With the JoSAA counselling process gets underway, IIT Madras has invited JEE-qualified candidates and their parents to participate in a series of 'Demo Day' events designed to offer a closer look at life and academics at the institute.
The events will be conducted in both physical and online modes, allowing aspirants to interact directly with current students, faculty members, and alumni. Physical sessions are scheduled to be held in Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Jaipur, Vijayawada, Hyderabad, and on the IIT Madras campus in Chennai.
According to IIT Madras, the initiative aims to provide prospective students with authentic and up-to-date information before they make crucial admission decisions during the counselling process. Interested candidates can register through the AskIITM platform, which has been running similar outreach programmes for the past four years
This year's sessions will also provide information on newly introduced academic programmes. IIT Madras has recently launched BTech programmes in Computational Engineering and Mechanics (CEM) and Instrumentation and Biomedical Engineering (iBME), in addition to the BTech programme in AI and Data Analytics introduced earlier.
Students who are unable to attend the physical events can participate in an online interaction session, where institute leadership, faculty members, and alumni will address questions related to academics, campus life, placements, research opportunities, and student experiences.
Highlighting the purpose of the initiative, IIT Madras Director Prof V Kamakoti said the institute wanted aspirants and parents to experience the campus and understand its academic ecosystem, research facilities, innovation culture, and entrepreneurship opportunities. The institute said it incubated 104 startups during the last financial year and filed 417 patents during 2024-25.
Apart from showcasing academic opportunities, IIT Madras is also highlighting recent changes introduced for undergraduate students. These include greater academic flexibility through elective courses, reduced graduation credit requirements, entrepreneurship-focused learning opportunities, and initiatives aimed at improving student work-life balance.
The institute has also expanded admission pathways in recent years. It introduced the Sports Excellence Admission category in 2024-25 and the Fine Arts and Culture Excellence admission category for the 2025-26 academic year, with dedicated seats available across undergraduate programmes.
In addition, IIT Madras said financial support mechanisms continue to be available for students from economically weaker backgrounds through scholarships and institutional aid programmes.
The outreach initiative comes at a time when thousands of JEE-qualified students are preparing to fill their college and branch preferences through the ongoing counselling process, making institutional engagement efforts increasingly important in helping candidates make informed choices.