The newer generation Indian Institutes of Technology (3G IITs) aim for a significant 28% increase in student seats over the next four academic years.
As announced in the Union budget 2025, 6,500 seats were slated to be added to third-generation IITs (set up after 2014) - IIT Palakkad, Dharwad, Jammu, Bhilai, and Tirupati. These five IITs already see a seat share increase by 1,364 for the 2025-26 academic year, according to data from the Ministry of Education. These five institutes aim to collectively expand their seats from 1,364 in 2025-26 to 1,707 in 2028-29.
The data reveals a total increase of 343 students, translating to a cumulative intake of 6,576 students over the five-year period. The expansion is part of broader efforts by the Ministry of Education to enhance access to quality STEM education and reduce the pressure on older IITs.
Among the five institutions, IIT Palakkad has increased its current seat share by 193 seats and aims to add 291 seats in 2026-27, 372 seats in 2027-28 and 408 seats in 2028-28 academic years.
IIT Bhilai, which currently has the highest seat increase at 378, looks to add 381 seats in 2026-27, 378 seats in 2027-28 and 348 seats in 2028-28 academic years.
The student strength at present at IIT Dharwad stands at 343, set for increase to 410 seats for 2026-27, 345 in 2027-28 and 466 in 2028-28 academic years.
IIT Jammu has increased its student strength for the current academic year by 251 and plans to introduce 401 seats in 2026-27, 373 in 2027-28 and 263 in 2028-28 academic years.
IIT Tirupati has increased its seat share by 199 for the current academic year, aiming to increase 255 seats the next year, 290 in 2027-28 and 322 in 2028-28 academic years.
The 2027-28 academic year has plans to have the highest intake with 1,767 students joining across the five campuses.
The move to scale up student capacity in the newer IITs aligns with the government's long-term objective of making high-quality technical education more inclusive and geographically accessible. The 3G IITs, launched post-2014, have been rapidly developing infrastructure, research facilities, and faculty strength to match their older counterparts.