Humanity is blessed with the ability to think, and a man’s desire to do something extraordinary has shaped the world into what it is today. One of the most daring adventures that man has encountered was flying. In many mythologies, stories and fiction works, humans have deliberately expressed their wish to fly high in the blue sky and feel weightless.

When Wright Brothers designed and flew the world’s first successful motor-operated aeroplane, it was clear that humanity was one step closer to achieving its long dream to fly high. World War II significantly changed humanity’s flying venture, and after the end of the war, people made aeroplanes available for everyone. Commercialising air transport then opened the door to multiple options for business, and today, it has become one of the significant modes of transport connecting with the world.

With the increasing population and the never-dying human desire to fly, many aspirants wished to fly the mighty objects in the air and explore different parts of the world. Many prominent educational institutes recognised this need and contributed to humanity’s lifelong dream of flying by setting up their institutes to teach, train and upskill the students to fly different types of aeroplanes.

With a vision to transform society and feed India’s innovation and entrepreneurial culture, MIT-ADT University (Maharashtra Institute of Technology – Art Design and Technology) also introduced the course of Aerospace engineering, among its other engineering courses.

Under the leadership of Executive President & Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Mangesh T. Karad, this venture of MIT-ADT University has produced some of the finest aerospace engineers in the country. The university has equipped the students with all the required knowledge, skills sets, and right mindset to have an entrepreneurial and innovative touch in the field.

The Inception Story of MIT-ADT University

The sheer dedication of Prof. Dr Vishwanath Karad laid down the foundation of The MIT Group of Institutions. Prof. Vishwanath Karad has rooted deeply in genuine Indian culture to the genesis of the centre of value-based quality education through MIT. It was established in 1983, on 5th August. From being one of the first private engineering colleges in Maharashtra to being an autonomous private university, the MIT-ADT University has indeed come a long way.

The UGC also recognises the university as a multidisciplinary university. The campus was incorporated as a distinct university in June 2016 under the MIT Art, Design and Technology University Act, by State Govt of Maharashtra XXXIV, 2015. Today, the university offers Graduate, Postgraduate and Doctoral level courses in many disciplines and homes 125 acres of campus with around 3500+ Student’s accommodation is available on Campus.

Educationist Approach to Quality Education

The person who has empowered the university with quality education in multidisciplinary fields is Prof. Dr Mangesh Karad, the Executive President and Vice-Chancellor of MIT-ADT. He has embraced a vision of holistic and inclusive development in curriculum, which has successfully raised and elevated the international standards of education in all spheres, especially in Pune – the Oxford of the east.

Being an educationist with a keen interest in engineering niches, Prof. Mangesh Karad has introduced specialised courses like Naval Engineering, Food technology, Bio Engineering etc., to transform students into industry leaders. All the efforts aim toward one goal, which is to recognise MIT as a world-class educational institute.

Prof. Dr Sunita M Karad, Dean, Engineering and Management, Director-MITCOM & ICT, MIT-ADT University, an eminent academician, and researcher, has been associated with the university for more than 25 years and has held various key positions during the evolution of the university.

A Vision to Transform Society

Mission and Vision

MIT-ADT University was set up with a mission to be the university of Eminence by amalgamating Art, Design, Science, and Technology. With a vision to have a transformative impact on society, the university has chosen the route of holistic education, multidisciplinary research ethos, innovation, and entrepreneurial culture.

Dr Sunita Karad Believes in staying true to its core values, which are based on:

• Honesty & Integrity: The university promotes the highest standards of honesty and integrity to ensure the recognition of the inherent benefits of living these ideals.
• Mutual Respect: The university fosters an environment that nurtures the spirit of trust, teamwork, openness, and respect among every community member, thus ensuring a favourable environment necessary for professional development.
• Pursuit of Excellence: The university encourages the pursuit of the highest possible level of academic performance and personal development amongst all the community members.
• Personal Accountability: Encourages the acknowledgement, understanding and acceptance of responsibility for upholding and reinforcing the institute’s values amongst all the community members.
• Equality: The university is committed to creating a society where everyone is appreciated and judged based on their contributions and performance regardless of gender, race, religion, physical abilities, sexual identity, or socio-economic conditions.

About the Department of Aerospace Engineering

Department of Aerospace Engineering of our university is aimed at imparting sound knowledge in the fundamental areas of the disciplines and expose students to advanced applications of this knowledge. The students will get the specialized training in the design and development of launch vehicles, aircraft and space craft.

Students of the B. Tech program in Aerospace Engineering are equipped to undertake challenging work in the Aerospace Engineering industry, in areas like propulsion systems, aerodynamic design, structural systems, precision manufacturing, etc. Students will get a chance to work on live projects. With experience in such projects and with good performance, they could be given the responsibility of leading teams which design and develop aerospace subsystems and systems.

Value Added Aerospace Engineering Programme

The conventional teaching-learning processes are necessary for the understanding of the subject. However, through various on-field aids like Industrial visits, Internships, and Industrial sponsored Projects, MIT-ADT University enhances the learning processes that excite students and add value to the equipped knowledge. Moreover, the guest lectures from eminent personalities are arranged to get industry knowledge for both students and faculty members.

The University believes that Value Added Programmes can impart quality training to students, which is why various training is provided to students for software, designing methodologies, analytical procedures, etc.

Emphasising on the value-added programs, Prof. Dr Mangesh Karad expresses, “Value-Added Training related to Core Aerospace Engineering – Basics of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Advanced CFD & its applications in Aerospace Engineering and other fields, Structural Analysis using Ansys FEM, Drone development & flying, MATLAB and its applications to Aerospace Engineering, Collaboration with Indian Institute of Remote Sensing and Satellites- Out Reach Programs.”

To enhance the knowledge and imbibe an industry experience to its students, the Aerospace Engineering Department has collaborates with foreign institutes like IT Carlow – Ireland, Sejong University – South Korea, KIT – Germany, Technicon University – Israel, Universidad Ray Juan Carlos – Spain. Professors from these prestigious institutes guide students in their mini/major projects, internships and higher education in these institutions.

Guiding Students for a Successful Career in Aerospace Engineering

MIT-ADT University emphasises specialised training in the sub-specialisation domain chosen by the student. As the primary component of Aerospace are Aerodynamics, Propulsion, Structures, Flight Mechanics, Navigation, guide and Control, the career option of students gets filtered. Moreover, all the programs are carefully curated and designed by industry and academia experts with a project-based learning approach to equip students with the skills and knowledge that match today’s job requirements.

Expressing his views on the Aerospace Curriculum, Prof. Dr Mangesh Karad says, “In addition to the curriculum, the special courses approved by DGCA-Drone Pilot are offered to enhance the employability of graduates. With experience in such projects and with good performance, they could be given the responsibility of leading the teams which design and develop aerospace subsystems and systems. Students are trained to complete Domain Knowledge certification.”

One of its kind Infrastructure and Educational Facilities

A unique building called ICT Tower, spread across 6,00,000 sq. ft., is uniquely designed and curated for multidisciplinary programs in Engineering and Management. With a capacity of 5000+ students, the tower houses more than 50+ laboratories and 1000+ high-performance computers for training and research activities for students, scholars, and faculties.

The Department of Aerospace Engineering has equipped laboratories like Aerodynamics, Rocket Propulsion (First of its kind set up for UG studies), Aircraft Propulsion, Aircraft Structures, Avionics, Control, Fluid Mechanics, Applied Thermodynamics, Machines and Mechanisms, Electronics & Instrumentation. Along with such advanced laboratories, the campus also has a computer laboratory with software installed like ANSYS 18.1: CFD, Structural Analysis, etc., MATLAB V. 2018: Programming, Simulink, Optimization, Cero 6.0: CAD. Apart from these labs the Department also have a Centre of Excellence for CFD. The Centre of Excellence for CFD in the aerospace engineering department is dedicated to carry out high end computational research work. The students and faculty members of the department are actively involved in various research works carried out in collaboration with various organisations within India and abroad. Furthermore, with the CoE CFD, the department of aerospace engineering conducts internships and workshops from time to time where students from all around the country participate actively.

Contributing to the Changing Dynamics of the Aerospace Industry

Addressing the changing dynamics of the aerospace industry, Prof. Dr Sunita Karad says, “While the Indian aerospace industry is predominantly driven by government/public sector units, the potential prospects in the “design to construct” lifecycle (both public and private) are enormous. India’s engineering workforce, quickly increasing engineering services/R&D capabilities, and geographical location in Southeast Asia position it as a potential global centre for both manufacturing and maintenance and repair.”

The college provides internship opportunities to all the students in Government Organisations like DRDO (HEMRL, ARDE, DRDL,ACEM), ISRO (SAC, LEOS, NESAC), PSU (HAL, BDL), Multinational companies (Tata Technologies, Bharat Forge, TBAL, FACC, Paras), start-ups and many aerospace relevant industries to make students familiar with latest technologies and recent trends of the industry.

For students who wish to study further, proper guidance is provided by the college to the students. “We conduct GATE coaching classes for our students. We conduct webinars/guest lectures with experts from academia and industry professionals to provide guidance for higher education in foreign universities,” Prof. Dr Sunita Karad adds.

Achievements in Department

The Department of Aerospace Engineering believes that the institute’s success relies on the success of its students. Here are some of the most notable achievements, accolades, accreditations, and awards:

• Aashish Sudam Sarode participated in International Astronomy and Astrophysics Competition and secured Bronze Medal
• Shrikant Dnyandev Sude participated in Saur Urja Vehicle Challenge (SUVC-2020) and secured AIR-2
• Rakshita Devi & RushikeshPatil participated in the RC Aircraft event at IIT Kharagpur and secured 2^nd
• Rishabh Naik & Rushikesh Karandikar participated in the Rocket launching event at COEP Pune and secured 1^st

Entrepreneurial Achievement: Second-year student of Aerospace Engineering developed an Automatic Sanitiser during the time of COVID-19 lockdown and started his own entrepreneurial venture.

Achievements of the faculties of the Department of Aerospace Engineering: One patent has been granted and two patents have been filed by the faculties of the department. Total research papers published by the faculties of the department in reputed journals/conferences are 95+. Book chapters published by the faculties of the department are 07 and 02 are accepted and in press for publishing. Copy rights published by the faculties of the department are 18. There are sponsored project funded by DRDO (ARDE, HEMRL) which received a grant of 45+ Lakhs.

Flight for a Bright Future

Aerospace engineering is something that requires perfection, and the B. Tech Program in Aerospace Engineering at MIT-ADT university imparts sound knowledge in the fundamental niche areas of the discipline. From specialised training in design and development to the launch of aircraft, vehicles and spacecraft, the university trains and provide the right exposure to the students.

Shedding light on the university’s contribution to the advancements in aerospace’s future, the Vice-Chancellor of the university says, “Students of the B. Tech program in Aerospace Engineering are equipped to undertake challenging work in the Aerospace industry, in areas like propulsion systems, aerodynamic design, structural systems, precision manufacturing, etc. Students will get a chance to work on live projects. With a rich experience in such niche projects and good performance, they could be given the responsibility of leading teams who design and develop aerospace systems and subsystems.”

Aiming to Create a Centre of Excellence

Taking about the future of the MIT-ADT University’s School of Engineering, Department of Arospace Engineering Prof Dr Sunita Karad says, “School of Engineering is Centre of Excellence for all the budding Engineers who can avail the domain knowledge and excel in their careers by getting the skills required and be available industry-ready.”

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