CHENNAI: In a transformative step towards empowering students with credible career guidance, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) on Thursday launched an innovative podcast series titled ‘Prof. Mahesh Podcast. Future. Simplyfied.’
Conceptualised and hosted by Prof Mahesh Panchagnula, the series aims to provide guidance to students, parents, and educators on careers in science, engineering, and technology.
“I want to remove the anxiety surrounding career choices and replace it with informed confidence,” said Prof Panchagnula.
The weekly podcast — available on Spotify, YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and other major platforms — seeks to address the growing need for authentic information during a time of rapidly evolving career landscapes. “Each episode will feature expert interviews, student Q&As, and insights into emerging global trends, presented in a simple and intellectually rich format. Episode summaries will also be offered in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, and English,” a release issued by IIT-M said.
“This initiative addresses a long-standing information gap,” noted IIT-M Director V Kamakoti. “We hope it will empower students to pursue disciplines aligned with their passions and societal needs.”
The launch episode features Prof Madhura Swaminathan (ISI Bangalore) discussing ‘Emerging Trends in Agricultural Intelligence’, and Prof Balaraman Ravindran (IIT-M) on ‘Trends in AI and Data Science’. “Supported by IIT-M Global, the podcast underscores the institute’s commitment to educational innovation beyond the classroom,” stated the release.