Best Place To BuildThis Dean left the US to build IITM's entrepreneurial future | Prof Ashwin Mahalingam | BP2B S2E13
CHAPTERS
Meet Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam: IITM ’98 to Stanford to IITM faculty
Amrit welcomes Prof. Ashwin Mahalingam (Civil Engineering professor; Dean, Alumni & Corporate Relations). Ashwin traces his time at IIT Madras, his move to Stanford for construction management, and the mix of academic and extracurricular life that shaped him.
Silicon Valley startup lessons: dot-com ambition, bust, and returning to academia
Ashwin recounts getting “bitten” by the late-90s startup wave at Stanford and co-founding a construction equipment rental marketplace (an early ‘sharing economy’ idea). The dot-com bust and 9/11 shock tighten capital markets, leading to an acquisition and his eventual return to Stanford for a PhD.
Why he left the US for IIT Madras: building research and teaching in India
A visit by IIT Madras leadership paints a vision of meaningful, cutting-edge research at IITM, prompting Ashwin to move back in 2006. He shares early faculty experiences, including the cultural humor of students still using “sir” even when asked not to.
Civil engineering redefined: beyond steel and concrete to systems + society
Ashwin explains how civil engineering’s boundaries have blurred: modern built assets integrate mechanical, electrical, and digital systems. He emphasizes the social and stakeholder dimensions—how community acceptance and human factors can determine project success.
Why projects miss time and budget: incentives, cash flows, and contract dynamics
Drawing from his PhD lens, Ashwin argues that infrastructure delays are rarely due to technical design limitations. Instead, cascading financial and contractual incentives drive behaviors that create delays and cost overruns.
Civil engineering’s new mission: sustainability and ‘saving the planet’
He connects civil engineering directly to climate change, noting the sector’s role in greenhouse gas emissions. The profession, he argues, must lead solutions via technology, policy, and societal alignment to build greener and safer infrastructure.
Scope fears vs reality: civil engineering expands by merging with AI and new tech
Responding to common parent/student concerns about ‘scope,’ Ashwin argues civil engineering is widening—not shrinking—because humanity must build more, and must do it better. He illustrates how AI augments field execution, not replaces the discipline.
Automation and 3D printing: solving labor shortages and site constraints
The conversation shifts to construction automation—3D printing concrete, robotics, and drone-based operations (like painting). Ashwin frames these as civil engineering problems requiring blended expertise across materials, robotics, embedded systems, and traditional structural knowledge.
Entrepreneurship at IITM: from ‘not a word’ to a campus movement
Ashwin describes IITM’s early entrepreneurship ecosystem as tiny and unsupported, with cultural resistance to ‘selling.’ Over time, new infrastructure (CFI), alumni mentorship, and broader Indian startup role models helped entrepreneurship become aspirational and scalable on campus.
E-Cell, alumni backing, and the Ather arc: how the ecosystem matured
He recalls the committee-era push with leaders like Prof. Ashok Jhunjhunwala and engaged alumni who funded and mentored teams. The story of Tarun Mehta and early experimentation before Ather Energy exemplifies how students iterate from tinkering to breakout ventures.
Building culture beyond founders: the funnel from making to startups to research
Ashwin argues the true transformation is widespread ‘building’—hands-on making—beyond just founding startups. He outlines a funnel where many students build, some found companies, others scale engineering within startups, and another segment advances deep research and innovation.
Is IIT Madras really the ‘Best Place to Build’? Barrier-free teams + pay-it-forward culture
Ashwin strongly endorses IITM as India’s leading building ecosystem, citing low barriers to entry and continuity of team knowledge across years. The conversation highlights a distinctive pay-it-forward culture among students and alumni that accelerates learning and outcomes.
The IITM tag and ACR’s role: institutional advancement through friend-raising + fundraising
As Dean of Alumni & Corporate Relations, Ashwin explains how ACR connects IITM with its global alumni and corporate partners to drive impact. The office operates like a corporate function—outreach, stewardship, events/marketing, and execution—supporting initiatives like scholarships and facilities such as CFI.
Closing advice to students: mix technical depth with life skills and build iteratively
Ashwin closes with guidance for aspiring and current students: don’t spend college only on coursework. Combine technical learning with communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and repeated building/pitching cycles—skills often developed through clubs, sports, quizzing, and maker/startup ecosystems.
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