Cabinet approves Rs 11,829-cr expansion of five IITs, 6,576 new seats added

The expansion plan covers IITs in Bhilai, Dharwad, Jammu, Palakkad and Tirupati, adding 6,576 seats and 130 faculty posts with full implementation by FY29

The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the expansion of academic and infrastructure capacity at five third-generation Indian Institutes of Technology (IlTs), adding 6,500 seats over the next four years.

 

The plan includes expansion at IITs set up after 2014 — Bhilai, Dharwad, Jammu, Palakkad, and Tirupati — for ₹11,829 crore between 2025-26 (FY26) and FY29. 

 

“On completion of construction, these five IITs shall cater to 13,687 students, against the current strength of 7,111 students — an increase of 6,576 seats,” said a Cabinet press note.

 

The expansion of capacity is expected to take place in a graded manner, with student strength in these IITs to be increased by 1,364 students in the first year. This will be followed by an addition of 1,738 seats in the second year, 1,767 in the third, and 1,707 in the fourth. 

 

The Cabinet also approved the creation of 130 faculty posts, at the level of professor (level 14 and above) at the five IITs. “Employment will be generated by hiring faculty, administrative staff, researchers, and support personnel to manage the increased number of students and facilities,” the note stated. “The additions will be across undergraduate (UG), postgraduate (PG) and PhD programmes put together.”

 

The approval comes months after a similar announcement was made by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman her Budget for 2025-26.

 

The Centre will also work on five new state-of-the-art research parks for better industry-academia linkage. “The increased number of graduates and postgraduates from IITs further fuel innovation and startup ecosystems, contributing to employment generation across diverse sectors,” the Cabinet stated.