Brief history of the department

The department has long combined excellence in teaching and research with strong industry linkages and sustained contributions to national aerospace programs. In its early years, the emphasis was on establishing experimental laboratories and a comprehensive aeronautical engineering curriculum, supported by faculty trained internationally. From the 1980s onward, the Indian Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) program became a major driver of research activity, with the conceptual design emerging from doctoral work within the department and several faculty contributing to its early development. The development of aerodynamic and intake analysis codes during this period significantly strengthened capabilities in computational fluid dynamics and experimental aerodynamics. This tradition of active participation in national missions has continued through collaborations with organizations such as ISRO, DRDL, NAL, and, more recently, private industry partners.

The department has also built distinctive strengths in advanced and emerging areas. Pioneering work in composite materials led to landmark contributions such as the first carbon-fibre composite air brake for the MiG-21 and improvements to the Jaipur foot. Expertise in aero-servo-elasticity, systems analysis, and multidisciplinary optimization culminated in the establishment of the Centre for Systems Analysis and Design (CASDE) in 1998. Unique capabilities in lighter-than-air systems and aircraft signature studies (infrared and electromagnetic) have supported major national programs, including AMCA and UCAV, since the early 2000s. In propulsion and turbomachinery, the department has played a key role in aero-engine development and in establishing the DRDO-sponsored Centre of Propulsion Technologies in 2016, now part of the DRDO Industry Academia – Centre of Excellence (DIA-COE).