PI covers mathematics, general engineering, two manufacturing-process sections, quality and reliability, industrial engineering, operations research and operations management.

Production and Industrial Engineering is tested within a 100-mark paper. The paper also includes General Aptitude. The sections below show the complete subject syllabus.

GATE PI Syllabus and Marks Distribution

There is no optional subject block in this paper. All listed sections are part of the syllabus.

Production and Industrial Engineering Unit-wise Syllabus

Engineering Mathematics

• Linear Algebra: Matrix algebra; Systems of linear equations; Eigenvalues and eigenvectors. Calculus: Functions of single variable; Limit, continuity and differentiability; Mean value theorems, Evaluation of definite integrals ; Partial derivative; Total derivative; Maxima and minima ; Gradient, divergence and curl; Vector identities ; Directional derivatives; Line, Surface and Volume integrals; Stokes, Gauss and Green’s theorems; Taylor series. Differential Equations: First order equations: linear and nonlinear; Higher order linear differential equations with constant coefficients; Cauchy’s and Euler’s equations; Initial and boundary value problems; Laplace transform. Probability and Statistics: Definitions of probability and sampling theorems ; Conditional probability ; Mean, median, mode and standard deviation ; Linear regression, Random variables, Poisson, normal, binomial and exponential distributions. Numerical Methods: Numerical solutions of linear and nonlinear algebraic equations; Integration by trapezoidal and Simpson’s rules; Single and multi-step methods for differential equations.

General Engineering

• Engineering Materials: Structure, physical and mechanical properties, and applications of common engineering materials (metals and alloys, semiconductors, ceramics, polymers, and composites – metal, polymer and ceramic based); Iron -carbon equilibrium phase diagram; Heat treatment of metals and alloys and its influence on mechanical properties; Stress-strain behavior of metals and alloys. Applied Mechanics: Engineering mechanics – equivalent force systems, free body concepts, equations of equilibrium; Strength of materials – stress, strain and their relationship; Failure theories; Mohr’s circle (stress); Deflection of beams, bending and shear stresses; Thick and thin cylinders; Torsion. Theory of Machines and Design: Analysis of planar mechanisms, cams and followers; Governors and fly wheels; Design of bolted, riveted and welded joints; Interference/shrink fit joints; Friction and lubrication; Design of shafts, keys, couplings, spur gears, belt drives, brakes and clutches. Thermal and Fluids Engineering: Fluid mechanics – fluid statics, Bernoulli’s equation, flow through pipes, laminar and turbulent flows, equations of continuity and momentum, capillary action; Dimensional analysis; Thermodynamics – zeroth, first and second laws of thermodynamics, thermodynamic systems and processes, calculation of work and heat for systems and control volumes; Air standard cycles; Heat transfer – basic applications of conduction, convection and radiation.

Manufacturing Processes I

• Casting: Types of casting processes and applications; Sand casting: patterns – types, materials and allowances; molds and cores–materials, making, and testing; design of gating system and riser; analysis of solidification and microstructure development; Other casting techniques: Pressure die casting, centrifugal casting, investment casting, casting defects and their inspection by non-destructive testing. Metal Forming: Stress-strain relations in elastic and plastic deformation; von Mises and Tresca yield criteria, concept of flow stress; Hot, warm and cold working; Bulk forming processes – forging, rolling, extrusion and wire drawing; Sheet metal working processes – blanking, punching, bending and deep drawing; Ideal work and slab analysis; Defects in metal working and their causes.
• Joining of Materials: Classification of joining processes; Principles of fusion welding processes using different heat sources (flame, arc, resistance, laser, and electron beam), heat transfer and associated losses; Arc welding processes - SMAW, GMAW, GTAW, plasma arc, submerged arc welding processes; Principles of solid state welding processes - friction welding, friction stir welding, ultrasonic welding; Welding defects - causes and inspection; Principles of adhesive joining, brazing and soldering processes. Powder Processing: Production of metal/ceramic powders, compaction and sintering of metals and ceramic powders. Polymers and Composites: Polymer processing – injection, compression and blow molding, extrusion, calendaring and thermoforming; Molding of composites.

Manufacturing Processes II

• Machining: Orthogonal and oblique machining, single point cutting tool and tool signature, chip formation, cutting forces, merchant’s analysis, specific cutting energy and power; Machining parameters and material removal rate; Tool materials, tool wear and tool life; Thermal aspects of machining, cutting fluids, machinability; Economics of machining; Machining processes - turning, taper turning, thread cutting, drilling, boring, milling, gear cutting, thread production; Finishing processes – grinding, honing, lapping and super-finishing. Machine Tools: Lathe, milling, drilling and shaping machines – construction and kinematics; Jigs and fixtures – principles, applications, and design. Advanced Manufacturing: Principles and applications of USM, AJM, WJM, AWJM, EDM, LBM, EBM, PAM, CHM, ECM; Effect of process parameters on material removal rate, surface roughness and power consumption; Additive manufacturing techniques: Fundamentals, stereolithography, fused filament fabrication, selective laser sintering, selective laser melting, directed energy deposition. Computer Integrated Manufacturing: Basic concepts of CAD and CAM, CNC; Automation in manufacturing; Industrial robots – configurations, drives and controls; Cellular manufacturing and FMS - group technology; Introduction to Internet of Things and digital twins.

Quality and Reliability

• Metrology and Inspection: Accuracy and precision; Types of errors ; Limits, fits and tolerances; Gauge design, Interchangeability, selective assembly; Linear, angular, and form measurements (straightness, flatness, roundness, runout and cylindricity) by mechanical and optical methods; Inspection of screw threads and gears; Surface roughness measurement by contact and non-contact methods. Quality Management: Quality – concepts and cost; Statistical quality control – process capability analysis, control charts for variables and attributes and acceptance sampling; Six sigma; Total quality management, Just -in-Time inventory management; Quality assurance and certification - ISO 9001:2015, ISO 14001:2015 ; Integration of sustainable manufacturing with quality management. Reliability and Maintenance: Reliability, availability and maintainability; Distribution of failure and repair times; Determination of MTBF and MTTR, reliability models; Determination of system reliability; Preventive and predictive maintenance and replacement, total productive maintenance.

Industrial Engineering

• Product Design and Development: Principles of product design, tolerance design; Quality and cost considerations; Product life cycle; Standardization, simplification, diversification; Value engineering and analysis; Concurrent engineering; Design for “X”. Work System Design: Taylor’s scientific management, Gilbreths’ contributions; Productivity – concepts and
• measurements; Method study, micro-motion study, principles of motion economy; Work measurement – time study, work sampling, standard data, PMTS; Ergonomics; Job evaluation and merit rating. Facility Design: Facility location factors and evaluation of alternate locations; Types of plant layout and their evaluation; Assembly line balancing; Material handling systems.

Operations research and Operations management

• Operation Research: Linear programming – problem formulation, simplex method, duality and sensitivity analysis; Transportation and assignment models; Integer programming; Markovian queuing models; Introduction to discrete event simulation. Engineering Economy and Costing: Elementary cost accounting and methods of depreciation; Break -even analysis; Activity based costing. Production Control: Forecasting techniques – causal and time series models, moving average, exponential smoothing, trend and seasonality; Aggregate production planning; Master production scheduling; MRP, MRP-II and ERP; Routing, scheduling and priority dispatching; Push and pull production systems, concepts of lean and agile manufacturing systems; Logistics, distribution, and supply chain management; Inventory – functions, costs, classifications, deterministic inventory models, quantity discount; Perpetual and periodic inventory control systems. Project Management: CPM, PERT and Gantt chart. Time-cost tradeoff.

General Aptitude Syllabus

General Aptitude contributes 15 marks within the 100-mark paper. It is not an additional paper that can be left out when choosing the technical sections.

Chapter-wise Weightage and Important Topics

Only the section-wise marks are fixed. IIT Madras has not assigned a guaranteed number of marks to each chapter of Production and Industrial Engineering. A topic may appear in one year and receive fewer questions in another; a past-paper count is not an official 2027 weightage.

For a chapter-weightage comparison, record the year, paper code, session, question number and marks of each matching question. Keep a combined question under one main topic or label the overlap explicitly; counting it twice inflates the total. GATE previous-year question papers can be used for this topic-by-topic practice.

Question Types and Negative Marking

The paper uses one-mark and two-mark questions. The number of MCQ, MSQ and NAT questions is not a fixed chapter-wise quota. In an MSQ, selecting one correct option is not enough when the correct answer contains two options.