"Our appeal lies in our ability to offer transformative experience": IIT Bombay Director
Every JEE Advanced topper we have spoken to in the last few years has expressed their hope of studying at IIT Bombay. What are the factors that have made IIT Bombay this coveted institution in the eyes of all stakeholders, most importantly the students?
IIT Bombay’s appeal lies in its ability to offer not just an education but a transformative experience. The one that combines world-class academics, an inspiring peer group, vibrant campus life, industry exposure and global recognition. For students, it represents the ideal platform to turn their aspirations/ dreams into reality.
Academic Excellence and Legacy: IIT Bombay’s academic rigor, globally recognised faculty and culture of innovation have made it a center of excellence in engineering and technology education. The Institute’s long-standing legacy of nurturing some of the brightest minds, who have gone on to excel in diverse fields across the globe, serves as a strongest inspiration for aspiring students.
Vibrant Campus Life: The IIT Bombay campus offers a unique blend of academic intensity and cultural vibrance. From world-class research labs facility to one of the most happening cultural festivals in the country viz. Mood Indigo and Asia’s largest college tech fest ‘Techfest’, IIT Bombay offers a holistic environment for personal, intellectual and creative growth.
Industry Connect and Exposure to Outside World: IIT Bombay’s strong network with leading industries, startups and global research institutions offer unparalleled opportunities for internships, projects and placements. The Institute’s location at the country's financial and industrial hub ‘Mumbai’ further enhances these opportunities.
Peer Group and Culture: At IIT Bombay, the students find themselves amongst equally talented and driven students, fostering healthy competition, lifelong friendships and collaborations. Hence, every JEE Advanced top ranker wants to be part of a community that challenges and inspires them.
Academic Flexibility and Innovation: IIT Bombay offers academic flexibility, encouraging students to explore interdisciplinary fields, pursue research and even incubate startups within the campus. The entrepreneurial ecosystem supported by IIT Bombay’s Desai Sethi School of Entrepreneurship, the Technology Business Incubator the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), the Translational Research Centre (TRC) and IIT Bombay Research Park (IITBRP) has produced successful startups, motivating many students to see IIT Bombay as a launching pad for their ideas.
Global Recognition: IIT Bombay is consistently ranked among the top institutions in India and the world. The brand value and alumni network of IIT Bombay open doors to opportunities across the world. This reputation attracts the best minds who aspire to study in an Institution that bears global credibility.
Along with new courses, IIT Bombay is endeavouring to bring more female faculty members on board. Reports state that the current cohort includes 125 women faculty members, the largest number across all IITs in India. Tell us about the ratio of boys to girls when it comes to students. How is IIT Bombay striving to strike a balance in this aspect?
Diversity and inclusion have been key focus areas for IIT Bombay in recent years and we are actively working toward creating a more balanced and equitable academic environment. The current student gender ratio stands at approximately 23% female students, a significant improvement compared to previous years but we realise that there is still more to be done to enhance the intake of female candidates.
Several proactive measures have been introduced to encourage and support the increase in female participation in engineering and technology fields. One of the most impactful initiatives, as per the policy introduced in 2018 across IITs, has been the introduction of supernumerary seats for female students in undergraduate programmes.
This has significantly boosted female enrollment at IIT Bombay, making the campus more diverse and inclusive. In addition, IIT Bombay regularly conducts outreach programmes such as ‘Women in STEM’ initiatives, school and junior college engagements and mentorship programmes, all to inspire and encourage young girls to consider careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
On the faculty front, IIT Bombay currently has 751 full-time faculty in addition to 8 professor-of-practice; the total includes 125 women faculty members, the highest among all IITs in India, which is a matter of pride for us. Having more female faculty members not only brings greater representation but also offers students inspiring role models, fostering an environment where young women can see themselves thriving in technical careers.
Beyond numericals, IIT Bombay is committed to fostering a safe, inclusive and supportive campus culture through initiatives like the Gender Cell, sensitisation workshops and counseling support, ensuring that female students feel welcomed, empowered and encouraged to excel.
For IIT Bombay, striking a gender balance is about creating an atmosphere where every student, irrespective of gender, can thrive academically, professionally and personally. This holistic approach is at the core of IIT Bombay’s commitment to building a diverse and future-ready institution.
Infrastructure-wise, IIT Bombay has also made commendable strides. Tell us about a few significant ones.
IIT Bombay has continuously upgraded its infrastructure to meet the evolving needs of its students, faculty and staff community. In recent years, we have developed state-of-the-art laboratories, cutting-edge research facilities and modern classrooms equipped with advanced digital teaching tools to support fully online as well as hybrid learning.
The campus has also witnessed the addition of new student hostels to accommodate the growing student population, with a focus on enhancing comfort and sustainability. Special emphasis has been placed on creating green buildings and incorporating energy-efficient systems to align with the Institute’s sustainability targets.
Our innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem has also received a boost with the expansion of SINE and the IIT Bombay Research Park, which now offers larger co-working spaces, prototyping labs and mentorship hubs for budding entrepreneurs. Additionally, spaces that foster collaborative learning, such as maker spaces, student lounges and multi-disciplinary project centres have been created to enhance peer-to-peer engagement and practicle learning.
The recently inaugurated infrastructure on campus includes:
IIT Bombay is making significant progress in campus infrastructure, paving the way for Rs 2,500 crore worth of modern buildings in the coming years. IIT Bombay may add 24 new buildings consisting of about 5.8 lakh sqm of built-up area till 2029. That is more than a 60% increase of existing built-up area in the campus over the period of the next five years.
The new A91 Eco Hub building was recently completed and inaugurated (October 2024). It stands to foster collaboration across disciplines, housing the Department of Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences (HSS), Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IEOR) and the Technocraft Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence (TCA21). The Desai Sethi School of Entrepreneurship (DSSE), Hostel 19, Hostel 7/8/21, Hostel 4, the New Aero Department building and the New Student Activity Centre are nearing completion.
The groundbreaking of three new Academic Buildings has been completed and construction activities are in progress. Efficiency apartments for married students and 2BHK transit accommodations for faculty are set to begin. Additionally, residential towers for faculty and staff, and recreational spaces are in various stages of planning and design.
The vibrant student life at IIT Bombay is often praised. Do highlight what these extracurricular activities entail.
Life at IIT Bombay is far beyond academics. It is a rich blend of cultural, technical and sports activities that offers something for everyone. Our cultural festival, ‘Mood Indigo’ is the largest cultural fest in Asia, attracting participants from across the country. Techfest, our annual technology festival, is a platform where innovation meets creativity, allowing students to showcase their technical abilities through competitions, exhibitions and workshops.
Sports enthusiasts actively participate in inter-hostel tournaments and at national-level competitions like the Inter IIT Sports Meet. The Performing Arts Festival (PAF) is another unique event where students collaborate across hostels to create full-scale productions encompassing theatre, music, dance, drama and fine arts, fostering teamwork, creativity and leadership.
Additionally, there are numerous student clubs ranging from robotics and coding to debating, photography, social work, and filmmaking. This is to ensure that every student finds an avenue to pursue their passions and explore new interests.
Do predict a few education-related trends in the upcoming years. For example, a more purposeful advent of AI and so on.
Some key trends we foresee include the following:
AI will enable tailored learning paths, adaptive assessments and run-time feedback. This will enhance both classroom and online education.
As challenges such as climate change, sustainable development and healthcare demand cross-disciplinary solutions, institutes will increasingly offer interdisciplinary programmes that merge engineering with life sciences, policy, management and design.
Education will extend beyond technology and economics to emphasise environmental responsibility, social innovation and ethical leadership. In addition to full degrees, students will pursue short, skill-based, focused certifications in emerging areas such as blockchain, quantum computing, AI ethics and circular economy to stay agile in an evolving job market.
Where do you see India in 2050 and what role do you see IIT Bombay playing towards the same vision?
India in 2050 will be completing 103 years of independence. It will be a very vibrant society rooted in the most matured, thousands of year old culture. With diverse manifestation of it's unique united social fabric, India is likely to lead the world on the path of practising integrating life style.
IIT Bombay is making strides in new technology areas to lead India in different critical technologies. India is within top 5 in 45 important technologies out of 64.
IIT Bombay is striving to make India leader in many of these by way of relentless efforts leading to excellence, rigorous and relevant research through translational research approach, innovations as well as collaborations with leaders like USA and Japan.
What can we look forward to when it comes to new developments in academics or otherwise at IIT Bombay?
IIT Bombay is on the path of transforming teaching into a new learning experience by innovations in teaching methods triggered by our faculty. With the help of online material and AI, students and faculty need to explore activity and project-based learning, focusing on real connections. We are also aware that this will need new infrastructure suitable for interactive learning.
Hence, IIT Bombay is planning a new learning complex suitable for the same beyond the existing high tech lecture complex.
