Dr Ajay V. Singh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), where he pursues research at the intersection of combustion, propulsion, reacting flows, fire science, and advanced energy technologies. His work combines fundamental scientific inquiry with sophisticated experimental and computational approaches to address complex challenges of significance to aerospace, energy, and fire safety.

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Dr Singh earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland, College Park, USA, in 2015, and subsequently conducted postdoctoral research at Stanford University, USA, from 2015 to 2017. His academic trajectory has been distinguished by a sustained record of excellence in research, teaching, and professional service, and by recognition from leading institutions and international professional organisations.

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His contributions to research and teaching have earned him numerous honours. He has received the Exemplary Performance in Teaching Award at IIT Kanpur in 2026, 2025, 2024, 2023, and 2019, reflecting a sustained commitment to academic excellence and student mentorship. His research has been recognised with two Best Paper Awards in Fluid, Thermal, and Energy Systems at the 2nd International Conference on Fluid, Thermal and Energy Systems (ICFTES’24) in 2024, as well as two Best Paper Awards in Chemically Reacting Flows at the 2nd International Conference on Recent Advances in Fluids & Thermal Sciences (iCRAFT2020) in 2021.

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Among his other distinctions are a Commendation Letter from the Academic Senate of IIT Kanpur for research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), USA; the Early Career Research Award (2019); the Outstanding Reviewer Award from the Combustion Institute (2018); and the New Faculty Fellowship (2017–2020). Earlier, he received the Distinguished Paper Award at the 35th International Symposium on Combustion (2014) and was subsequently nominated for the Silver Combustion Medal (2015), an honour recognising an outstanding distinguished paper that demonstrates exceptional quality, achievement, and significance to the advancement of combustion science.

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During his doctoral studies at the University of Maryland, Dr Singh was the recipient of several competitive fellowships and academic honours, including the Future Faculty Fellowship (2014–2015), Northrop Grumman Graduate Fellowship in Engineering Education (2014–2015), Outstanding Graduate Assistant Award (2014–2015), and the prestigious Jacob K. Goldhaber Travel Award (2015).

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Research and Scholarly Contributions

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Dr Singh’s research encompasses a broad and interconnected spectrum of combustion and propulsion science, with particular emphasis on phenomena governed by highly nonlinear, transient, and multiscale reacting flows. His current research includes advanced combustion and propulsion technologies; high-speed propulsion systems; detonation-based engines; and air-breathing propulsion systems for supersonic and hypersonic flight. His research program encompasses a broad and interdisciplinary spectrum of fundamental and applied challenges in supersonic combustion, high-speed compressible reactive flows, fire science and fire dynamics, flame spread, detonations and explosions, and flame acceleration. Particular emphasis is placed on elucidating the complex physical and chemical mechanisms governing the deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) and the onset and propagation of detonations in reactive flows. His research further extends to soot formation and oxidation, combustion chemistry, and the flame synthesis of advanced functional nanoparticles, thereby bridging fundamental combustion science with emerging applications in energy, propulsion, fire safety, environmental protection, and advanced materials.

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A defining feature of his research is the integration of advanced experimentation, computational fluid dynamics, high-fidelity simulations, diagnostics, and fundamental analysis to unravel the physics and chemistry underlying complex reacting-flow phenomena. This interdisciplinary approach enables the laboratory to bridge fundamental science and engineering applications, with implications for next-generation propulsion systems, energy conversion, sustainable energy technologies, and fire safety.

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Dr Singh has authored approximately 157 research publications in reputed international journals and refereed conference proceedings, in addition to 19 book chapters. His scholarly contributions span combustion science, fluid and thermal sciences, high-speed reacting flows, fire dynamics, propulsion, and the flame-synthesis of advanced functional nanomaterials.

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International Recognition and Professional Leadership

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Dr Singh has established an active international presence through research collaborations, invited lectures, peer review, conference leadership, and professional service. He serves as a reviewer for several leading journals in the field, including Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, and Combustion and Flame.

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He has been invited to present his research at several internationally recognised institutions, including Stanford University, where he delivered several invited lectures as part of the High-Temperature Gas Dynamics Seminar series. He has also delivered research seminars and lectures at the University of Maryland, College Park; Peking University; Tianjin University; and Beijing Institute of Technology. These invitations reflect the international relevance of his research and his engagement with the broader scientific community.

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His professional service includes serving on international award committees and holding leadership roles at major scientific conferences. He has served as a Session Chair at the 38th International Symposium on Combustion in Adelaide, Australia (2021) and the 37th International Symposium on Combustion in Dublin, Ireland (2018). He currently serves as Co-Chairperson of the Scientific Commission of the International Confederation for Energy, Combustion, and Hazards Committee, contributing to international efforts to foster collaboration and advance research in combustion, energy, and hazard-related sciences.

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Research Vision

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At the core of Dr Singh’s research is a commitment to understanding the fundamental physics and chemistry of combustion and reacting flows and translating that knowledge into transformative engineering technologies. His research seeks to address some of the most demanding challenges in high-speed propulsion, energy conversion, sustainable energy, and fire safety, while fostering an environment in which curiosity, rigorous scientific thinking, and innovation can thrive.

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Through his research, teaching, mentorship, and international professional engagement, Dr Singh continues to advance combustion and propulsion science and develop technologies that will shape the future of aerospace propulsion, energy, and fire safety.