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Krushikkumar Padsala with his supervisor Prof. Bianchini after the successful defense of his master's thesis.

We are very pleased to congratulate our first graduate on successfully completing his Master's degree in Battery Materials & Technology!

Krushikkumar Padsala completed his Master's degree at the University of Bayreuth at the end of September. He wrote his master's thesis at the Chair of Inorganic Active Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage (Prof. Dr. Matteo Bianchini) on the topic of “Benchmarking Performance of Carbon Nanotubes Integration in NMC811 Cathodes". He had previously completed his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering at Gujarat Technological University in India. 
At the end of his studies in Bayreuth, we asked him a few questions about his master's studies.

BayBatt: Why did you choose the University of Bayreuth and the Master's Programme Battery Materials and Technology?

• Krushikkumar Padsala: I chose Bayreuth because it combines a vibrant, international environment in Bavaria with truly hands-on training in batteries. The BayBatt ecosystem - small cohorts, close links to industry, and access to modern labs - offered a unique opportunity to learn by doing and to contribute, in a concrete way, to the global sustainable-energy transition.

What was a highlight of your Master's studies?

• Collaborating with Prof. Bianchini’s group during my research module, and completing my Master’s thesis externally at FEV Europe GmbH in Aachen on a real-world, industry-relevant battery project.

Which was the most difficult exam in your Master's studies?

• Coming from a different education system, the first semester required extra attention to adapt to teaching methods, exam formats, and expectations. “Battery Materials” was particularly challenging at first—but it laid a strong foundation that paid off in later courses and projects.

What's next for you?

• I’m aiming to enter industry to gain end-to-end experience at mass-production scale. I want to see how fundamentals translate to gigawatt-hour manufacturing, build practical intuition on the shop floor, and contribute to scaling reliable, sustainable battery technologies.

Krushik has since started working in the cell manufacturing department of Tesla in Germany. We wish him all the best and every success in his future Career! We would be delighted to welcome him back to the University of Bayreuth and BayBatt as an Alumnus in the future.