Key Achievements
Awarded the Newell Prize for Best Work in Aircraft Design at Cranfield University 2021–22 batch
Graduated top of MSc AVD cohort with over 82% marks at Cranfield University
Developed & manufactured India's first Solar cum Electric Vehicle, covering 10,000 km on Delhi roads
Secured design patent for solar e-rickshaw innovation; featured in The Hindu Business Line
Led design of Suzuki's first sunroof system for Brezza 2022 — managing a team of 5 engineers, with patented roof rail reinforcement
Designed domestically a noise cancellation seal cushion for Honda, replacing expensive imports — ₹15M profit
Designed a 265 kg ultralight eVTOL aircraft for urban air mobility: 35 miles in 20 minutes
Developed a cryogenic LH₂ tank for commercial aircraft rated for −250°C and 2.06 bar internal pressure
Built AI-assisted engineering tools (DFDC Cloud, CFD Studio) that automate analysis setup and cut manual workload by up to 80%
Career History
Aerotrope Ltd
Apr 2022 — Present
Design & Development Engineer · Brighton, UK
- Pioneered the concept of an airborne wind energy aircraft tethered to a base station, utilizing strategic looping to generate 100KW of energy
- Applied stability and control principles to calculate the optimal location and size of the fin and tailplane for vertical loop execution
- Obtained weight and center of gravity data using SolidWorks for designing interfacing parts and optimizing weight balance
- Conducted load calculations on the empennage to optimize internal components for fatigue strength over a projected 30-year lifespan
- Performed spanwise stress distribution analysis across all fin and tailplane components, optimizing sizing and thickness
- Comprehensive FEA in Ansys Workbench to validate hand calculations and ensure structural integrity of spar and skin components
- Moment and stress calculations on each section of a wind turbine tower using bending theory to establish ultimate strength, applying stress concentration factors for fatigue strength
- Designed and analyzed a 16-meter architectural 3D-printed flagpole with complex geometry using SolidWorks and Ansys Workbench for a client in the USA
Cranfield University
Mar 2021 — Mar 2022
MSc Aerospace Vehicle Design Student · Bedford, UK
- Conceptualized and designed an ultralight 286 kg single-passenger eVTOL aircraft with 50 km range and 24 minutes endurance
- Ansys CFD simulation and analysis of lift/drag for performance and power requirement assessment
- Applied stability and control concepts to design elevators, aileron, and rudder, analyzed by XFLR; stress and fracture analysis in NX Nastran
- Designed first-of-its-kind aft liquid hydrogen tank for hydrogen-propelled aircraft withstanding 2.06 bar and −253°C
- Applied carbon fiber composite material for lightweight tank support members; calculated failure indices against crash landing conditions
- Detailed FEA of tank structure in Nastran and Patran to check stress and deformation on metallic skin
Suzuki Motors (Maruti Suzuki)
May 2019 — Mar 2021
Deputy Manager · Gurugram, India
- Self-learned Siemens UGNX for BIW design and NASTRAN structural analysis within one month without external training
- Led design and development of Suzuki India's first-ever sunroof system and structural roof mounts for the Brezza 2022 launch, managing a team of 5 engineers
- Delivered 3D geometries and 2D drawings with GD&T for the 9-pin sunroof assembly — solving complex kinematic assembly challenges in CATIA
- Designed the first 50 kg loading-type roof rail reinforcement, subsequently patented by the company
- Handled 17 2D drawings from 3D CAD data for the first 50 models of the Vitara Brezza and liaised with suppliers for feasibility
- Redesigned rear roof structure member as extended reinforcement to mount raised Roof Garnish, reducing overall weight
Honda Motors
Jul 2016 — May 2019
Executive · Greater Noida, India
- Developed bumper beam in CATIA to comply with pedestrian safety standards
- Led a team of 2 associates to design and analyze the complete BIW roof structure in CATIA V5 for the Thailand market model
- Designed and analyzed domestic replacement for expensive imported noise cancellation seal cushion — generating ~₹15M in profit for Honda
- Cooperated with electrical harness team to design wire routing for roof-installed components
- Completed roof component design within one-third of the usual duration to prevent delay in the overall vehicle launch schedule
- Built interpersonal skills and meticulous work practices over 3 years collaborating with Japanese expatriates
AI-Powered Engineering Tools
Self-directed projects showing how I use AI-assisted development to automate engineering workflows — turning specialist, multi-day tasks into jobs a whole team can run in minutes.
DFDC Cloud — Ducted-Fan Design Tool Live
2026
Self-directed · connectvikram.com/DFDC
- Took DFDC — a trusted MIT ducted-fan aerodynamics solver that only ran as a legacy Fortran command-line program — and made it a one-click web tool anyone can use in a browser
- Removes the install-and-wrestle barrier so design iterations that once meant fighting the toolchain now take minutes; an AI assistant guides inputs and explains results
- Built with AI-assisted development: the solver runs in a Docker container deployed serverless on Google Cloud Run at negligible running cost
CFD Studio — Early-Stage Aerodynamics Tool
2026
Self-directed · connectvikram.com/CFD
- Automates a first-pass external-aerodynamics check that traditionally needs a CFD specialist and days of manual meshing and case setup
- Upload a 3D model and the tool auto-meshes it, runs an OpenFOAM solve and returns drag/lift coefficients with a pressure-mapped 3D view — a directional answer in minutes
- Frees specialists for high-fidelity work; built with a Python/FastAPI backend and a Three.js viewer, packaged with a Windows installer and sample models
Education
Cranfield University, UK
MSc in Aerospace Vehicle Design
Mar 2021 — Mar 2022
Modules: Performance, Stability & Control, Composite Structures, DFM, Airframe Systems, Detail Stressing, Fatigue/Fracture Mechanisms, Aircraft Design, Loading Actions, Certifications, Aerodynamics, Powerplant Installation, CATIA, FEA, Landing Gear, Structural Stability & Dynamics
Individual Research Project: Developed and analyzed a tilt-wing eVTOL for urban air mobility. Created CATIA V5 parametric design, FEA in NASTRAN/PATRAN, aero-derivatives using Ansys and XFLR5.
Group Design Project: Led structural team to realize hydrogen-powered aircraft. Structural design and stability of LH₂ tank for pressure differentials and ultra-low temperatures across all flight phases, verified through FE analysis.
Individual Research Project: Developed and analyzed a tilt-wing eVTOL for urban air mobility. Created CATIA V5 parametric design, FEA in NASTRAN/PATRAN, aero-derivatives using Ansys and XFLR5.
Group Design Project: Led structural team to realize hydrogen-powered aircraft. Structural design and stability of LH₂ tank for pressure differentials and ultra-low temperatures across all flight phases, verified through FE analysis.
NSIT, Delhi University, India
B.E. in Manufacturing Process & Automation
Jun 2012 — Jun 2016
Modules: Electrical & Mechanical Science, Material Science, Mechanics of Solids, Manufacturing Processes, Electromechanics, Kinematics & Dynamics, Control Systems, Mechanical Design, Meteorology, Product Design, CAD, Mechatronics
Major Project: Manufactured and patented India's first on-road solar electrical vehicle for passenger transportation, increasing energy supply by 20%.
Major Project: Manufactured and patented India's first on-road solar electrical vehicle for passenger transportation, increasing energy supply by 20%.