Table of Contents:

1. Introduction
2. What is R&D engineering?
3. R&D engineer job description
4. How to become an R&D engineer?
5. What is the scope of R&D in India
6. What is the average R and D salary in India?
   1. Career path for research and development engineers
7. Conclusion

New-age companies mushrooming in various fields of work are aggressively hunting for R&D engineers, popularly known as research and development engineers.

A career in this space is predictably attractive today because of the imbalance in demand and supply. The working of every core technology, life science and cyberspace company involves the dynamics of R&D. In the near future, India is envisioned as a hub of global R&D centres. Currently, Indian research and development companies amount to 22% of the global market. R&D growth is fueled by digitalisation and is expected to have an 8% CAGR in 2022.

Recently, multiple MNCs have moved their R&D roots to India for manufacturing or innovation. This has ushered Indian R&D engineers to work with global companies at a competitive cost.

Fun Fact: India is dominating Asia with its innovation centres. Also, it stands second in the world for creating a safe haven for new ideas. As per research, India has reached 25 innovation centres this year.

Consequently, no qualms about stating that R&D is highly in demand and one of the most lucrative careers in India today.

What is R&D engineering?

R&D engineers are known as the ‘king of innovations’. They are in charge of major responsibilities like developing and testing a product, peering at the technical facets while dealing with all the complications involved. In a snippet, they are responsible for everything from scratch until the product is presented to the crowd. The process involves various complexities, experiments, trials and errors. Heaps of research theories are practised to develop, innovate and evaluate.

R&D engineers are solely accountable for creating new products and remodelling the existing ones. They function around an interplay with business developers, engineers and the marketing team.

R&D engineer job description:

The role of an R&D engineer may vary depending upon the company size, product type, industry and several more factors. However, some duties and responsibilities remain unaltered while working closely with the teammates. Here’s a typical day in the life of a research and development engineer.

• Studying the market trend for the product/process/service.
• Initiating planning, monitoring and executing experiments.
• Designing a new product or refining the old one. Creating multiple product mockups.
• Generating new product ideas and discussing with the R&D, business management and marketing troupe.
• Discussing the idea with the quality control and inviting inputs.
• Taking customer needs into consideration while creating a blueprint involving the process, cost and requirements.
• Conducting thorough market research and understanding consumer actions.
• Evaluating a similar product trending in the market.
• Piloting the components and other technical aspects to ensure there are no defects or malfunctions.
• Being abreast of the cutting-edge technologies in the field.
• Leading the project team and being in a constant loop to ensure no incompetency.
• Keeping an eye on the functionality and engineering.
• Creating computer models to ensure a sound structure.
• Harnessing programming languages like HTML, DOM and Javascript for progressive control and interface.
• Perform experiments in the course of the process to achieve high-quality results.
• Working closely with the marketing team to outline a sales plan.
• Lastly, making sure everything is in place and resolving any issues on time.

How to become an R&D engineer?

Without a doubt, this role requires more than one skill. Here is the plethora of expertise one must excel at.

1. Ability to communicate clearly

As mentioned early, an R&D engineer will not just communicate with the concerned team but with several other people from the marketing, business development, shareholders, suppliers, managers and more. Having a knack for communication is imperative. From the influx of ideas until the execution, the communication must be strong, clear and far away from perplexity.

2. An edge of flair

R&D engineers are expected to innovate constantly, and that’s a no-brainer. They must possess the skill of going beyond the status quo. A hunger for innovation and leapfrogging the conventional is the key. One must think out of the box and aim at surpassing the competition. Understanding the consumer requirements is not enough; research and development engineers must put their foot in customers’ shoes.

3. Technical prowess

An R&D professional should also have a deep understanding of all the technicalities. Depending upon the industry and product/service, the experienced must have an exhaustive knowledge of the automation and the software ins and outs. One must know to read and create technical documents. Also, an R&D engineer should be able to perform a hi-tech experiment as well.

4. Curious mind

While stepping into the foray, one must be vigilant, on guard and have a curious mind. It is important to evolve and be analytical ceaselessly. Every minute detail must be evaluated and taken into consideration. Also, curiosity should involve science as well.

5. Be a problem solver

An R&D engineer must be a problem solver. Every project worked upon will revolve around multiple challenges and obstacles. Not necessarily, the solution will be straightforward; most likely, it will be twisted. Finding ways to tackle the problem at an early stage is important.

6. Easy-going team member

A research and development engineer should be a good team member and have a flair for working efficiently with a large group of people. To put it precisely, it is important to be a people person. Dealing with scientists, engineers and many more experts at one go definitely requires this skill.

7. Certification

Along with the assorted skills, one must acquire an appropriate educational degree to become an R&D engineer. A bachelor’s degree is a prerequisite to gaining the knowledge for building products and services for tomorrow’s more than the human world. One cannot go ahead without procuring industry-related knowledge.

Barring what’s mentioned, maths and computer skills, being a multi-tasker and being self-organised are add-ons which will help you excel at the role.

What is the scope of R&D in India?

Swiftly moving to the most trending topic today, the scope of R&D in India.

The opportunities and growth in this field are immense. R&D in India has evolved extensively over the years. Yet, there are not many organisations working on groundbreaking technologies. However, lately, India has been catching up with global standards and enhancing R&D capabilities. And that’s why multinational companies have set up their R&D unit in India.

India today is the powerhouse for research and development with more than 1250 Global Capability Centres. These CGCs have their largest R&D centre in India for product development and engineering services. The list of Fortune companies includes Samsung, Bosch, GE, Intel, Cisco and more.

The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics states further evolution in the medical space with the employment rate to grow by 5% from 2019-2029. Also, a growth of 22% is expected in the field of computer and research scientists from 2020-2030. The scope for R&D scientists and engineers is towering; one can begin with an entry-level job and eventually move to a managerial role. However, the progress will directly depend on the certification, skills and potential.

What is the average R and D salary in India?

The salary of R&D engineers can vary eminently depending upon their educational background, experience, industry type, company size and the job level. However, the employment rate in this space is expected to grow significantly in the coming years.

An entry-level job should pay around 7,00,000 annually, and with ten years of experience expect the salary in the range of 15,00,000 – 20,00,000 per year. With more years of experience, there are no boundaries. At a managerial level with 20 years of gained experience, one can easily expect a fat pay of 50,00,000 – 70,00,000 annually. R&D engineers also benefited from additional bonuses and other perks.

Interesting Fact: (At the time of publishing the article)

• At present, Amazon has about 825 job openings for R&D engineers.
• The automobile sector provides great opportunities for R&D professionals. Maruti Suzuki is soon to be Suszki’s first R&D centre outside Japan.

Career path for research and development engineers:

The prominently in-demand craft has a role to play in almost every field. A large share of industries have glamorous job openings for R&D engineers.

• Healthcare
• Automobiles
• E-commerce
• Oil and gas
• Renewable energy
• Education
• Infrastructure
• Agriculture
• Communication
• Manufacturing
• Media
• Aviation
• Information technology
• Financial institutions

One Last Thought:

India is on its way to becoming a desirable global R&D destination. Our country has the perfect blend of a young workforce, highly skilled prospects, a low-cost work pool and a huge market. As per a survey, India’s investment in R&D is about $48 billion per annum, making us the 7th highest spender.

The demand, scope and growth for R&D engineers are not unknown anymore. The wide-ranging field is helpful in every sphere, from astronomy to shoe designing. If you are all set to start a career in research and development, enroll yourself for a major in Interactive Technologies with Atria University. With the international standards approach and our futuristic course, you can master the art of space-aged technology to become a transformative leader.