Address: Main Gate Road, IIT Area, Powai, 400076 Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Engineering, Computer Science, Management
Established in 1958, IIT Bombay is a public technical and research university located in Powai, Mumbai. It is recognized as an Institute of National Importance and is renowned for its engineering, science, and technology programs.
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, IIT Bombay, is a public technical university in Powai, in the north-east of Mumbai. It was set up in 1958 with assistance from the Soviet Union through UNESCO, and it became one of the most selective engineering schools in India. The institute has about 12,000 students, more than a thousand faculty and staff members, and about 80,000 graduates. The campus covers over 500 acres along Powai Lake, with forest, residential blocks and a large sports complex.
Engineering departments include computer science, electrical, mechanical, civil, chemical, aerospace and metallurgical engineering, alongside departments for physics, chemistry, mathematics and earth sciences. Separate schools cover management, design and public policy. The Industrial Design Centre is among the best-known design schools in the country, and the Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management trains managers with a technology background. The institute also runs a joint research academy with Monash University in Australia.
Research is strong in energy, electronics, materials, data science, aerospace and biotechnology. Start-ups come out of the incubator SINE, which has supported hundreds of companies. Graduates have founded or led major firms in India and abroad, and Nandan Nilekani, co-founder of Infosys, is one of its alumni. A large number of graduates take positions in software, finance, consulting and research.
Admission to the bachelor’s programmes is through the national Joint Entrance Examination, JEE Main followed by JEE Advanced, with places allocated by the JoSAA counselling process. Master’s degrees use the GATE exam, and doctoral programmes recruit by interview. International students can apply under the DASA scheme or through scholarship routes such as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations. Tuition is set by the institute and the government, so check the current tariff.
Teaching is in English. Mumbai is an expensive city, but hostel places are provided for most students on campus, which keeps living costs lower.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Bioengineering, Engineering, Materials, Nanotechnologies, Robotics, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Extensive collaborations with international universities for research and exchange programs (e.g., with MIT, Stanford). Strong industry partnerships (e.g., Tata Steel, Siemens, Samsung) for sponsored research and consultancy.
Research:
Leading research in areas such as nanotechnology, renewable energy, biomedical engineering, artificial intelligence, and materials science. Significant contributions to national technology development.
Famous Alumnis:
Nandan Nilekani, Sundar Pichai (attended briefly, then IIT KGP for B.Tech), Jairam Ramesh, Manohar Parrikar, Raghuram Rajan
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
1200
Current students***:
12000
Foreign students***:
1%
Cumulative former students***:
80000
Pros
Premier engineering and technology institute in India, strong research focus, excellent faculty and infrastructure, vibrant campus life, high graduate employability.
Cons
Highly competitive admissions, demanding academic rigor, urban campus with space constraints, high cost of living in Mumbai for off-campus students.
Best For
Students seeking a world-class education in engineering, technology, or design, with strong research opportunities and excellent career prospects in India and globally.
A good alternative in the same country is Indian Institute of Technology Madras, which likewise covers robotics, materials and AI and machine learning; it is slightly smaller, at about 10,000 students against roughly 12,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Another national school that puts materials, AI and machine learning and software engineering at the centre is Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur follows much the same lines as this school, with materials, AI and machine learning and software engineering as common ground, and it covers agriculture and food science as well, and has almost the same size, at about 13,000 students.
National Institute of Technology Rourkela offers a comparable education in robotics, materials and AI and machine learning: it covers geotechnics and industrial design as well, and is smaller, enrolling about 7,000 students against roughly 12,000 here.
In terms of fields, Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati is the nearest neighbour, with nanotechnologies, bioengineering and AI and machine learning again at the core; it does not run the mba programmes found here and covers industrial design and life sciences as well.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
The closest overseas parallel on nanotechnologies, materials and AI and machine learning is Aalto University, located in Finland; it has almost the same size, at about 12,000 students, and is also a public institution.
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in South Korea pursues a similar profile in robotics, AI and machine learning and software engineering, and it has almost the same size, at about 12,348 students, and is also a public institution.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology offers an international parallel to this institution, with robotics, materials and AI and machine learning as common ground; it is private, whereas this institution is public, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
If this institution is on your list for nanotechnologies, robotics and materials, Southern Federal University in Russia deserves a comparison, because it covers ecology and sustainability as well, and is larger, enrolling about 25,000 students against roughly 12,000 here.
Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, in China, takes a similar route through robotics, AI and machine learning and software engineering; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers finance and electrical and electronics as well.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is IIT Bombay?
In Powai, Mumbai, in the state of Maharashtra, India.
When was it founded?
In 1958, with assistance from the Soviet Union through UNESCO.
How large is it?
About 12,000 students and over a thousand faculty and staff members, with about 80,000 graduates.
What is IIT Bombay best known for?
Engineering, computer science, design, physics, chemistry and entrepreneurship.
How do you enter the bachelor's programmes?
Through JEE Main and JEE Advanced, with places allocated by the JoSAA counselling process.
How do you enter master's and doctoral programmes?
Master's degrees use the GATE exam, and doctoral programmes recruit by interview.
Can international students apply?
Yes, under the DASA scheme or through scholarship routes such as the Indian Council for Cultural Relations.
What is the language of teaching?
English.
What does it cost?
Tuition is set by the institute and the government. Check the current tariff and scholarship options.
Do students live on campus?
Yes. Hostel places are provided for most students.
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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