Indian Institute of Technology Madras at Chennai is one among the foremost institutes of national importance in higher technological education, basic and applied research. In 1956, the German Government offered technical assistance for establishing an institute of higher education in engineering in India. The first Indo-German agreement in Bonn, West Germany for the establishment of the Indian Institute of Technology at Madras was signed in 1959. IIT Madras embraces the broad mission objectives of the IITs, namely i) the advancement of knowledge through education and research, in both Pure and Applied Science, in Engineering, Social Science and Humanities, and ii) service to the community and nation through the use of their resources, both intellectual and material, particularly through Continuing Education for professionals working in industry. The stated vision of IITM is “to be an academic institution in dynamic equilibrium with its social, ecological and economic environment striving continuously for excellence in education, research and technological service to the nation.”

IIT Madras’ stated mission is:

To create and sustain a community of learning in which students acquire knowledge and learn to apply it professionally with due consideration for ethical, ecological, and economic issues. To pursue research and disseminate research findings. To provide knowledge-based technological services to satisfy the needs of society and the industry. To help in building national capabilities in science, technology, humanities, management, education and research. IIT Madras is a residential institute with nearly 570 faculty, 9000 students & research scholars and 700 administrative & supporting staff and is a self-contained campus located in a beautiful wooded land of about 250 hectares. It has established itself as a premier centre for teaching, research and industrial consultancy in the country. The Institute has 16 academic departments (11 in Engineering, 3 in the Sciences, 1 in Humanities & Social Sciences, and 1 in Management Studies), with nearly 100 laboratories organised in a unique pattern of functioning. In addition to traditional departmental research, IITM has initiated 16 interdisciplinary research centers. A faculty of international repute, a brilliant student community, excellent technical & supporting staff and an effective administration have all contributed to the pre-eminent status of IIT Madras.

Research at IIT Madras is nurtured through various academic programmes run by the departments and through sponsored programmes funded by national organizations and the industry.

Academic Research Programs

These relate to research work undertaken by individual faculty or specific research groups in each department running academic programmes leading to M.S or Ph.D. degree. Research is carried out by scholars admitted to the programmes of study by research under the guidance of the faculty in each department. Areas of interest for each department are made known to the academic community through handbooks, brochures and bulletins. Topics of interest include the theoretical studies as well as experimental areas and there sources and facilities available in the different laboratories are used.

Sponsored Research

Organization at the national level sponsor specific programs of research by funding projects undertaken by the faculty. Research of this kind is time bound but provides for those involved in the project to register for a degree. Project proposals are usually prepared by IIT faculty and forwarded to various organizations based on the nature of research and the interest shown by Govt/ Research bodies to fund new projects. Sponsored projects allow for new resources to be created in a department and often permit staff employed for the project to register for academic degrees in the institute. All Sponsored Research activities in the institute are coordinated by IC & SR.

Research based Industrial Consultancy

Industrial Consultancy provides for faculty and staff of the institute to undertake specific assignments for the Industry, which may include project design, testing and evaluation or even training in new areas of industrial development. Industries and organizations involved in the industrial development request IIT faculty to take up specific assignments channelled through the Center for Industrial Consultancy and sponsored Research (ICSR). In addition to maintaining historical strengths as a top-tier educational institution, IITM’s key goals include expanding both the scope and impact of research programs as well as increasing the number of PhD graduates (from 200 (present) to 450 annually (~ 2020) and qualified faculty for Indian institutions.. IITM maintains academic friendship with several other educational institutes in the world through faculty and student/research scholar exchange programs. IITM has also been in the forefront in promoting Industry - Institute interaction through several innovative schemes. To further strengthen the linkages with the industry, the Industrial Associateship Scheme was started by IIT Madras in 1987. At present, about 230 industries and organizations from all over the country are members of this scheme.

IITM has nearly 200 active Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with global universities and industry, resulting in co-operative projects and assignments for mutual benefit. Joint Degree Programs are also offered. Faculty and student mobility is encouraged, and the campus plays host to more than 100 foreign students on an annual basis. IIT Madras alumni are a strong and vibrant community providing exemplary support, monetary as well as monetary, to the Institute’s sustained and sustainable development.

IIT Madras Research Park is a first-of-its-kind facility in India, an independent company promoted by IIT Madras and its alumni and incorporated under Section 25 of the Companies Act 1956. The IIT Madras Research Park facilitates the promotion of research and development by the institute in partnership with industry, assisting in the growth of new ventures, and promoting economic development. The IIT Madras Research Park assists companies with a research focus to set up a base in the park and leverage the expertise available at IIT Madras. The "knowledge and innovation ecosystem" at the Research Park breaks down the traditional, artificial barriers of innovation through its connectivity and collaborative interaction. This helps the industry to create, integrate, and apply advancements in knowledge. The resulting synergy leads to matchless technological innovation and transfer.