The centre, which will be located in Sector 62 of Noida covering five acres, has got the clearance of the Union Human Resource Development Ministry. It is estimated to cost Rs 40 crore on completion.
IIT-K authorities are planning to make the centre fully operational by 2009-10, when the institute will observe its golden jubilee.
"IIT Kanpur was contemplating for a long time to open an extension centre near Delhi and a proposal for the same has been sent to the Union HRD Ministry," Registrar Sanjeev Kashalkar said.
Kashalkar said once the institution gets the green signal from the HRD Ministry, construction of the centre will commence from January 2009 with an initial investment of Rs 20 crore.
The extension centre will have facilities for distance education, he added.