Established in 1961 as College of Engineering, granted IIT status in 1963. IIT Delhi is a public technical and research university located in Hauz Khas, New Delhi, recognized as an Institute of National Importance. It is a leading institution for engineering, science, and technology.
The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, IIT Delhi, is a public technical university in the Hauz Khas district of south Delhi. It began in 1961 as the College of Engineering and Technology and received the status of an Indian Institute of Technology under a national law in 1963. It has about 11,000 students, around a thousand faculty and staff members, and about 70,000 graduates. The campus lies close to the Qutub Minar and the Hauz Khas village, in the middle of the capital.
The institute teaches engineering, science, management, design and public policy. Computer science, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering and chemical engineering are the leading departments, and the Kusuma School of Biological Sciences links engineering and life sciences. Research is strong in artificial intelligence, energy, textiles, materials and communications. A national centre for technology transfer, the Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer, helps researchers to turn work into products.
Many graduates have become founders and executives. Vinod Khosla, a co-founder of Sun Microsystems, and Raghuram Rajan, a former governor of the Reserve Bank of India, studied at the institute. Large numbers of graduates work for technology firms, consulting companies and research laboratories, and many continue to graduate schools in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Admission to the bachelor’s programmes is through the national Joint Entrance Examination, JEE Main followed by JEE Advanced, with seats allocated by the JoSAA process. Master’s degrees use the GATE exam, and doctoral programmes recruit by interview. International students may apply under the DASA scheme or through ICCR scholarships. Fees are set by the institute and the government, so check the current tariff.
Teaching is in English, and most students live in hostels on campus. Delhi has a large metro network, and the institute has its own metro station nearby, which makes the city easy to reach.
Domains taught:
AI and Machine Learning, Electrical and Electronics, Engineering, Materials, Mechanical Engineering, Software Engineering, Telecommunications
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Numerous MoUs with international universities for joint research and student/faculty exchange. Strong industry collaborations with companies like Intel, Microsoft, and various PSUs for research and development.
Research:
Pioneering research in areas such as computer science (AI, cybersecurity), electrical engineering (VLSI, communications), renewable energy, biomedical engineering, and textile technology.
Top-tier engineering and technology institute in India, strong research culture, excellent faculty, located in the national capital providing industry and government access.
Cons
Extremely competitive admissions, high academic pressure, urban campus with some space limitations.
Best For
Students aiming for a premier engineering or technology education with strong research emphasis and access to opportunities in the national capital region.
Where this school leans on mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics and materials, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur does the same, and it is slightly smaller, at about 8,000 students against roughly 11,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Anyone who wants a second school in the same country with a similar spread of materials, AI and machine learning and software engineering can consider Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and it covers nanotechnologies and bioengineering as well, and has almost the same size, at about 12,000 students.
Think of Indian Institute of Technology Patna when telecommunications, mechanical engineering and electrical and electronics is the priority: it is also a public institution and does not run the mba programmes found here.
Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur takes a similar route through materials, AI and machine learning and software engineering, 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 Madras shares the core fields of this institution, namely materials, AI and machine learning and software engineering; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers marine science and robotics as well.
A foreign alternative with a similar emphasis on telecommunications, electrical and electronics and materials is University of Macau in Macau, and it is slightly larger, at about 15,000 students against roughly 11,000 here, and is also a public institution.
For mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics and materials outside the home country, Polytechnique Montréal in Canada is a natural reference; it covers aerospace as well, and is slightly smaller, at about 9,500 students against roughly 11,000 here.
The closest overseas parallel on mechanical engineering, electrical and electronics and materials is Odesa National Polytechnic University, located in Ukraine; it is slightly larger, at about 15,000 students against roughly 11,000 here, and is also a public institution.
Seen from abroad, University of Oulu (Finland) is a close relative on subject matter, since telecommunications, materials and AI and machine learning are central to both, and it is also a public institution and does not run the mba programmes found here.
*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 Delhi?
In Hauz Khas, south Delhi, India.
When was it founded?
In 1961 as a college of engineering, and it became an IIT in 1963.
How large is it?
About 11,000 students and around a thousand faculty and staff members.
What is IIT Delhi best known for?
Engineering, artificial intelligence, energy, textiles and materials research.
Who are famous alumni?
Vinod Khosla and Raghuram Rajan studied there.
How do you enter the bachelor's programmes?
Through JEE Main and JEE Advanced, with seats allocated by the JoSAA process.
How do you enter the master's programmes?
Through the GATE exam, while doctoral programmes recruit by interview.
Can international students apply?
Yes, under the DASA scheme or through ICCR scholarships.
What is the language of teaching?
English.
What does it cost?
Fees are set by the institute and the government. Check the current tariff.
*: 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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