The full form of IIT is Indian Institute of Technology (इंडियन इंस्टीट्यूट ऑफ टेक्नोलॉजी). They are autonomous institutes declared the Institutions of National Importance under Institutes of Technology Act 1961. IIT colleges provide various technical engineering courses for graduation, masters and phd as well. In order to enroll or take admission in IIT colleges, you must have studied science streams such as Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in class 12th and must have qualified the entrance exam of JEE Mains and JEE Advanced. For a graduate science course, you must have an undergraduate degree and IIT JAM qualification. The specific marks, subjects and other desirable requirements may vary by various IITs and their programmes. For pursuing a postgraduate engineering course, you must have completed the undergraduate degree and need a valid GATE score.
Top 5 Engineering Branches in 2026
| S.No. | Engineering branch | Career scope in India | Average annual package in India |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) |
|
Rs. 9 to 14 lakh |
| 2 | Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Data Science |
|
Rs. 8 to 13 lakh |
| 3 | Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE) |
|
Rs. 6 to 9 lakh |
| 4 | Electrical and Electronics Engineering (EEE) |
|
Rs. 5.5 to 8 lakh |
| 5 | Mechanical Engineering |
|
Rs. 5 to 9 lakh |
How many IITs are there in India?
There are a total of 23 Indian Institutes of Technology in India. The list of all the IITs are mentioned below with their states and the foundation year.
| S.No. | Indian Institutes of Technology | Location in India | Foundation Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IIT Kharagpur | Kharagpur, West Bengal | 1951 |
| 2 | IIT Bombay | Mumbai, Maharashtra | 1958 |
| 3 | IIT Madras | Chennai, Tamil Nadu | 1959 |
| 4 | IIT Kanpur | Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh | 1959 |
| 5 | IIT Delhi | New Delhi, Delhi | 1961 |
| 6 | IIT Guwahati | Guwahati, Assam | 1994 |
| 7 | IIT Roorkee | Roorkee, Uttarakhand |
|
| 8 | IIT Hyderabad | Hyderabad, Telangana | 2008 |
| 9 | IIT Patna | Patna, Bihar | 2008 |
| 10 | IIT Bhubaneswar | Bhubaneswar, Odisha | 2008 |
| 11 | IIT Ropar | Rupnagar, Punjab | 2008 |
| 12 | IIT Jodhpur | Jodhpur, Rajasthan | 2008 |
| 13 | IIT Gandhinagar | Gandhinagar, Gujarat | 2008 |
| 14 | IIT Indore | Indore, Madhya Pradesh | 2009 |
| 15 | IIT Mandi | Mandi, Himachal Pradesh | 2009 |
| 16 | IIT (BHU) Varanasi | Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh |
|
| 17 | IIT Tirupati | Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh | 2015 |
| 18 | IIT Palakkad | Palakkad, Kerala | 2015 |
| 19 | IIT Goa | Ponda, Goa | 2016 |
| 20 | IIT Jammu | Jammu, Jammu and Kashmir | 2016 |
| 21 | IIT Dharwad | Dharwad, Karnataka | 2016 |
| 22 | IIT Bhilai | Bhilai, Chhattisgarh | 2016 |
| 23 | IIT (ISM) Dhanbad | Dhanbad, Jharkhand |
|
Founder of Indian Institute of Technology
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) has no single or individual founder. The idea of a world level higher institution emerged from the recommendations of the Sarkar Committee also known as the Committee for the Development of Higher Technological Institutions. The Indian government in 1945 appointed the committee under the chairmanship of Nalini Ranjan Sarkar. It examined the need for advanced technical institutions which can support industrial development. Sir Ardeshir Dalal also promoted the idea of forming higher technical institutes in India.
As a result, the first IIT was established at Kharagpur in West Bengal in 1951. Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru inaugurated the institute and described it as a symbol of Indian future. IIT Kaharagpur was initially formed as the higher technical institute and after sometime, it became an IIT.
IIT Organisational Structure
- The Indian Institute of Technology is an autonomous institution which is governed under the Indian Institute of Technology act, 1961. The President of India is the visitor of all the IITs. The Council of IITs is chaired by the Union Minister of Education. The council advises and promotes coordination in the matters of academic, administrative and research.
- The Board of Governors is the main governing body at the international level. The board supervises the administration, policy approval, finance management, and institutional development. The Senate handles the academic responsibilities including exams, research standard, curriculum, and degree awards. The Director is the chief executive and academic officer of an IIT in India.
- The deputy director, dean and heads of all departments (HODs) provide their full support to the Director. The dean primarily supervises academic programmes, student affairs, research, faculty matters, planning and resource management. The departments in an IIT include professors, associate and assistant professors, visiting faculty, researchers and other technical staff. An IIT campus also includes infrastructure required in the college such as administrative offices, laboratories, seminar halls, hostels, libraries, among others.
National Rankings of IITs (2021 to 2025)
| S.No. | IIT | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IIT Madras | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | IIT Delhi | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | IIT Bombay | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 4 | IIT Kanpur | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| 5 | IIT Kharagpur | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| 6 | IIT Roorkee | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 |
| 7 | IIT Guwahati | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| 8 | IIT Hyderabad | 7 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 |
| 9 | IIT (BHU) Varanasi | 10 | 10 | 15 | 13 | 13 |
| 10 | IIT Indore | 15 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 10 |
| 11 | IIT Gandhinagar | 16 | 18 | 18 | 23 | 35 |
| 12 | IIT Ropar | 19 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 19 |
| 13 | IIT Jodhpur | 25 | 28 | 30 | 30 | - |
| 14 | IIT Patna | 19 | 34 | 41 | 33 | 54 |
| 15 | IIT Bhubaneswar | 39 | 54 | 47 | 36 | 56 |
| 16 | IIT Mandi | 26 | 31 | 33 | 20 | 41 |
FAQs about IIT
What is the full form of IIT?
The IIT full form is Indian Institute of Technology.
How many IIT are there in India?
Presently, there are 23 Indian Institutes of Technology in India.
What is IIT JAM?
IIT JAM is the Joint Admission Test for admission in master courses in science programmes in IITs.
Which was the first IIT in India?
IIT Kharagpur was the
What courses are offered by IITs?
IITs offer courses such as undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral programs in various disciplines like engineering, technology, science, design, architecture, and management.
Which entrance exams are conducted by IIT?
It conducts important entrance exams in India such as JEE Advanced, GATE and IIT JAM.


