Aerospace or Aeronautical Engineering deals with the growth and development of different new technologies in the aviation industry, defense systems and space exploration. It addresses several aspects such as designing, development, construction, testing, operation, maintenance of military as well as commercial aircrafts, spacecrafts and also missiles and satellites. The main area of focus is on design, growth and development that extend to satellite and space research as well. A career in Aeronautical Engineering is among the prosperous and challenging one owing to its huge scope of expansion and development.

Aerospace engineering consists of designing and manufacturing of high technologies. If you are in search for a prosperous and jam-packed career and want to fly high, then Aeronautical Engineering is definitely the career for you! It is that branch of engineering, which requires dealing with the science of aerodynamics. This particular field of education is quickly seen to grow in India, over the time.

Eligibility & Courses

Eligibility Criteria and Courses: In India courses or programs in Aeronautical Engineering are offered at two levels, undergraduate and postgraduate. The minimum eligibility criterion needed for a B.Tech or B.E. program is to pass 10+2 with Science subjects (Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics) or any other equivalent examination having a minimum of 60% of marks in aggregate. Further, it is also compulsory to qualify at the Joint Entrance Examinations (J.E.E.) held by the IITs. However, there are several institutes that conduct their own individual tests for admitting students to this aeronautical engineering. For this program, there are many state level and national level entrance tests as well. The JEE score is however, considered as the qualifying marks by most institutes in India for admission to aeronautical engineering. The institute named Associate Membership Examination of the Institute of Engineers (AMIE) enables the working class in the public or private sector or the diploma holders to get a Bachelor’s engineering degree via distance education. One needs to appear for the Associate membership examination of the Institute of Engineers (AMIE) held by ASI (‘The Aeronautical Society of India’). This degree has been granted as equivalent to any degree in aeronautical engineering. Those having a degree in Physics, electronics, and mathematics stand a good chance in this filed.

Apart from the degree courses, there are diploma programs also in Aeronautical Engineering. For post graduation courses in aeronautical engineering, one must have a graduation degree in aeronautical engineering. The Madras Institute of Technology provides a 3 year Graduate course in Aeronautical Engineering for the B Sc students. M.Tech and Doctoral or PhD programs are also offered by several institutes. The Indian Institute of Science (IIS), in Bangalore offers M Tech and Ph D programs in Aeronautics.

Course Duration: A degree course in Aeronautical Science consists of duration of four year. The degree received at the end of the fourth and final year is recognized by the Ministry of Education, under the Government of India. The diploma programs in aeronautical engineering consist of duration of 2-3 years.

Specializations: The many specializations in the field of aeronautical engineering are:

  • Structural design
  • Instrumentation and communication
  • Navigational guidance and control systems
  • Production methods
  • Design, development and maintenance
  • Managerial posts and teaching posts in the aeronautical institutes
  • Particular product like passenger planes, military aircrafts, satellites, helicopters, rockets etc
  • Aircraft manufacturing sectors
  • Airlines
  • Air turbine production plants
  • Aerospace environment

Personal Attributes

Aeronautical engineers must possess the following attributes and skills if they want to flourish in this field:

  • An eye for details
  • Should have mathematical precision
  • Must be good at problem-solving
  • Must possess computer skills
  • Must possess designing skills
  • Should have the ability to plan
  • Should have good communication skills
  • Must be able to work under pressure
  • Should have speed while working
  • Should be physically fit
  • Must have normal color vision

Career Prospects

Aeronautical or Aerospace Engineers work in 1 of the technologically advanced fields of engineering. The main are of concentration is on design and development and growth of the aircrafts to satellite and space research. Numerous jobs are there with various international, national, private and public Airline Services and also aircraft-manufacturing units, which thereby offer a lucrative and prosperous career ahead.

In the initial stages, you need to start working as junior Engineers or engineer trainees. In accordance with the academic background, performance, aptitude, etc, the students are placed in the maintenance or overhaul or support section of the aircrafts, for training. Once the training is complete, the students are then placed as assistant technical officers or assistant aircraft engineers. In case of further promotions, one needs to clear the departmental examinations. The students also have the scope to secure executive or administrative positions and become consultants as well.

A Career in Aeronautical Engineering is indeed promising and aeronautical engineers have immense scope in this industry. They can avail job opportunities in the following sectors:

  • Different government airlines such as Air India, Indian Airlines
  • Helicopter Corporation of India and the various flying clubs
  • Different private airlines such as Kingfisher and Jet Airways
  • Aircraft manufacturers such as Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) and the factories
  • National Aeronautical Lab (NAL)
  • Aeronautical Development Establishment
  • Defense Research and Development Laboratories
  • Civil Aviation Department etc
  • Defense services and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO)

Numerous job opportunities are also available for the aeronautical engineers in the United States of America, UK, France and Germany. A very good percentage of Indians, work as technical professionals and engineers in NASA.

Aeronautical Institutes in India

Academy Of Aerospace and Aviation
Swadesh Bhawan, 2,
Press Complex,
A.B.Road, Indore.(MP)
Phone: 0731-5004485,
5043397, 9826330824

Hindustan College of Engineering
Post Box No. 01,
Old Mahabalipuram Road,
Padur Post,
Kelambakkam-603103(tamil nadu)
Phone: 04114-474262, 474395
Fax: 04114-474385

Hindustan Electronics Academy
61, Cambridge Road, P.B.No.806, Ulsoor, Bangalore 560008(Karnataka)
Hindustan Institute of Engineering Technology
40 GST Rd, P.O.Box 1306, St. Thomas Mount, Chennai-600016
Phone: 044-22341389, 22342508,:22349317
Fax: 044-22342170

Bangalore Institute of Aeronautical Engineering and Information Technology
# 5, SRS Complex, NGEF Layout,
80 Feet Road, Nagarabavi,
Bangalore – 560 072 (Karnataka)
Phone & Fax: 080 23216677, 23216678

IIT (Indian Institute of Technology), Powai,
Mumbai 400076
Phone: 022-25722545
Fax: 022-25723480

Punjab Engineering College (Deemed University)
Sector -12, Chandigarh- 160012
Phone: 2746074, 2753051
Fax: 0172-2745175

MIT Campus, Anna University,
Chromepet, Chennai 600 044
Tamil Nadu, India
Phone (Dean): (91) 44 22232403 22235046(R)

Nehru College of Aeronautics & Applied Science
451-D, Palakkad main road,
Kuniamuthur, Coimbatore – 641 008 Tamilnadu
Phone: (0422) 2251148, 2252562, 2252402
Fax: 2251147

Indian Institute for Aeronautical Engineering & Information Technology
140/6, Near Warje Chowk, NDA Road,
Warje Malwadi, Pune-411052
Telefax: (020) 25292151
Mobile: 98220 13633 / 98225 98836

School of Aviation Science and Technology
Delhi Flying Club,
New Delhi

Institute of Aviation Technology
1265, Sector 6,
Bahadurgarh — 124507, (Haryana)

Indian Institute of Aeronautical Engineering
179, Kalidas Road
Dehradun, Uttaranchal, 248001
Phone: 91-135-2742121
Fax: 91-135-2742121

VSM Aerospace
Chelekere Village (Near Kammanahalli),
Bangalore – 560008 (Karnataka)