As someone who spent a year trying to do things in the mech/auto sector, I have this to say -

• Unless you're really good in your field or really lucky, your chances of landing a core mech/auto job are quite low.

• If you are hell-bent on pursuing a career in the automotive sector, you might land a job somewhere (usually in a small Indian firm) after a long wait for a low salary (~8-10k).

• In India at least, mechanical/auto/manufacturing engineers are mostly underpaid and overworked. I know mech people with 5+ years of experience who barely make 20-25k a month.

• I'm not discouraging you. You may have a dream, and by all means try to pursue it, but I only wish to inform you about the not-so-rosy realities of this field. It is up to you to decide if you have the skills and dedication required to make it through.

• Unlike IT, there are far too few jobs in manufacturing/R&D and far too many graduates coming out year after year to fill them up.

You could approach some consultancy companies, but be warned, if you land a job through them, they take away 50-75% of your salary and might have you locked on a bond for 2 years or so. This is how they make money.