Kanpur, February 09, 2026: The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur had the honour of hosting the Vice Chief of Army Staff (VCOAS), Lieutenant General Pushpendra Singh who visited the campus on February 09, 2026.

VCOAS, Lt. Gen. Singh was welcomed by Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director IIT Kanpur, Prof. Tarun Gupta, Dean R&D, IIT Kanpur, and Prof. Kantesh Balani, Nodal Faculty In-charge, IIT Kanpur, on his arrival.

During the visit, critical discussions emphasized a strong need for joint engagement of Indian Army with IIT Kanpur for modernization through technology-infusion in Indian Army.

Prof. Manindra Agrawal appreciated the synergy and noted that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, and electronic warfare are reshaping military operations, thereby necessitating the modernization of defence technologies. He added that IIT Kanpur is at the forefront of research in areas such as AI, cybersecurity, and unmanned autonomous systems, and can therefore offer innovative solutions for deployment in real-world military contexts.

VCOAS Lt. Gen. Singh also visited the Helicopter & VTOL lab led by Prof Abhishek and UAV Lab led by Prof Subrahmanyam Saderla from the Department of Aerospace Engineering where he was presented with the advancements made in drone technology by IIT Kanpur. He also visited the C3iHub where he was accompanied by Dr. Ras Dwivedi, Chief Technology Officer, and Dr. Anand Handa, Chief Strategy Officer, C3iHub, IIT Kanpur where he had discussions on latest cybersecurity developments done by the hub.

The VCOAS appreciated the efforts made by IIT Kanpur towards development of niche technologies and expressed confidence that the increasing synergy between the Indian Army and IIT Kanpur will result in development of cutting-edge indigenous defence technologies in the near future.

The visit reaffirmed IIT Kanpur’s increasing role in advancing national defence innovation and highlighted avenues for enhanced collaboration with the Indian Army.

About IIT Kanpur

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, established in 1959, is recognized as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India. Renowned for excellence in science, engineering, and interdisciplinary education, IIT Kanpur spans a 1,050-acre lush green campus and comprises 20 departments, 27 centres, three interdisciplinary programmes, and three specialized schools. With over 570 faculty members and more than 9,500 students, the institute continues to lead in innovation, research, and holistic development.

For more information, please visit: www.iitk.ac.in