The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has approved a Rs 118.29 billion expansion plan for five Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) established post-2014. These include IIT Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh), IIT Palakkad (Kerala), IIT Bhilai (Chhattisgarh), IIT Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir), and IIT Dharwad (Karnataka).

The investment, to be made over four years from 2025–26 to 2028–29, supports Phase-B construction aimed at enhancing academic and infrastructure capacity. The plan also includes the creation of 130 new professor-level faculty posts (Level 14 and above).

As part of the initiative, five state-of-the-art research parks will be developed to promote industry-academia collaboration.

Student Expansion Targets:

The student intake across undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD programmes will grow by over 6,500 across four years, with year-wise increases of 1,364 in the first year, 1,738 in the second, 1,767 in the third, and 1,707 in the fourth.

Currently accommodating 7,111 students, these five IITs will support a total of 13,687 students once expansion is complete.

Employment and Economic Impact:

The expansion will generate direct employment through faculty, administration, and research appointments. Indirect economic benefits are also expected in surrounding areas through increased demand for housing, transport, and local services. The additional graduates are anticipated to contribute significantly to India’s innovation, startup ecosystem, and skilled workforce.

National Reach:

Although located in specific states, these IITs admit students from across the country, ensuring the benefits of the expansion reach every region.

Budget Context:

As announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, the total number of students in all 23 IITs has doubled over the past decade—from 65,000 to 135,000. The new infrastructure will accommodate an additional 6,500 students in the five IITs established after 2014.

Background:

IITs in Palakkad and Tirupati began operations in 2015–16, followed by Bhilai, Jammu, and Dharwad in 2016–17. All five are now functioning from their permanent campuses and are poised for the next phase of growth under this centrally funded initiative.