Lok Sabha Question No. 1211 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-12-08
Subject: National Institute for Aerospace Technology and Research
Ministry: EDUCATION
Asked by: Smt. Bharti Pardhi, Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde, Shri Ravindra Dattaram Waikar, Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske, Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1211 ANSWERED ON-08/12/2025

## National Institute for Aerospace Technology and Research

## 1211.   Shri Shrirang Appa Chandu Barne:

Shri Ravindra Dattaram Waikar:

Shri Naresh Ganpat Mhaske:

Dr. Shrikant Eknath Shinde:

Smt. Bharti Pardhi:

## Will the Minister of EDUCATION be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the new aerospace-related courses, departments or centres of excellence introduced in IITs, NITs and other higher educational institutions across the country during the last three years, locations and year-wise;
- (b) whether the Government has any proposal under consideration to establish a dedicated National Institute for Aerospace Technology and Research in the country and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the number of students enrolled in aerospace engineering and allied programmes in IITs and other technical institutions during the last three academic years, institutionwise;
- (d) the steps taken by the Government in collaboration with ISRO, DRDO, HAL and private  industries  to  provide  internship,  research  and  employment  opportunities  to aerospace students and graduates; and
- (e) the measures proposed by the Government to promote indigenous aerospace technology development, strengthen the aerospace job market and position India as a global hub in aerospace innovation and manufacturing?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF EDUCATION (DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR)

(a) to (e): In line with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020, several institutesincluding Indian Institutes of Technology  (IITs), National Institutes of Technology (NITs), Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc) Bangalore, Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology (IIEST), Shibpur -have  broadened their academic offerings by introducing new undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programmes, in  the  Aerospace  domain  offering  specializations  such  as  space  technology,  UAV technology, Ballistics, Tracking and Navigation, etc.  Some of the institutes have also opened dedicated Aerospace specific departments.  Further, Rajiv Gandhi National Aviation University (RGNAU) under Ministry of Civil Aviation has also introduced a 4-year B. Tech programme in Aerospace Engineering.

In order to enhance research efforts in the area of Fluid & Thermal Sciences with involvement of academia, Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), Department  of  Space  has  established  a  'Centre  of  Excellence  (CoE)  -  Research  in Fluid  &  Thermal  Sciences'  at  IIT  Madras.  Various  Institutes  including  IIT  Madras, IIT  Roorkee,  IIT  Kanpur,  IIT  Bombay  and  IISc  Bangalore  have  also  specialized Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in Aerospace domain. Defence Research and Development Organization (DRDO)  has also established 15 DRDO  Industry Academia Centres of Excellence in the country including DRDO Industry Academia Centre  of  Excellence,  IIT  Bombay  (DIA-CoE,  IITB),  DRDO  Industry  Academia Centre  of  Excellence,  IISc  Bangalore  (DIA-RCoE,  IISc)  and  DRDO  Industry Academia Centre of Excellence, IIT Hyderabad (DIA-CoE, IITH).

A National Centre for Aerospace Innovation and Research (NCAIR) has been established at IIT Bombay  in  collaboration with Department  of Science and Technology. NCAIR is a collaboration between academia, Government of India and industries  aspiring  to  be  a  part  of  the  aerospace  sector  to  provide  stimulus  to  the evolution of a vibrant  aerospace  ecosystem in India. The centre offers doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships to undertake innovative R & D in aerospace manufacturing domain.

To  make  students  industry  ready,  DRDO's  Aeronautical  Technical  cluster provides aerospace students and graduates opportunities to work on advanced defence technologies  through  key  programmes  such  as  Research  Fellowships  and  a  paid Internship  Programme,  which  offers  graduate  and  postgraduate  students  hands-on exposure  to  high-impact  defence  R&D  alongside  leading  experts.  HAL,  ISRO  and other PSUs, DPSUs have also been providing internship opportunities to all IIT/NITs and other students.

Further,  the  Space-Technology  Incubation  Centre  (S-TIC)  has  been  set  up  at NIT Agartala and NIT Jalandhar to foster collaboration between industry, academia, and ISRO, supporting R&D initiatives aligned with the Indian Space Programme. NIT Jamshedpur has collaborations with ISRO, DRDO, and HAL and also has an MoU

with the Space Applications Centre (SAC) in Ahmedabad.

All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) through initiatives such as Project  PRACTICE  2025  and  Faculty  Development  Programs  (FDPs),  focuses  on enhancing students'  practical,  job-ready  abilities  and  upskilling  faculty  in  advanced domains, including aerospace and energy.

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