About Engineers’ Day
Engineers' Day is observed in India on 15 September, the birth anniversary of Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya, the civil engineer and Diwan of Mysore who was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955. It has been marked since 1968 by engineering colleges, professional bodies and companies. In 2027 it falls on Wednesday, 15 September 2027.
Engineers' Day is one of the few Indian observances built around a single engineer, and his work is still in daily use. The drinking water of Bengaluru and Mysuru comes from a reservoir he designed. Hyderabad's old flood defences follow his plan.
Why is Engineers' Day celebrated on 15 September?
Engineers' Day is celebrated on 15 September because Sir M. Visvesvaraya was born on that day in 1861, in Muddenahalli, in present-day Chikkaballapur district of Karnataka. India has marked the date as Engineers' Day since 1968. Sri Lanka and Tanzania also keep Engineers' Day on 15 September in his honour. UNESCO's separate World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development falls on 4 March.
Who was Sir M. Visvesvaraya?
Sir M. Visvesvaraya was a civil engineer who went on to run a princely state's government. He studied at Central College in Bangalore and the College of Engineering in Pune, joined the Bombay Public Works Department in 1885, and spent the next decades on irrigation, water supply and flood control across the Deccan.
- 1861Birth
Born on 15 September in Muddenahalli, in the princely state of Mysore.
- 1885Public Works
Joins the Bombay PWD as an assistant engineer.
- 1903Automatic gates
Designs self-acting weir gates first installed at the Khadakvasla reservoir near Pune.
- 1909Hyderabad
After the Musi flood of September 1908, draws up the flood-control plan for Hyderabad; also becomes Chief Engineer of Mysore.
- 1911KRS dam
Foundation stone of the Krishna Raja Sagara dam laid on the Kaveri, to his design.
- 1912–1918Diwan of Mysore
Runs the state's administration and founds industries, a bank and colleges.
- 1955Bharat Ratna
Receives India's highest civilian award.
- 1962Death
Dies in April at the age of 100.
His best-known idea was the automatic sluice gate. Instead of engineers raising and lowering gates by hand as a reservoir filled, floats and counterweights opened them when the water rose and closed them as it fell. The Krishna Raja Sagara dam near Mysuru has 48 such gates, set in six groups of eight.
What did Visvesvaraya build that is still in use?
Visvesvaraya's work is still in daily use in at least two Indian cities. The Krishna Raja Sagara reservoir supplies drinking water to Bengaluru, Mysuru and Mandya, irrigates farmland in the Kaveri basin and feeds the Shivanasamudra hydroelectric station downstream. The Brindavan Gardens, laid out beside the dam, draw visitors from across the state.
In Hyderabad, the Musi flood of 1908 killed thousands. The Nizam invited Visvesvaraya, who proposed two storage reservoirs above the city, on the Musi and its tributary the Esi, along with an underground drainage system. Osman Sagar was completed in 1920 and Himayat Sagar in 1927. Both still protect the city and have long been a source of its drinking water.
As Diwan of Mysore he was behind the Mysore Iron and Steel Works at Bhadravati, the Bank of Mysore, later the State Bank of Mysore, and the Government Engineering College in Bangalore, founded in 1917 and now University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering. He described his career in his own words in *Memoirs of My Working Life*.
How is Engineers' Day marked?
Engineers' Day is marked mostly by engineering colleges, professional bodies such as the Institution of Engineers (India), public works departments and technology companies. It is not a public holiday.
- Colleges hold technical fests, project exhibitions, paper presentations and guest lectures; many students dress up for the day and faculty are given small gifts.
- Professional bodies and PWDs hold seminars and give awards to engineers for notable projects.
- Companies run hackathons or send internal notes thanking engineering teams.
- At Muddenahalli, his birthplace, a memorial trust keeps his house and museum, and tributes are paid there on the day.
What to write on Engineers' Day
A good Engineers' Day message thanks someone for a concrete piece of work. Engineering is invisible when it works, so point to the thing that didn't fail.
Happy Engineers' Day, Papa. Thirty years of bridges and site visits in the sun. We noticed, even when we didn't say it.
Happy Engineers' Day. The release went out clean because of the tests nobody saw you write. Thank you.
Happy Engineers' Day. Survive the viva, finish the project, then go build something Visvesvaraya would approve of.
On Engineers' Day, thank you for the 3 am calls and the work that keeps the lights and water on for the rest of us.
Happy Engineers' Day. The field is better because you're in it, and the next girl who picks engineering will have it easier because of you.
Happy Engineers' Day, sir. The structures you signed off are still standing. That's a legacy most people never get.
Do
- Name the project, the fix or the system the person worked on.
- Include technicians, draughtspeople and site staff in team thank-yous.
- Use the day to encourage a student who is struggling with the course.
Avoid
- Avoid tired jokes about engineers having no social life or no job.
- Don't treat software as the only kind of engineering; civil, electrical and mechanical engineers keep the country running.
- Don't forward unverified "Visvesvaraya quotes"; many popular ones have no source.
For related days, see National Technology Day on 11 May, National Science Day on 28 February, and Teachers' Day, ten days earlier on 5 September.
How to wish someone on Engineers’ Day
A good Engineers' Day wish names the thing the engineer made possible: the bridge, the app that didn't crash, the substation that came back online at 3 am. Engineers tend to prefer specific thanks over grand praise. A line about Visvesvaraya's standards of precision works for colleagues and students; family messages can be proud and a little teasing.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is Engineers’ Day in 2026 and 2027?
Engineers’ Day is on 15 Sept every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is Engineers’ Day in 2027?
Engineers’ Day 2027 falls on Wednesday, 15 September 2027.
Who is known as the father of Indian engineering?
Sir Mokshagundam Visvesvaraya is often called the father of Indian engineering. A civil engineer and Diwan of Mysore from 1912 to 1918, he designed the Krishna Raja Sagara dam and Hyderabad's flood-control system and was awarded the Bharat Ratna in 1955.
Since when is Engineers' Day celebrated in India?
Engineers' Day has been celebrated in India on 15 September since 1968. The date is the birth anniversary of Sir M. Visvesvaraya, who was born in 1861.
Which other countries celebrate Engineers' Day on 15 September?
Sri Lanka and Tanzania also celebrate Engineers' Day on 15 September in honour of Sir M. Visvesvaraya. Most other countries keep their own dates, and UNESCO's World Engineering Day is on 4 March.
What is Visvesvaraya famous for?
Visvesvaraya is famous for designing automatic sluice gates, first used at Khadakvasla in 1903, the Krishna Raja Sagara dam on the Kaveri, and the flood-protection plan that produced Hyderabad's Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs.
Is Engineers' Day a holiday?
Engineers' Day is not a public holiday in India. It is marked by engineering colleges, professional bodies and companies with lectures, exhibitions, awards and thank-you events.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .