India's Best Universities: Why IIT Delhi remains the prime engine of innovation
With 16 departments, 11 centres and six interdisciplinary schools, IIT Delhi currently serves around 10,761 undergraduate and postgraduate students, offering a wide spectrum of programmes, from BTech and MTech to MBA, Master of Public Policy, MSc and MA. Since its inception, more than 63,000 students have graduated, including over 7,500 with a PhD.Research and innovation are central to the institute's mission. Faculty and students are actively involved in projects across domains—from fundamental science to applied technology. The Research and Innovation Park, inaugurated in 2022, exemplifies this approach. It fosters collaboration between academia, industry and government to translate research into real-world applications and market-ready solutions.The institute recently undertook a comprehensive curriculum revamp across all levels—undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral. Effective from the 2025–26 academic year, the new curriculum reflects themes such as flexibility, hands-on learning, sustainability, ethical reasoning and technological foresight, including AI and machine learning. For MTech and MS (Research) students, the structure is now more outcome-oriented, with greater industry engagement and the option to undertake master's theses within industry settings.A PhD conversion option has also been built in for postgraduate students, while undergraduate students can now seamlessly transition into an MTech programme after three years, making them eligible for a five-year dual degree. Doctoral training has similarly been formalised, with a focus on producing independent, ethically grounded researchers.Meanwhile, the Kusuma School of Biological Sciences has launched a new MSc programme with a strong emphasis on quantitative biology and 'learning by doing', addressing a critical skills gap in data-driven life sciences. IIT Delhi recently inaugurated a cutting-edge MRI research facility under its IoE initiative. Housing a 1.5 Tesla clinical-grade MRI scanner, it is India's first such standalone facility within an engineering campus—free from hospital constraints and designed to spark innovation in medical imaging.'The institute is also part of the National Quantum Mission, anchoring a new hub on quantum materials and devices,' says IIT Delhi director Prof. Rangan Banerjee. 'Notably, its collaboration with DRDO has resulted in a joint technology centre where several products and prototypes developed by researchers are now being transferred to industry.'advertisementLooking ahead, the institute is laying the foundation for its next chapter through a strategic roadmap titled 'IIT Delhi 2035'. 'Every department is being reviewed as part of an external academic audit led by global experts, and the long-term vision will be finalised by next year,' a spokesperson reveals. Alongside academic restructuring, the institute is preparing for a major overhaul of its physical infrastructure—demolishing and rebuilding parts of the campus to meet modern needs.GUEST COLUMN | A curriculum for Gen NextBy Prof. Rangan Banerjee Director, IIT DelhiThis has been an eventful year. After nearly 12-13 years, we have completely revamped our curriculum. The changes are centred on flexibility, hands-on learning and preparing students for interdisciplinary careers. Every student—whether in undergraduate, master's or doctoral programmes—will now engage with concepts in Artificial Intelligence and sustainability, essential for any future career.At the master's level, students will now take part in a capstone project, fostering teamwork and real-world problem-solving. There is also an increased focus on communication, internships with industry and a recalibrated credit structure to enhance academic depth. PhD programmes have similarly evolved. While depth in research remains central, the structure now includes elements of breadth—ranging from teaching practicum to research communication. Our goal is to ensure that doctoral candidates are not only strong researchers but are also prepared for academic or industry roles.advertisementRecognising the fast-changing nature of work, IIT Delhi has deepened its ties with industry over the past year. This includes the launch of a Hyundai research centre—one of the company's few facilities outside Korea—which also involves IIT Bombay and IIT Madras. It will function as a national research centre, focused on areas relevant to industry. Entrepreneurship, especially among master's and doctoral students, is being actively promoted. If students—across UG and PG levels—come up with a strong idea, we support them to turn it into a startup.Student well-being remains a core concern, especially in high-pressure academic environments. IIT Delhi has scaled up its mental health infrastructure significantly in the last year. This includes 24x7 counsellor access, online support tools and a more robust academic support system.—as told to Shelly AnandCAMPUS NOTES | From lab life to life lessonsadvertisementBy Juwayria, PhD scholarIIT Delhi is my home away from home. The postgraduate experience here is like no other; there is a culture and community that rewards the practice of excellence. This, in my opinion, is the primary purpose of any education.The avenues and exposure that IIT Delhi offers are unparalleled. From hands-on work in world-class labs to collaboration with the most productive labs across the globe, the research environment helps students thrive in their respective fields.Apart from the department-wise labs, the institute boasts three campus-wide facilities: the Central Research Facility (CRF), with 90+ working facilities and 8,500+ users; the Nanoscale Research Facility (NRF), with several state-of-the-art fabrication/thin film deposition instruments and characterisation laboratories; and the Makerspace, the one-stop shop for prototyping and end-to-end product development.IIT Delhi actively encourages participation in domestic and international conferences through schemes like RETA (Research Excellence Travel Award) and RSTA (Research Scholar Travel Award), where students are given a Rs 2 lakh grant. I attended two such conferences in the UK and Italy.The ribbon that ties the entire experience together is the personal and overall growth of students on campus. In my time here, I reconnected with my passion for basketball after a three-year hiatus, received the Best Speaker Award at the institute-level debate competition, participated in classical dance classes. There is a strong culture of sports; we even have our own Formula team.advertisementSubscribe to India Today Magazine- EndsMust Watch
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