About AskIITM
A resource for JEE students and parents who want real, unfiltered answers about IIT Madras — not brochure copy.
What is AskIITM
From the outside, IIT Madras feels like a towering institute, locked inside a forest. But in real, it's a friendly place and people are always willing to help.
Having said that, there is a lot to understand about IIT Madras — the academic system, electives, minors, IDDDs, dual, internships, placements, semex, Shaastra, Saarang, tech-soc, etc, etc. Even the time-table seems different!
AskIITM was built by IITM alumni to fix this gap between outsiders and insiders. Every question gets answered by students, alumni, or professors who actually lived it. It's also a successor to the physical counselling system that IITM ran until 2010, where students would directly guide JEE rankers through their choices. That same spirit, just rebuilt for the 2020s.
Director's Note
Before I joined IIT Madras in 1989, I had all kinds of questions. Would the institute have the focus on the field of technology I was interested in? What would campus life be like?
From 2000 to 2009, as a faculty member, I used to participate in "counselling" — where JEE students (and their parents) would come to IIT Madras to talk to faculty members. We would answer questions about academics, placements, safety, sports, food... Talking to us would calm the anxieties of students and parents about joining an IIT.
Today this opportunity does not exist — it was stopped in 2010 when the "counselling" process turned online. Aspirants go to social media to find information — but there is so much information that it is confusing. The need for a credible source of information for aspirants is very high. I am so thrilled that the passionate alumni of this great Institute are providing this via AskIITM. For me, this is a successor to the old physical counselling system.
I welcome you to AskIITM, and invite you to browse the wide selection of questions ranging from academics to hostel life. The answers are written by alumni and students who have first-hand experience. My faculty colleagues and myself will also be contributing to the answers from time to time.
If the answers on this website are able to help you take more informed and confident decisions — then I will be very happy. I am also very excited that IIT Madras is taking the lead in this experiment in transparency.
The team
AskIITM is an alumni initiative. The platform is built and maintained by IITM graduates, and questions are answered by a volunteer community of current students and recent alumni.
What students say
"AskIITM cleared all my doubts about campus life — from rules and regulations to documents needed at admission. I received very prompt responses to every question!"
"AskIITM showed me how the electives, minors, and IDDDs at IITM really make the academic journey interesting. It completely changed how I thought about choosing a branch."
"NIRF ranking, course offerings, and the fact that IITM is the best place to build — AskIITM helped me see all of this clearly before I made my choice."