One of the founding departments of IIT Kanpur, the Mechanical Engineering Department played a leading role in evolving an 'Engineering Science' based curriculum, and served as a role model for many academic institutes in the country. Over the years, interaction with industry and the emphasis on applied engineering has increased. Two major mission projects, from Railways and Department of Atomic Energy respectively, are currently in progress. Working groups on sensors and actuators, microengineering, applied mechanics and futuristic energy technology have been constituted.