Indian Institutes of Technology - History

India in the late 1940s, having just won independence through a non-violent and grass roots movement, was building a democratic nation that would provide all its citizens with the equal opportunities.

In 1946, a committee was setup to explore setting up technical institutes of higher education for post-war industrial development of India and based on recommendation of the Sarkar Committee, the first Indian Institute of Technology was born in May 1950 in Kharagpur, West Bengal at the site of Hijli Detention camp. Four other campuses were subsequently founded at Bombay (1958), Madras (1959), Kanpur (1960) and Delhi (1961). In 1995, a sixth campus at Guwahati was added and most recently in 2001, a seventh campus was established by upgrading Roorkee University, one of India's oldest engineering institutions, into an IIT.

Today, IIT offers undergraduate, integrated postgraduate and postgraduate degrees in over 25 different engineering, technology and business/management disciplines.

Alumni from the IITs have made a significant impact in their chosen professions not only in India but also in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. IIT Alumni occupy positions of leadership at top universities, at leading research institutions, at small and large companies, in government, and at non-profits.

Each of the IITs maintain their own websites and each IIT also has their own Alumni Association, see links below. The pan-IIT alumni organization provides scale and services to alumni worldwide and serves as a focal point to disseminate information about IIT Alumni.

For all matters concerning a particular IIT, use the website links below. (Note that even though Bombay is now know as Mumbai, the name IIT Bombay remains unchanged and likewise although Madras is known as Chennai, the name IIT Madras remains unchanged).

Note that several new IITs have been approved by the Government of India in 2008. Each of the new IIT's is being mentored by the nearest pre-existing IIT. For more click here.