Established in 1958, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay was the first technology institution set up with foreign assistance, with Unesco funds coming directly from the-then Soviet Union.
The institutes of technology were designated by parliament as ‘institutes of national importance' in 1961 and have since grown in reputation, with IIT Bombay now regarded as one of the top technical universities in the world.
Recognised worldwide as a leader in the field of engineering education and research, the IITB is known for the outstanding calibre of students and has graduated more than 42,000 of India’s top engineers and scientists over the past five decades. As such, the institute is able to attract the very best students from the country for its bachelor's, master's and doctoral programmes, as well as recruit internationally respected faculty.
Among its noted staff members include theoretical physicist Dipan Ghosh, computer scientist NK Naik and mathematician Manohar Vartak.
IIT Bombay has also built links with peer universities and institutes, both at the national and the international levels, to enhance research and enrich its educational programmes, while the institute also offers many innovative short-term courses through continuing education and distance education programmes.
Located in Powai, one of the northern suburbs of Mumbai, the residents of the institute are close to the busy financial capital of India, but the institution’s campus known for its natural beauty, as well as its proximity to the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, with leopards, panthers and other wild animals occasionally straying onto university grounds.
A fully residential institute, all its students are accommodated in its 15 hostels with in-house dining; the campus also provides excellent sports and other recreational facilities.
The institute’s annual arts, science and cultural festivals are also highly esteemed, with the annual science & technology festival, Techfest, started in 1998, now Asia's largest science and tech festival.
The annual cultural festival Mood Indigo, also held in the month of December, is the Asia's largest college cultural festival, drawing influential speakers from all walks of life.
