Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras

About

Indian Institute of Technology Madras, one of the foremost institutes of national importance in higher technological education, basic and applied research, is an autonomous statutory organization functioning within the Institute of Technology Act. It was the dawn of a new era  in 1956, when Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister of India, was on an official visit to West Germany and was offered assistance by the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, to set up a higher technological institute in India. This resulted in the signing of the first Indo-German Agreement in Bonn in 1959, for the establishment of an Indian Institute of Technology at Madras. The first Indo-German Agreement provided for the services of German professors and 5 foremen, training facilities for 20 Indian faculty members and the supply of scientific and technical equipment for the establishment of the Central Workshop and 20 laboratories at IIT Madras.

In 1959, the Institute was formally inaugurated by Prof. Humayun Kabir, Union Minister for Scientific and Cultural Affairs. Dr. A. Lakshmanaswamy assumed office as the first Chairman of the Board of Governors and Dr. B.Sengupto as the first Director of the Institute. In 1961, the Institute was declared as an 'Institute of National Importance' by the Parliament of India.The visit of Dr. Heinrich Lubke, President of the Federal Republic of Germany, in 1962 marked the beginning of the Indo-German Technical Assistance Program. In 1973, Shri C.Subramaniam, Minister for Industrial Development and Minister for Science and Technology, inaugurated the Industrial Consultancy Centre. The same year, the first IBM System 370 Model 155 digital computer was dedicated to the Institute.

The year 974 witnessed the commencement of the fourth Indo-German Agreement. It aimed to set up inter-university partnerships in R&D projects, strengthen the industrial consultancy service and establish a post-graduate programme in Television Engineering. The Employees Welfare Scheme was introduced in 1975, and evening D.I.I.T courses were started for the benefit of engineers in and around the city.

In 1976, an agreement was signed with the Government of France for collaboration and assistance to the Aeronautics Department. Five years later, the fifth Indo-German agreement was signed with the continuation of inter-university projects and exchange visits, as well as the strengthening of the Micro Processor Laboratory, Low Temperature Laboratory and High Polymer Laboratory as its principal objectives. The credit system of evaluation for B.Tech. programmes was introduced in 1979.

Since 1973, the Institute, recognising world-class talent,  has conferred honorary degrees of Doctor of Science and Doctor of Technology (honoris causa) to eminent personalities like Nobel Laureate (Physics) Dr. John Bardeen (1973), former Minister for Foreign Affairs (FRG) Mr. Hans Dietrich Genscher (1973) and former Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, Dr.Raja Ramanna (1983) among others. Prominent in the academic calendar of the Institute is the Institute Convocation Day, the convocation address being delivered usually by the President, Vice-President or Prime Minister of India. President Shri Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan addressed the first convocation of the Institute. The 35th convocation address (in 1998) was delivered by the Honourable Vice-President of India, Shri Krishna Kant.

The IIT system has seven Institutes of Technology located at Kharagpur (estb. 1951), Mumbai (estb. 1958), Chennai (estb. 1959), Kanpur (estb. 1959), Delhi (estb. 1961), Guwahati (estb. 1994) and Roorkee (estb. 1847),  and became joined IITs in 2001.

IIT Madras is situated on Sardar Patel Road and is flanked by Adyar, Taramani and Velachery. The campus is opposite to the Central Leather Research Institute and Anna University. The campus is spread over 250 hectares of lush green forest, which is midway between the Chennai Airport and Central Railway station, and is well connected by buses and local trains.

IIT Madras is a residential institute, known both nationally and internationally for excellence in technical education, basic and applied research, innovation, entrepreneurship and industrial consultancy, with around 550 faculty, 8000 students and 1250 administrative & supporting staff,  It is a self-contained campus located in a beautiful wooded land of about 250 hectares.  The Institute has established itself as a premier centre for teaching, research and industrial consultancy in the country. There are sixteen academic departments and a few advanced research centres in various disciplines of engineering and pure sciences, with nearly 100 laboratories organised in a unique pattern of functioning. A bevy of Eminent faculty of international repute, a highly motivated and brilliant student community, excellent technical and supporting staff and an effective administration have all contributed to the pre-eminent status of IIT Madras. The Institute offers Undergraduate and Post - graduate programs leading to the B.Tech., M.Sc., M.B.A., M.Tech., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in a variety of specialisations.

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras, A technological enterprise at the service of the Nation,  belongs to the new-generation institutes of national importance in higher technical education. Located in South Chennai, in a beautiful campus spanning 630 acres, the Institute is nearly self-contained and houses students as well as the families of faculty and staff members. The Institute has grown from strength to strength ever since it obtained its charter from the Parliament of India in 1961, and has since established itself as a premier centre of research, consultancy and technological development.

IIT Madras has been the top-ranked engineering institute in India for four consecutive years as well as the ‘Best Educational Institution’ in Overall Category in the NIRF Rankings of 2019 put out by the Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Any visitor to IIT Madras who spends a few minutes in the campus will find themselves in the midst of conversations that are happening in a different tongue. This is its very own Insti lingo – the IIT Madras lingo – which include words that extend beyond the realm of the bulkiest Oxford Dictionaries or the most exhaustive Websters.  Over the years, the students have developed their own indigenous vocabulary that symbolises the two traits of an IITian that distinguish him from the average guy next door—creativity and brevity.  The Institute is proud to bear the laureate of being No.1 Engineering University in India. More recently, IIT Madras has been given the title of Institute of Eminence.

 Some Highlights of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Why Choose IIT Madras?

1. Top-Ranked Institute

• Consistently ranked #1 in NIRF (National Institutional Ranking Framework) among Indian engineering institutions.

2. World-Class Academics

• Offers B.Tech., Dual Degree, M.Tech., M.Sc., MBA, Ph.D. across engineering, sciences, humanities, and management.

• Flexible interdisciplinary curriculum with Choice-Based Credit System.

3. Research & Innovation Hub

• Home to cutting-edge R&D centers in Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, Nanotechnology, Clean Energy, Materials, and Biotechnology.

• Strong focus on patents, publications, and technology development.

4. Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

• IITM Research Park and Incubation Cell support start-ups and industry collaborations.

• Students get exposure to innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship.

1. Global Recognition & Collaborations

   • Partnerships with leading universities and industries worldwide for student exchange, joint research, and internships.

2. Placement & Career Opportunities

   • Among the best placement records in India with offers from top companies (Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Intel, Tata, Infosys, etc.).

   • Excellent opportunities in higher studies abroad.

3. World-Class Campus & Facilities

   • 620-acre green campus with high-tech labs, hostels, sports complexes, libraries, and eco-friendly infrastructure.

   • Known for its deer park, lakes, and rich biodiversity.

4. Vibrant Student Life

   • Cultural, technical, and sports fests like Saarang and Shaastra are among the largest in Asia.

   • Student clubs for coding, robotics, drama, music, dance, entrepreneurship, and social service.

5. Financial Support & Scholarships

   • Government and institute-level scholarships for meritorious, economically weaker, and reserved category students.

6. Alumni Network

   • A strong global alumni base excelling in academia, industry, research, entrepreneurship, and public service.

Vision & Mission of Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

Vision

“To be recognized as India’s best-in-class business school in emerging knowledge domains of management, with expanding global reach through effective engagement with academia, industry, government, and other relevant stakeholders.”

Mission

•  We support the foundational and life-long learning needs of all our stakeholders in functional and leadership roles.
  
•  We develop differentiated talent-nurturing programs by integrating frontier management research with management theory and business practices.
  
•  We proactively participate in strategic initiatives leading to new venture creation, performance excellence, and global engagement.
  
•  We foster entrepreneurial thinking with environmental empathy, social responsibility, and corporate governance.

Admission Procedure

IIT Madras admissions are offered to the courses. Students can pursue both offline and online degree courses from IIT Madras in several disciplines. Students have to fulfil the basic eligibility criteria to apply for IIT Madras admission. For admission to the B.Tech course, students have to qualify the JEE Advanced exam followed by a counselling process. For the M.Tech course, students have to appear and qualify the GATE examination. Students willing to apply for the IIT Madras online degree programme, can visit the official website and fill the application form. 

Admission Criteria

IIT Madras B.Tech Admission 2026

IITM offers admission to 4-year full time B.Tech courses under 11 specializations. IIT Madras Admission to B.Tech courses is offered on the basis of JEE Advanced rank/score and JoSAA Counselling.

IIT Madras B.Tech Eligibility & Selection Criteria

Candidates seeking admission to B.Tech courses must have passed 10+2 in the science stream with 75% marks. Selection of the candidates will be based on a valid score/rank in JEE Advanced and their performance in JoSAA Counselling.

IIT Madras M.Tech Admission 2026

IIT Madras offers admission to 2-year full time M.Tech courses under 11 specializations such as:

• Aerospace Engineering
  
• Electrical Engineering
  
• Chemical Engineering
  
• Civil Engineering
  
• Bioprocess Engineering
  
• Biomedical Engineering
  
• Computer Science and Engineering
  
• Data Science and Artificial Intelligence
  
• Industrial Mathematics and Scientific Computing
  
• Mechanical Engineering
  
• Metallurgical and Materials Engineering
  
• IIT Madras M.Tech Eligibility & Selection Criteria
  

Candidates seeking admission to M.Tech courses must have a degree in BE/B.Tech/BS/B.Arch in the relevant discipline with 60% marks. Selection of the candidates will be based on a valid score/rank in GATE and their performance in COAP Counselling.

IIT Madras Dual Courses Admission 2026

IITM offers admission to 5-year full time dual course B.Tech + M.Tech and 4-year full time dual course BS + MS. B.Tech + M.Tech is offered in Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Design. BS + MS is offered in Biological Sciences and Physics.

IIT Madras PhD Admission 2026

IIT Madras offers admission PhD under Engineering, Science, Humanities, and Management departments in 32 subjects. IIT Madras Admission to PhD courses is based on a valid score in GATE / UGC-NET JRF / CSIR-JRF / DAE-JEST.

IIT Madras PhD Eligibility & Selection Criteria

Candidates seeking admission to PhD courses must have a Master’s degree in the relevant discipline. Selection of the candidates will be on the basis of GATE / UGC-NET JRF / CSIR-JRF / DAE-JEST and their performance in the Personal Interview.

Placement

IIT Madras graduates outstanding students at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels every year. Our alumni have a proven track record of professional success, and we expect to keep this going with the 2025-2026 batch. Our students are well trained on fundamental concepts and engineering applications by top-notch faculty and staff. In addition to the well-established academic programmes, IIT Madras has started novel Interdisciplinary Dual Degree Programmes in domains such as Advanced Materials and Nano Technology, Biomedical Engineering, Data Science, Energy Systems, Robotics and TechMBA. This would ensure that IIT Madras graduates well-trained manpower in both traditional academic disciplines and upcoming new ones. The Placement office at IIT Madras serves as a link between two important stakeholders: our students and you, our valued recruiter. On behalf of the IIT Madras Placement team, I invite you to the 2025-2026 placement process and look forward to working with you in enabling you to hire the best talent for your organization. My best wishes to you and the students for a successful placement process.

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras is one of the most reputed institutes for technological education and research in India. Known for its strong relations with the industry, the Institute has always been a favourite destination of recruitment for many firms.

The Placement and Internship Office is the nodal point of contact for companies seeking to establish a fruitful relationship with IIT Madras. As our logo says, "Siddhirbhavati Karmaja" - Success comes through hard work.

Placement and Internships are the most important festivals of IIT Madras. There are great expectations from recruiters, parents, and students. I am sure the students would be very excited and surely dream of being hired by the absolute best in the country and the world. IIT Madras has been blessed to always have support from the corporate world and their interest in both hiring our students and many other collaborations. I am confident that our placements and internships will be lucrative and fulfilling for both recruiters and students. Wishing my best to all of you who are appearing for and recruiting through IIT Madras placement and internships! We remain thankful to our esteemed recruiters and cherish the continuing association and welcome the new recruiters into our fold.

Scholarship

Indian Institute of Technology Madras provides more than  25 scholarships which are based on the financial situation of the students or their academic performances. Students who want to avail of the scholarship benefits and are eligible can download the respective application forms through the official website of IIT Madras and submit the same to the academic section. Below table shows the top scholarships offered by IIT Madras:

Other IIT Madras scholarships including the scholarships offered by the government/ organisations are mentioned below. Students are eligible to apply for any one of the following:

• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment
• Ministry of Tribal Affairs
• Ministry of Minority Affairs
• MHRD scholarship for single girl child
• Pratibha Scholarship of Govt. of Andhra Pradesh
• Aditya Birla Scholarship
• Inlakhs Scholarship
• OPJEMS

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras

The Central Library provides information services and access to bibliographic as well as full-text digital and printed resources to support the scholarly and informational needs of the Institute community.

Well-equipped with modern facilities, the five-storey airconditioned and WiFi enabled facility contains a myriad of resources including CD- ROMs, online databases, audio-video cassettes, books, e-journals, patents, e-standards, theses, reports, monographs, full-text and bibliographical databases among others. The library is divided into different sections - Textbook/Reference, General Stacks, Reading Halls, Journals and Current Periodicals, Media Research Centre (which regularly screens educational and scientific videos), a Book Bank, among many others.

Security is paramount for an institution located in a metropolis, in a sprawling campus which also happens to be a reserve forest. With this in mind, IIT Madras has developed an efficient security system. The Security Wing of the Institute has laid down a set of rules and regulations all residents and visitors on campus have to adhere to. The Security Wing is headed by the Chief Security Officer and has a duty room functioning round-the-clock to prevent any breach of security.

There are three temples on campus. The Shree Durga Peeli Amman Temple on Delhi Avenue is the site of processions during Navratri. The Jalakandeswarar Temple near the Adyar Gate hosts Mahashivaratri and other festivals, as well as occasional classical artiste performances. The Vinayagar Temple behind Taramani Guest House is the site of Ganesh Chaturthi and Saraswati Pooja celebrations.Excellent facilities including an Olympic-standard swimming pool, a well-equipped gymnasium, the impressive IIT-Chemplast cricket ground, a vast stadium and a high-tech wood-floored multipurpose indoor stadium are available in the Students' Activities' Center.s

Transport

IT is around 12 km from Chennai Central Railway Station. Important Landmarks are landmarks include the Guindy Snake Park near the IIT main gate and the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) campus opposite the IIT campus. If you have luggage, an auto-rickshaw or taxi would it would be the most comfortable option. The fare will be about Rs. 120 for an auto-rickshaw and Rs. 250 for a taxi. If you arrive at Egmore Station, you could take buses to IIT, Gandhi Mandapam or Adyar from where there are number of buses to the IIT. Current auto- rickshaw and taxi fares from Egmore are approximately Rs.100 and Rs.200 respectively.

The Institute operates buses and mini autos connecting the main gate to different parts of the campus, including the Hostel and Academic zones at frequent intervals. Students are encouraged to traverse the vast campus on bicycles or on foot. Use of powered vehicles by students is not permitted.