IIT Madras Zanzibar opens 2026 admissions, plans PhD intake expansion

IIT Madras Zanzibar has opened 2026 admissions and plans to introduce PhD programmes and expand research infrastructure as it scales operations in East Africa

IIT Madras’ Zanzibar campus has opened applications for its 2026 intake, with plans to introduce doctoral programmes and expand research and innovation infrastructure as the offshore campus scales up its academic activities.

 

The institute said in a statement on Monday that it is preparing to admit its first PhD scholars and is setting up a centre for innovation and entrepreneurship along with an office for translational research. These additions come as the campus enters its fourth year of operations since being established in 2023.

 

“With a vision to strengthen the research and start-up ecosystems in East Africa and provide technology solutions that stimulate society and the economy, IIT Madras Zanzibar is launching a Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, along with an Office for Translational Research,” said Prabhu Rajagopal, Director-in-Charge and Dean, School of Engineering, IIT Madras Zanzibar.

 

 

Admissions for the 2026 academic year are currently open for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Screening tests for the Master of Technology programme are scheduled for April 26, while tests for the Bachelor of Science programme will be conducted on June 6 across centres in India and abroad.

 

The Zanzibar campus currently offers courses in data science and artificial intelligence, along with a bachelor’s programme in chemical process engineering introduced in 2025. The campus was set up through a partnership between the governments of India, Tanzania, and Zanzibar, and began operations from a transit facility in Bweleo.

 

The campus has enrolled around 130 students so far, with around 51 per cent from Tanzania and the rest from other African countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, and Zambia.

 

Students have undertaken internships with companies such as Airtel, Zantel, and SuperDoll, according to the institute.

 

Leadership at the campus changed earlier this year, with Prabhu Rajagopal taking charge as Director-in-Charge in January 2026. IIT Madras Zanzibar remains the only fully operational overseas campus among the Indian Institutes of Technology.