IIT Madras has always been at the forefront of education and research in India. As India's NIRF #1 institute for ten consecutive years in Engineering, it has continued to evolve — launching new programs, new admission pathways, and new institutional structures to keep pace with where technology and society are headed. Here is a roundup of the major initiatives from 2024 through 2026.
New Programs on the JoSAA Portal
From 2025-26, two new B. Tech programs have been added through the Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering, both available via JEE Advanced and JoSAA counselling:
B.Tech in Computational Engineering and Mechanics (CEM) — bridges traditional engineering with modern computational methods, AI, and data science. Graduates are positioned for roles in aerospace, robotics, and sustainable energy.
B.Tech in Instrumentation and Biomedical Engineering (iBME) — an interdisciplinary program integrating biomedical, electrical, and instrumentation engineering, aimed at developing next-generation medical devices and healthcare technologies.
Both programs also offer an upgrade path to a five-year dual degree through Interdisciplinary Dual Degree (IDDD) programs coordinated by the same department.
New Programs Outside JoSAA
Beyond JEE, IITM has launched programs through other entry routes:
B.S. in Chemistry (from 2025-26) — a 4-year undergraduate program with an upgrade option to M.S. in Chemistry. Admission is through the IISER Aptitude Test. Students can pair it with a minor degree in Data Science or allied fields and pursue project work across engineering departments.
M.Tech in Electric Vehicles (from 2025-26) — a postgraduate program preparing engineers for the rapidly growing EV sector, covering 2-wheelers, 3-wheelers, and commercial vehicles. Admission is through GATE.
Three New Admission Pathways — Beyond JEE
Perhaps the most transformative set of changes is the introduction of three entirely new admission modes for undergraduate programs, all independent of JEE Advanced:
Sports Excellence Admission (SEA) — introduced in 2024-25, recognising students who have excelled at the national or international level in sports. Two supernumerary seats per program are allotted, of which one is exclusively for female candidates. Shiksha
Fine Arts and Culture Excellence (FACE) — introduced in 2025-26, for students who have demonstrated exceptional achievements in fine arts and cultural fields. Applications are managed through a dedicated portal separate from JoSAA.
Science Olympiad Excellence (ScOpE) — launched in March 2025, for students who excel in national and international Olympiads in Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Informatics, and Biology. Admission is based on the ScOpE Rank List (SRL) and does not require clearing JEE Advanced. Two supernumerary seats per program, one reserved for women.
IIT Madras is the first institute in the country to offer all three of these excellence-based admission categories, making it the most diverse entry point among IITs.
New Schools and Institutional Structures
Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI (WSAI) / AIDA — launched in 2023-24, now fully operational with its first batch completing their second year. The school offers a B.Tech in Artificial Intelligence, with a curriculum integrating mathematics, computing, and domain applications.
School of Sustainability — launched in October 2023, anchoring IIT Madras's research in climate, energy, and environmental systems. This school contributed directly to IITM's #1 ranking in the brand-new Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) category in NIRF 2025.
School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship — launched in August 2025 to create a world-class ecosystem for deep-tech startups, with the objective of putting IIT Madras on the global map of entrepreneurial universities. This comes on the back of IITM incubating more than 100 startups in 2024-25 — the first time in the institute's history — and filing 417 patents in the same year.
Opening Up the Campus
The Institute Open House has become an annual flagship outreach initiative under the "Anaivarukkum IITM" (IIT Madras for All) banner. The 2026 edition featured around 80 exhibition stalls with student and faculty-led research, live demonstrations, and access to over 100 laboratories, including 4 National Research Centres and 15 Centres of Excellence. Over 35,000 visitors attended the 2025 edition, with participants from more than 250 cities across India.
Industry and Research Momentum
Industry funding for research at IIT Madras has grown significantly, reaching ₹966 crore in 2025-26, up from 501 industry-funded projects in 2015-16 to 982 in the current financial year. The institute also hosted a Technology Summit in Delhi in May 2026, bringing together industry, government, and academia under the theme "From IITM. For Bharat. Building Together." Top Universities
IIT Madras continues to be an institution in motion — not content with its rankings alone, but actively reshaping what an IIT can look like for the next generation of students.
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