Oorja Dorkar received her B. Tech in Mechanical engineering from the National Institute of Technology, Surat, India, in 2022. Following her undergraduate studies, she embarked on her professional journey with Bajaj Auto Limited, India where she served as an Assistant Manager in Component Development, focusing on engine transmission parts for the launch of Triumph motorbikes in India. In September 2023, Oorja joined the McMaster Automotive Resource Center (MARC), as a master’s student, under the supervision of Dr. Ali Emadi. Her research interest is in the modelling and controlling of control systems, connected vehicles, and battery management systems. Currently she is working with Stellantis for the design of traction inverter and thermal management systems.
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From a young age, Oorja demonstrated an intense curiosity and was always an active student. Her interest in automobiles was sparked by assembling Lego car sets, which ignited a passion for technological innovation and guided her toward a career in the automotive industry. She embarked on her academic journey the National Institute of Technology, Surat, India for her undergraduate studies, by clearing the competitive exam considered among the toughest in the world.
Throughout her undergraduate studies, Oorja was deeply involved in various competitions of national repute, including the prestigious Formula Bharat and Electric Go Kart design championship. She was the first female manager for her collegiate, Formula SAE club and led the powertrain team across the competitions. Her leadership and innovative contributions earned the team the title of overall champions and secured design patents from the Government of India for both projects. Driven by her passion for automotive innovation, Oorja secured an internship at MG Motors India, where she contributed to the development of India’s first internet-enabled vehicle, focusing on enhancing safety features and driving assistance systems. She continued to push boundaries by working on Airless tire model for two-wheelers during her final year project, which is currently under the product patent process.
Oorja joined Bajaj Auto Limited in July 2022 as graduate trainee engineer and played a pivotal role in the component design and development of forged engine for KTM as well as for the launch of Triumph India motorcycles. She optimized various machining parameters to reduce production cycle times, integrating special purpose machinery with Poka-Yoke systems to enhancing operational efficiency. She was promoted to Assistant Manager after her exceptional performance where she introduced robots and image-based inspection systems for defect detection, contributing to plant automation and further cycle time reductions.
Oorja is currently pursuing her master’s degree under the supervision of Dr. Ali Emadi, at the McMaster Automotive Resource Centre (MARC). She contributes to the car of the future, in collaboration with an industry project with Stellantis, focusing on advanced power electronics and thermal management systems for electric vehicles. Her research interest is in the modelling and controlling of control systems, connected vehicles, and battery management systems for the electrification of transport systems. She enjoys working as a research assistant and teaching assistant for mechanical engineering courses. Furthermore, she is also working on the novel development of robust battery RUL state prediction for electric vehicles using iTransformer.
