Centre Approves Major Expansion Plan for Five IITs, Adding 6,500+ Seats and New Infrastructure

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has greenlit a major expansion plan for five Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs)—Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhilai, Jammu, and Dharwad—aimed at boosting student capacity and strengthening infrastructure.

Over the next four years, the total student intake across these institutions will rise by over 6,500, increasing from the current 7,111 to 13,687. The expansion will be phased: 1,364 additional students in the first year, 1,738 in the second, 1,767 in the third, and 1,707 in the fourth. These seats will span undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs.

Alongside the student capacity boost, the Cabinet also approved the creation of 130 new faculty positions to support academic growth.

The decision follows Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s February budget announcement of increased allocations for IIT expansion. The total cost of the expansion project is pegged at ₹11,828.79 crore and includes infrastructure upgrades such as academic buildings, laboratories, hostels, research parks, sports complexes, and guest accommodations.

These five institutes belong to the “third generation” of IITs, established post-2014. Initially operating from temporary campuses, they have gradually moved to permanent facilities, which are being developed in phases. The latest approval by the Cabinet pertains to the second phase of construction, which will expand facilities beyond core academic infrastructure.

This move is part of a broader national strategy to enhance access to quality technical education and research infrastructure across India.