoming a driving force in transforming IIT Madras. Discover how he helped shape the institute into a dynamic hub for innovation, entrepreneurship, and sustainability. He also traces the evolution of Civil Engineering from "brick and mortar" to an interdisciplinary field blending technology, management, and social impact. Most importantly, find out how the Centre for Innovation (CFI) ignited an influential "building culture" on campus. One that now fuels hundreds of successful startups, from mobility pioneers like Ather Energy to cutting-edge ventures in AI and automation. Key topics: 01:00 Welcome to the Best Place to Build 01:25 Introducing Prof Ashwin Mahalingam 05:50 What is Civil Engineering? 12:20 What’s the scope of Civil Engineering? 13:13 The connection between AI & Civil Engineering 16:50 Prof Ashwin’s entrepreneurial journey & thoughts 25:45 The statistical reality of entrepreneurship at IITM 31:30 Is IITM really the Best Place to Build? 37:00 Why is the IIT Madras tag important? 41:00 Friend-raising, fund-raising & closing thoughts #IITMadras #BestPlaceToBuild #AshwinMahalingam #CivilEngineering #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Sustainability #AlumniNetwork #CFI #BuildingCulture #Startups #Automation #ConstructionManagement

Ashwin Mahalingamguest
Oct 30, 202548mWatch on YouTube ↗

At a glance

WHAT IT’S REALLY ABOUT

How IIT Madras built a barrier-free, alumni-powered entrepreneurship ecosystem

  1. Civil engineering has shifted from “steel and concrete” to an interdisciplinary profession integrating technology, finance, policy, and social dynamics to deliver complex infrastructure responsibly.
  2. Sustainability is now central to civil engineering because the built environment contributes significantly to climate risk, making engineers both accountable and essential to solutions.
  3. New tools like drones and AI are expanding civil engineering’s scope by enabling better monitoring, automation, and productivity in construction, especially where labor shortages exist.
  4. IIT Madras’ entrepreneurship culture grew from a tiny, uncertain early ecosystem into ~100 student startup teams annually, driven by CFI, alumni mentorship, and shifting social perceptions.
  5. As Dean of Alumni & Corporate Relations, Mahalingam describes “friend-raising” and fundraising as institutional mechanisms that convert alumni goodwill into mentorship, networks, and scalable campus capability-building.

IDEAS WORTH REMEMBERING

5 ideas

Civil engineering is now a systems-and-people discipline, not just structures.

Mahalingam argues modern projects blend mechanical, electrical, software, and human/community constraints, so engineers must understand incentives, contracts, and stakeholder communication alongside technical design.

Sustainability has become a defining mandate for civil engineers.

Because construction and materials contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, civil engineers must lead solutions through greener design choices, better policy alignment, and public buy-in.

AI expands civil engineering’s scope by making execution measurable and controllable.

Using drones for site imaging and AI for progress interpretation turns schedule tracking and logistics into near-real-time decision-making, especially valuable for remote projects.

Automation is becoming necessary due to construction labor scarcity.

He frames robotics and 3D printing as responses to the growing inability to staff sites, requiring “new civil engineers” who can integrate materials, robotics, and embedded systems.

IITM’s entrepreneurship inflection came from ecosystem, not motivation alone.

Early students were “smart and motivated but clueless” about commercialization; CFI’s build-first culture, alumni capital/mentorship, and visible Indian startup successes made entrepreneurship viable.

WORDS WORTH SAVING

5 quotes

Today, I think a civil engineer is someone who goes beyond just working with steel and concrete.

— Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam

A big thrust in civil engineering today is really saving the planet.

— Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam

I learned very quickly that it had nothing to do with the engineering.

— Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam

You are purposefully ruining my child.

— Irate parent (recounted by Prof. Mahalingam)

We do it through two key mechanisms… friend-raising and fundraising.

— Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam

Evolution of civil engineering as interdisciplinary practiceSustainability and climate responsibility in the built environmentAI, drones, robotics, and 3D printing in constructionConstruction delays: finance, contracts, incentives, peopleIIT Madras entrepreneurship ecosystem (CTIDES/E-Cell, CFI)Alumni network as mentorship, trust, and leverageACR/Institutional Advancement: friend-raising and fundraising

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