Govt Greenlights ₹11,828 Crore Expansion for Five IITs, Boosting Student Capacity

GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 7th May: The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a massive ₹11,828.79 crore expansion plan for five Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) located in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, and Kerala, aiming to boost student capacity and establish new research parks.

The approved “Phase-B” construction project will span over four years, from the financial year 2025-26 to 2028-29. This expansion is aimed at significantly increasing the student strength in these premier institutions, enabling more than 6,500 additional students to pursue their academic aspirations. The Cabinet has also approved the creation of 130 new faculty positions at the Professor level (Level 14 and above) across these five IITs to support the increased student intake.

A key highlight of the expansion plan is the establishment of five new state-of-the-art research parks. These parks are envisioned to foster stronger collaborations between industry and academia, promoting innovation and research within the IIT ecosystem.

Upon the completion of this expansion project, the combined student capacity of these five IITs will rise to 13,687, a substantial increase from the current capacity of 7,111. This will allow an additional 6,576 students to gain access to quality education at these highly sought-after institutions. The expansion is expected to play a crucial role in nation-building by producing a skilled workforce, driving innovation, and fueling economic growth, while also promoting social mobility and reducing educational inequality.

The expansion initiative is also projected to generate significant employment opportunities. Direct employment will be created through the hiring of new faculty members, administrative staff, researchers, and support personnel required to manage the increased student population and expanded facilities. Furthermore, the growth of these IIT campuses is expected to stimulate local economies by increasing demand for housing, transportation, and various services. The increased number of graduates and postgraduates from these IITs will further contribute to the innovation and startup ecosystem, leading to indirect employment generation across diverse sectors.

While these five IITs are located in specific states and a Union Territory, admission to all IITs is conducted on a pan-India basis. Therefore, the benefits of this capacity expansion will extend to students from all states and UTs across the country.

This approval aligns with the Budget Announcement of 2025-26, which highlighted the 100% increase in the total number of students in all 23 IITs over the past decade, rising from 65,000 to 1.35 lakh. The budget also emphasized the need to create additional infrastructure in the five IITs established after 2014 to accommodate an additional 6,500 students.

The academic sessions at IIT Palakkad and IIT Tirupati commenced in 2015-16, while IIT Bhilai, IIT Jammu, and IIT Dharwad started their sessions in 2016-17, initially operating from temporary campuses. These IITs are now functioning from their permanent campuses, marking a new phase of growth and development with this significant capacity expansion approval.