Mechanical engineering, the broadest of all Engineering disciplines deals with design and production of tools, machines and all other mechanical equipment to be used in industries. The industry offers a wide choice of options extending across many interdisciplinary interdependent specialties.

Mechanical engineering is concerned with all types of machinery in industries and all aspects of their mechanism and functioning; the design, development, construction, production, installation, operation and maintenance; such as large steam and gas turbines, components of thermal power stations, internal combustion engines, jet engines, machine tools, air conditioning and heating machines, refrigerators etc to name a few.

Mechanical engineers not only design and create new products, but also develop materials for them and ways of making them. In a way, mechanical engineers are involved in creating the future. They are the driving force behind many of our technologies and industrial processes including innovative products like mobiles, PCs and DVD etc in our modern world.

The work of a Mechanical Engineer can be extremely challenging and fulfilling, requiring IT, design and analytical skills together with an ability to work as a team. As their work involves production, transmission and use of mechanical power and heat, they have to analyze the different materials used for the machines and their tolerance; investigate the different energy sources and the power they generate and the design problems if any.

They share interests with many other engineers like Civil Engineers in structures and stress analysis; Electrical engineers in electronics, computing and control theory; Aeronautical Engineers in fluid flow and turbo machinery etc and also design tools needed by other engineers for their work. They work as part of a team with other engineers as well as financial, business and management professionals on a project together. Mechanical Engineers are also responsible for maintenance and repair of the devices
They can find work in administrative and managerial positions in government departments or public and private sector industries or do research as well as teaching in Research and teaching institutes. They could also opt for technical sales / marketing or work as independent consultants.

Mechanical Engineers can work in many industries including private or public sector industries of various types. They can seek employment in government departments like Posts and Telegraphs, Defense, PWD, and CPWD. Other departments such as aeronautical, agricultural, automobile, chemical, and power plants, as well as the railways, need mechanical engineers to design and maintain their machinery.

Mechanical Engineers are also required in automobile, chemical, electronics, steel plants, oil exploration and refining, technical wings of armed forces, space research organization, etc. Candidates with post graduate degree or an additional management degree could find work in administrative and managerial positions in government departments or public and private sector industries. Those who are interested in research activities can work with many public/private sector research organizations. These engineers also can choose teaching in technical institutions as a remunerative profession.

The specializations include areas like thermal engineering, design, production engineering etc where one can even conduct research and development or choose to do a postgraduate program to gain understand. Mechanical engineers work mainly in manufacturing firms.

Those Mechanical Engineers working in government departments have pay scale of Rs 8,000 to Rs 10,000 per month at junior level while at senior level it may well go up to more than Rs 20,000 per month. In private firms where mechanical engineers are mostly sought, their salaries are quite high ranging from Rs 30,000 to Rs 60,000 per month depending upon qualification and experiences. Consultancy in mechanical engineering is also a highly remunerative career path. Consultants are earning handsome amount depending upon number and nature of clients they have.