Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur carries out original research of significance and technology development at the cutting edge. It imparts training for students to make them competent, motivated engineers and scientists. The Institute not only celebrates freedom of thought, cultivates vision and encourages growth, but also inculcates human values and concern for the environment and the society.

Department of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kanpur is a premier research and teaching centre today, engaged in engineering science instruction, in-flight laboratory work, aerodynamic testing, and cutting edge research in the area of Aerospace Engineering. This department was inaugurated in 1964. The department specializes in aerodynamics, flight mechanics, propulsion, and aerospace structures. It has a unique flight laboratory with four powered aircrafts, four gliders and a 1000 m runway.