Tony Vijay Sundararaju
Chief Operating Officer, Bohne Engineering Private Limited, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Master of Engineering Studies
Tony Vijay Sundararaju loves his role as the COO of Bohne Engineering Private Limited. Bohne is a wholly owned subsidiary of Kaapi Machines India Private Limited, an Indo-German Joint venture and India’s largest coffee equipment company focused on the design and manufacture of coffee and tea vending machines, grinders & F&B equipment.
“At Bohne Engineering Private Limited, we specialise in product design, R&D and manufacturing of B2B equipment for the coffee industry. I’ve always been passionate about design engineering, and my current role enables me to build innovative products for the global market.
“Throughout my engineering career so far, I’ve designed and built products, machines and production lines that are operational worldwide. This includes developing a tea-brewing attachment for an automatic coffee machine; an invention I now hold the patent for.”
Memories of AUT
While he is now well established as a successful engineer, Tony Vijay still has fond memories of the early days of his career, when he came to AUT as an international student from India to study a Master of Engineering Studies.
“AUT’s reputation as one of New Zealand’s most contemporary universities made the programme instantly appealing. At the time, the Master of Engineering Studies was structured as a one-year master’s degree with the option to extend it into a two-year degree focusing on research. This innovative programme was attractive because of the relevant course content and the short timeframe to obtain a postgraduate degree. The teaching format and course delivery structure were unique, making the learning experience interesting. The classes were cosmopolitan and gave us exposure to different cultures.”
He says he enjoyed studying in the heart of Auckland’s central business district.
“The AUT City Campus was located right in the middle of Auckland city. This made living in the city, working and commuting to the university a breeze. The lively atmosphere of downtown Auckland was an added bonus. The campus itself is a nice mix of heritage structures and modern buildings. The library has to be one of the highlights of the university and truly was a place to get things done, albeit quietly.”
Advice for other students
Tony Vijay – who graduated in 2009 but remains a proud AUT alumni ambassador – has some great advice for other students who are only at the start of their own university journey.
“Firstly, do your research and decide on the right programme for you. Choose one that does justice to your area of interest and adds value in the next phase of what you plan to do in life. Secondly, be open-minded and network – this is extremely important.”
He also has some guidance for those interested in a career in engineering.
“Choose engineering only if you’re passionate about it. Current developments in AI will see a rise in demand for traditional engineering courses such as electrical, mechanical and civil engineering. Utilise AI skills with your core area of expertise to make yourself relevant.”
