Chemical Engineering

Chemical Engineering is the set of techniques and ideas used to transform unusable chemicals and raw materials into finished goods.  It involves a number of processes and principles applied to convert raw materials/chemicals into useful products such as clothes, drinks, paint, fuel, etc. The field of Chemical Engineering is very promising and has a bright scope. Chemical Engineers are the ones who can make a difference in society by increasing food production, generating energy and protecting the environment. They also contribute to developing electronics and improving the environment.

Scope in Chemical Engineering is good and evergreen. Engineers with specialisation in the field are always in demand. Chemical engineers develop, design new processes, or improve existing processes to develop useful products. Chemical engineers are also responsible for managing resources and ensuring human health & safety. Along with it, chemical engineers are also involved in plant design operations and modelling. Chemical Engineering subjects include fundamentals from control engineering, chemical reaction engineering, nuclear engineering, biological engineering, etc. 

Chemical Engineering Course Highlights

There are various courses offered under different levels in Chemical Engineering. Listed below are some of the major highlights of the course such as course structure, course level, examination type, average starting salary, top recruiters and top job profiles:

ParticularsDetails
CoursesBTech, BE, MTech, PhD, Integrated BTech-MTech
Course levelDiploma, Graduation, Post Graduation, Doctorate
EligibilityDiploma: Class 10UG: Class 12 along with entrance examinationPG: BTech + GATEDoctorate: MTech
DurationDiploma: 3 yearsUG: 4 yearsPG: 2 yearsPhD: 3- 6 years
Examination TypeSemester and Annual
Course FeeUp to INR 7 lakh
Top CollegesIIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, DTU, Jadavpur University, Manipal Institute of Technology
Average salaryINR 3 to 6 lakh
Top Recruiting CompaniesBharat Petroleum, Essar group, Hindalco Industries, Hindustan Copper Limited, etc.
Entrance ExamsJEE Mains, JEE Advanced, GATE, VITEEE, BITSAT
Job PositionsChemical Engineer, Site Engineer, Fire & Safety Officer, Technical Operator

All About Chemical Engineering Course

Chemical Engineering course is offered in either diploma, undergraduate, postgraduate or doctorate levels. The course consists of core and elective subjects and candidates also undergo research or industrial training. The course aims at manufacturing and processing chemicals and applying them in various products such as fertilisers, food chemicals, adhesives etc. 

Why Chemical Engineering Course?

Candidates who wish to establish a promising career in the field of using chemicals and other raw materials into finished products can pursue this course. Chemicals are utilised as raw materials for the production of various useful products that are applied in our daily lives such as food chemicals, fertilisers, adhesives, petrochemicals etc. Therefore, this course is popular amongst students after completing Class 12th. 

Chemical Engineering Eligibility Criteria

Engineering colleges in India that offer Chemical Engineering have a set selection process and admission criteria for different programmes. Take a look at the eligibility criteria below:

Type of CourseEligibility
DiplomaA candidate must have completed Class 10 or equivalent examination with Mathematics and Science as mandatory subjects to pursue a Chemical Engineering diploma.
UndergraduateStudents must have passed Class 12 or equivalent exam scoring a minimum of 50% aggregate marks with Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics as compulsory subjects.Students must have qualified for the entrance examination conducted by the universities or institutions to pursue a course in Chemical Engineering.
PostgraduateCandidates must have a bachelor’s degree in the pertinent field and a valid GATE score or any other exam accepted by the institute/university.Students must have scored a minimum of 60% aggregate marks in their UG degree.
Doctoral PhD course or candidates who have completed their post-graduation in Chemical Engineering with a minimum of 50% marks throughout the course duration.

Specialisations in Chemical Engineering 

During postgraduation or research programmes, one can specialise in various sub-domains under Chemical Engineering, namely Petroleum Engineering, Food Engineering, Ceramic Engineering, Crystal Engineering. As per the guidelines of AICTE, engineering courses are strictly offered in regular mode as it involves various practical lessons and hands-on training. Learners are motivated to participate in field and industrial exposure to learn the nuances of chemical engineering. 

Benefits of pursuing Chemical Engineering Course

Chemical Engineering course has bright career opportunities in India as it is a booming market for fertilisers, petrochemical and food processing industry. Graduates and professionals work as Chemical Engineers, Graduate Trainee, Apprentice, Industry In-charge etc.  

What is the admission process for Chemical Engineering Course?

  • Admission to undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral courses are made on the basis of marks scored in top entrance exams such as JEE Mains, JEE Advanced, COMEDK, GATE etc. Candidates must fetch a good rank for being eligible for admissions. 
  • Merit list for admissions is prepared on the basis of marks scored in qualifying exams and entrance exam and on the basis of the performance in the interview, candidates are offered admission to top colleges. 
  • Counselling process takes place for selected candidates, wherein they lock colleges on the basis of their choice.  

Chemical Engineering Entrance Exams 2023

Students are admitted to Chemical Engineering courses based on their marks in the entrance examination. Along with minimum qualifying marks in Class 12 as per the eligibility, students are supposed to clear the entrance examinations conducted at University, state, and national levels.

Colleges like IIT hold their own entrance examination i.e. JEE Main and JEE Advanced. However, few universities/institutes conduct their own exam and the rest are either state-level or national-level entrance exams. Only qualifying applicants can seek admission to the course. The list of the entrance examinations held across the country for seeking admission to a Chemical Engineering course is as follows:

ExamExam DatesExam Schedule
JEE MainJEE Main 2024 Exam Date Session 1-24 Jan ’24 – 1 Feb ’24JEE Main 2024 Exam Date Session 2-1 Apr ’24 – 15 Apr ’24JEE Main Schedule
JEE AdvanceJun ’24 (Tentative)JEE Advanced Schedule
MHTCETPCM and PCB- May ’24 (Tentative)MHTCET Schedule 
CUET15 May ’24 – 31 May ’24CUET Schedule
TS EAMCETTS EAMCET 2024 exam for AM and Eng stream- May ’24 (Tentative)TS EAMCET Schedule

Top Chemical Engineering Colleges in India

Course fees and placement opportunities are two important factors which should be kept in mind before deciding a college for pursuing Chemical Engineering. The government and private colleges offering various courses in Chemical Engineering offer UG, PG as well as Doctorate level courses in Chemical Engineering. The colleges mentioned in the table are listed alphabetically and not in any order of ranking hierarchy.

Students Also Read: “Shiksha.com Mentioned Delhi Technological University when I Searched for Chemical Engineering,” says Sarthak

Top Government Colleges for Chemical Engineering 

Some of the top government colleges for pursuing Chemical Engineering course includes various Central and State engineering universities which are popular for offering Chemical Engineering courses. Some of the popular government colleges for Chemical Engineering are as follows:

InstituteTotal Course Fees in INR
DTU – Delhi Technological University3-6 lakh
IIT Bombay1-10 lakh
IIT Delhi3- 8 lakh
IIT Kanpur20K- 8 lakh
IIT Kharagpur20K-10 lakh
IIT Madras10K-8 lakh
IIT Roorkee20K- 11 lakh
NIT Rourkela1-6 lakh
NITK Surathkal1- 5 lakh
NIT Trichy45K-5 lakh

Note: The fee range given above is for all level Engineering courses such as UG, PG, PhD and Diploma.

Top Private Colleges for Chemical Engineering

Some of the private colleges include Deemed to be Universities as well as other autonomous engineering institutes. They provide excellent infrastructure and experts in the field of chemical engineering which makes these colleges popular for pursuing Chemical Engineering. Some of the popular private colleges are as follows:

InstituteAverage Annual Fee
Amrita School of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham12 lakh
BITS Pilani – Birla Institute of Technology and Science9-20 lakh
Chandigarh University (CU)5-6 lakh
KIIT School of Engineering14 lakh
LPU – Lovely Professional University7-10 lakh
Manipal Institute of Technology2-13 lakh
SASTRA (Deemed to be University)3-8 lakh
SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai3-10 lakh
Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology 2-12 lakh
VIT Vellore1-7 lakh

Note: The fee range given above is for all level Chemical Engineering courses such as UG, PG, PhD and Diploma

Also Read:

  • Top Engineering Colleges in Delhi
  • Top Engineering Colleges in Bangalore
  • Top Engineering Colleges in Hyderabad
  • Top Engineering Colleges in Kolkata

Chemical Engineering Career, Scope & Job Profiles

In India, a fresher Chemical Engineer may get a salary of around INR 3 to 6 lakh per annum. Qualification and work experience are the two most prominent factors that would determine the salary of a candidate. Check below the list of Chemical Engineering jobs and the average salary offered to the respective job profiles. The salary data is according to the website Payscale.com. Please find below job description and salaries of some of the prominent roles offered to Chemical engineers:

Job ProfileJob DescriptionAverage Salary in INR
Chemical EngineersResponsible for designing, developing and improving chemical processes.5- 7 LPA
Development Chemical EngineerResponsible for designing, developing and implementing industrial processes involving chemicals.6- 8 LPA
Quality ManagerEnsures the quality of chemical products and services.5- 8 LPA
Materials EngineerStudy atoms and then use their properties for the required product or material.6- 8 LPA
Analytical ChemistResponsible for obtaining and analysing data on various chemical substances.7- 8 LPA
Mining EngineerResponsible for devising ways to extract gases, compounds, and elements from below the earth.7- 9 LPA
Energy ManagerResponsible for performing audit and analyse consumption of energy. Follow measures for effective energy conservation.6- 9 LPA

Chemical Engineering Top Recruiters

Chemical Engineering professionals are required by a number of industries across the globe. Some of them are as follows:

Top Recruiters for Chemical Engineering
Plastic industryTextiles industry
Rubber industryPaper & Pulp industry
Food industryAerospace industry
Chemicals manufacturing industriesCement industry
Petroleum industryFertilizer industry

The top organisations from different sectors hire Chemical Engineers as per the requirement. Few of the renowned sector-wise Chemical Engineering recruiters are as follows:

Government/Public Sector

The list of some renowned government/public sector Chemical Engineering recruiters are provided in the below table:

Company NameAverage Monthly Salary Offered (in INR)
Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC)25,000 – 50,000
Coal India Limited (CIL)20,000 – 46,000
Gas Authority of India Ltd. (GAIL)25,000 – 50,000
Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL)25,000 – 50,000
Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL)20,000 – 46,000
National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC)25,000 – 50,000

Private Sector

The list of some renowned private sector Chemical Engineering recruiters are provided in the below table:

Company NameAverage Annual Salary Offered (In INR)
Piramal Healthcare Limited5 to 6 lakh
Pfizer Inc.12 to 15 lakh
Schlumberger Limited15 to 20 lakh
GlaxoSmithKline7 to 9 lakh

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