# About IIT Madras

**Source**: https://study.iitm.ac.in/mg/about.html
**Parent**: https://study.iitm.ac.in/mg/

## About IIT Madras

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras is known both nationally and internationally for excellence in
technical education, basic and applied research, innovation, entrepreneurship and industrial consultancy.
A faculty of international repute, a highly motivated and brilliant student community, excellent technical
and supporting staff and an effective administration have all contributed to the pre-eminent status of IIT Madras.
The Institute is proud to bear the laureate of being **No.1 engineering university in India**.
More recently, IIT Madras has been given the title of **Institute of Eminence**.

The Institute was formally inaugurated in 1959 by Prof. Humayun Kabir, Union Minister for Scientific
Research and Cultural Affairs. The IIT system has twenty three Institutes of Technology. The first of these
to be instituted are at Kharagpur (estb. 1951), Mumbai (estb. 1958), Chennai (estb. 1959), Kanpur (estb.
1959), Delhi (estb. 1961), Guwahati (estb. 1994) and Roorkee (estb. 1847, joined IITs in 2001).

The Institute has sixteen academic departments and several advanced research centres in various
disciplines of engineering and pure sciences. A faculty of international repute, a brilliant student community,
excellent technical & supporting staff and an effective administration have all contributed to the pre-eminent
status of IIT Madras and the campus is located in the city of Chennai.

The Institute has affirmed its leadership in Indian higher education by securing the **No. 1 position in the
NIRF 2025 Engineering category for the 10th consecutive year** and **No. 1 Overall for the 7th consecutive year**,
a distinction it has held every year since NIRF's inception.

The Institute also topped the **Innovations category**, improved from last year's second rank, and
retained **Rank #2 in Research Institutions**, next only to the Indian Institute of Science. Additionally,
IIT Madras secured **Rank #1 in the newly introduced Sustainability Development Goals (SDG) category**.

## IITM's Experience in Non Campus Education

IITM is well-equipped to provide Non-campus programs, which has been proven with its experience in the
NPTEL and BS in Data Science programs.

### National Program on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL)

Furthermore, IITM began the NPTEL program, the country's first online content portal as an inter-IIT consortium project
in 2003 and [nptel.ac.in](https://www.nptel.ac.in) is one of the largest online
course repositories in the world for engineering content. In 2014, NPTEL started offering courses for certification
and currently more than 1900+ courses are offered for certification per year, with more than 70 lakh enrollments
and 22 lakh students registering for exams.

NPTEL also manages the national MOOCs portal - [swayam.gov.in](https://www.swayam.gov.in)
as well as the network of more than 8000+ SWAYAM local chapter colleges.

### IIT Madras' BS Degree Program - Undergraduate Degree

About BS Program :

Based on the experience gained from NPTEL, IIT Madras launched the 4 year undergraduate BS degree program in
Data Science and Applications in 2021.

This program is a non campus program and is open to learners from all streams and backgrounds, requiring nothing
more than English and Maths at std X and completion of std XII.

This program requires a non-JEE qualifier exam to enter into the program.

Unique features of the program :

1.

**Admission Process:** There is no rank-based entrance exam. Admission is through a qualifier exam,
and all candidates who meet the passing criteria are admitted. Exam content is provided in advance, along with
a 4-week preparation period.

2.

**Flexible Learning Path:** Learners can choose the number of courses to register for each term,
allowing them to pace the program according to their personal and professional commitments.

3.

**Multiple Exit Options:** Based on the number of credits earned, students can exit the program
with a Foundation Certificate, Diploma, BSc Degree, or BS Degree.

4.

**Learner Diversity:** Open to learners of all ages, the program attracts individuals from diverse
professional backgrounds, including healthcare, finance, engineering, education, and creative fields, who pursue
higher education alongside their careers.

5.

**Student Engagement and Campus Life:** Students are organized into groups and houses to encourage
interaction and collaboration, and actively participate in the annual techno-sports-cultural festival, Paradox,
held on the IIT Madras campus in May/June.

6.

**Career and Academic Outcomes:** Many students pursue internships and secure placements with leading
companies, while others progress to master's programs at top universities worldwide.

Driven by the success of this program, we have expanded our vision to launch 3 more BS degree programs,
creating pathways across a wide range of disciplines.

- BS in Data science and Applications launched in 2021 -
  <https://study.iitm.ac.in/ds/>
- BS in Electronic systems in 2023 -
  <https://study.iitm.ac.in/es/>
- BS in Management and Data Science in 2026 -
  <https://study.iitm.ac.in/mg/>
- BS in Aeronautics and Space Technology in 2026 -
  <https://study.iitm.ac.in/ae/>

Growth of the program :

Since its launch in 2021, the BS in Data Science and Applications has witnessed remarkable growth. From over
30,000 applicants in 2021 where more than 7,000 began their learning journey by clearing the qualifier exam
and getting admission into the program has now attracted over 2.5 lakh applicants who have applied for the
qualifier exam.

To date, 83,000+ learners have successfully cleared the qualifier exam, and by the end of 2025, more than
45,000 students are actively pursuing their studies with us reflecting the program's scale and growing impact
nationwide.

We also have 500+ students studying from various countries like US, Germany, Middle east countries, Singapore,
China etc.

### Relevant Links

- [www.iitm.ac.in](https://www.iitm.ac.in)
- [/ReachIITM](https://www.facebook.com/ReachIITM/)
- [/ReachIITM](https://www.instagram.com/ReachIITM/)
- [/iitmadras](https://twitter.com/iitm_bsc)

#### Faculty Co-ordinators

##### BS Management and Data Science

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**Prof. Vipin B**

Vipin B is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management Studies at IIT Madras. Before
moving to IIT Madras, Vipin B was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Management Sciences at
IIT Kanpur. Vipin holds a Ph.D. from IIT Madras and is a recipient of the DAAD fellowship. His research
interests include supply chain contracts, behavioral operations, sustainable operations, agricultural
supply chain, and healthcare operations management. His research articles have appeared in journals
such as Journal of Operations Management, European Journal of Operational Research, Omega,
Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Annals of Operations Research, and Vaccine. He has co-edited a
book titled "Frontiers in Operations and Supply Chain Management", published by Springer.

[Visit website](https://doms.iitm.ac.in/index.php/vipin-b)

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**Prof. G. Arun Kumar**

Prof. G. Arun Kumar is a Professor at the Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras. He does research in the area of finance with specific focus on Corporate Valuation, Corporate Governance, and Development Finance. He has co-authored two books: one on "Management Accounting" with Prof. Robert Kaplan of Harvard Business School and Prof. Atkinson of University of Waterloo and another on "Public perception of security" which encompasses food and health security. He has worked on many development projects related to emerging economies pertaining to financial inclusion, migration and remittances, state and non-state justice systems, etc.

[Visit website](https://doms.iitm.ac.in/index.php/arun-kumar-g)

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