India's first IIT, established in 1950, dedicated to excellence in engineering, science, and technology education.
IIT Kharagpur offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs across five main faculties: Engineering & Architecture, Sciences, Biosciences & Biotechnology, Interdisciplinary Studies, and dedicated schools in Law and Management. The institute houses 20+ departments and numerous centers of excellence spanning aerospace, computer science, artificial intelligence, chemical engineering, architecture, and many other disciplines. Academic programs are complemented by research initiatives and interdisciplinary centers focused on emerging areas such as sustainable development, energy science, geospatial technology, and leadership development.
The 2,000+ acre campus is located in Kharagpur, West Bengal, and was designed by renowned Swiss architect Dr. Werner M. Moser. The Central Library, established in 1951 and relocated to its current premises in 1956, is one of Asia's largest technical libraries, housing over 2.7 lakh books, 24,700+ online journals, and 2 lakh+ e-books. The library features modern facilities including AR/VR capabilities, digital repositories, audio-visual lounges, and comprehensive e-resource access. The campus includes dedicated academic buildings, research facilities, and administrative infrastructure supporting the institute's educational and research mission.
The institute is dedicated to serving national interest through broad-based education that develops professional skills and capabilities. Its mission emphasizes fostering entrepreneurship and innovation, drawing expertise in science, technology, management, and law, and undertaking sponsored research and consultancy in industrial, educational, and socially relevant areas. The vision is to be a center of excellence in education and research producing global leaders, a hub of knowledge creation prioritizing frontier areas of national and global importance, and an institution committed to improving the lives of all citizens.
IIT Kharagpur was established following the 1946 Sarkar Committee recommendations for higher technical institutions modeled on MIT. The institute began operations in May 1950 at the historic Hijli Detention Camp, a site significant to India's freedom struggle where freedom fighters were imprisoned. The first session in August 1951 had 224 students and 42 faculty members across ten departments. Pandit Nehru laid the foundation stone for new buildings in March 1952. The institute's location in a former detention camp symbolizes its transformation of a site of struggle into a beacon of knowledge and national development.