IIT Madras' Review and Verdict by CollegeDekho

Campus at a Glimpse

Nestled in the heart of Chennai, IIT Madras is the gateway to engineering excellence in India. The University Grant Commission (UGC) has declared it as the 'Institute of National Importance’. Consistently reigning at the top of the NIRF Ranking for eight consecutive years speaks for itself. The campus is surrounded by lush greenery offering a serene and conducive environment for learning and research. IIT Madras takes pride in its world-class infrastructure, facilities and abundant opportunities offered to the students. With over 95% placement rate for undergraduate courses and a high average package, IIT Madras demonstrates its commitment to providing lucrative career opportunities. 

IIT Madras offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in engineering, science, management and humanities. The most popular of all is the four-year BTech programme which every aspiring student dreams of getting into. IITM is a citadel of rigorous academics and research with over 600 extremely knowledgeable faculty. It offers an optimal student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1. 

IIT Madras is undeniably a beacon of excellence! However, it has its own set of challenges such as unbalanced gender ratio and undue competition among students. Various media reports including The HT have been reporting several cases of suicides at IIT Madras. Stress to perform well academically could be one of the reasons for these unnatural deaths.

Source: Hindustan Times

Source: The Times of India

IIT Madras NIRF Ranking

IIT Madras once again topped the NIRF Rankings under engineering and overall categories in 2023. It has cemented its position as the best engineering college in India by consecutively ranking at the first position over the last 8 years. Additionally, IIT Madras held the 15th position among top management colleges in India. However, its management ranking dipped 5 positions from 2022. 

Our Take:

IIT Madras is the gold standard for engineering education in India. Consecutively securing the first spot in NIRF ranking is a testament to the institute’s excellence in all areas of engineering education. IIT Madras is solid for management programmes as well but it should try harder to retain its rankings, as it recorded a drop of 5 ranks in 2023 vs 2022. 

IIT Madras Academia & Batch Size

IIT Madras is one of the most prestigious engineering institutes in India. It is known for its rigorous academics, world-class faculty and cutting-edge research facilities. IIT Madras course list includes UG and PG courses such as, BTech, BTech + MTech, M.Tech, MBA M.Sc, MA and MS. 

IIT Madras Academia

IIT Madras is well known for its excellence in teaching and research. The academic departments are actively striving to achieve excellence in their respective fields. The consistent organisation of academic and extracurricular activities, creation of scientific products, extensive journal publication by the faculty, provision of industrial consultancy, fostering startup culture through the incubation cell and collaboration with industry and academic institutions globally are clear indicators of IIT Madras’ dynamic academia. 

IIT Madras Batch Size

Let’s have a look at the 2021-22 batch size as per NIRF Report 2023. 

Our Take: 

There is no doubt that IIT Madras stands tall as one of the premier institutes. The institute provides diverse courses and curriculum taught by 680+ highly experienced faculty members. Additionally, IIT Madras promotes a strong research culture in diverse fields. As per students on Quora, it is the most research-focused IIT in India. IIT Madras is a great place for higher education, but it’s not all rainbows and sunshine. The academics are tough and the competition is fierce among students. Also, maintaining 85% compulsory attendance becomes difficult sometimes. 

IIT Madras Infrastructure

IIT Madras has world-class infrastructure and facilities. However, the room for improvement is always present. Let’s look into the details. 

Classroom: Classrooms at IITM are spacious and ICT-enabled. As per students, most of the classrooms don’t have AC facilities. However, not much problem has been encountered by the students due to its location near a forest area. 

Auditorium/ Seminar Halls/ Labs: IIT Madras has a 400-seater auditorium known as the Central Lecture Theatre. Various seminar halls are a part of its infrastructure. Moreover, IITM has more than 40 laboratories which are well-equipped with modern technology and equipment. 

Library: IITM has a central library well equipped with academic resources and modern facilities. 

Internet: The institute provides high-speed internet connection across the campus. The speed reaches up to 95 MBPS as per student reviews on Quora. 

Hostel: IIT Madras has hostel facilities for males and females. It has 20 hostels in total, 5 for females and 15 for male students. As per students, IIT Madras hostels have all the required facilities such as a 24x7 internet connection, TV, Sports area, gym, laundry and mess. 

Research Park: IIT Madras has India’s first university-based research park to develop technology-based solutions and foster a research culture and startup ecosystem. It has 200+ labs, 200+ startups incubated and 1300+ patents have been filed. Students on Quora have recognised IIT Madras as the Stanford University of India due to its unique research park. 

Activities: IIT Madras is a hub of student activities such as Extra Mural Lectures (EML),  Leisure Time Activity Program (L-TAP), NCC,  NSS,  NSO, NCA, club activities, seminars, events and technical fests. 

Cafe/ Hangouts: The campus has multiple canteen facilities for students and residents. A comprehensive list is mentioned below. 

• Bachelors Restaurant FFT
• Coolbiz-Girls SFC
• Grama Bhojanam-FFT
• Café Coffee Day (CCD)
• Kannan Catering Services-FFT
• Leo Fortune
• Student Tea Stall
• Indian Coffee House
• Stud Dosa-Girls SFC
• Usha Café-Girls SFC
• Woss-FFT
• Wow Momo-FFT
• Anjappar Chettinad Rest

Also, there are many hang-out areas near IIT Madras such as Adyar Ananda Bhavan, The Guindy Snake Park, The Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI) Campus, the Marina Beach and the Eliot beach. On Quora, students have shared their happy experiences with the location and nearby areas. However, if you are non-Tamilian, you might face language barriers in local transportation like auto rickshaws and buses. 

Our Take:

There is still a scope of improvement when it comes to classrooms at IIT Madras. Being one of the prestigious institutes of India, one cannot digest the fact the institute classrooms are not fully airconditioned. On a brighter side, the institute has spacious auditoriums, well stocked library, a world class research centre etc. Also, for students to hangout & chill and also to unwind the academic stress, IITM madras has plethora of eating joints.

IIT Madras Internships and Placements 

IIT Madras Internships 2023-23

According to IIT Madras internship report 2022-23, a notable 778 internship offers were provided by over 140 companies. Additionally, 231 students earned pre-placement offers in recognition of their outstanding performance during their internships. The maximum stipend of INR 12 Lakh per month was offered in the IT & Software, and Financial services sectors. Also, the average stipend offered to B.Tech, Dual Degree (DD) and Interdisciplinary Dual Degree (IDDD) students was INR 10,000 . 

IIT Madras Placements 2022-23

IIT Madras has a dedicated career development cell that trains students for placement opportunities. As per the IIT Madras placement report 2022-23, students across all the courses received 1612 offers from 480+ companies. Out of 1612 offers, 172 offers provided CTC more than 30 LPA, 312 offers fell in the range of INR 15-20 LPA and 152 in the range of 5-10 LPA. The institute saw an increase of 121 offers in 2023 as compared to 2022.  

The highest CTC for UG courses such as BTech, DD and IDDD was Rs 1.31 crore LPA. Furthermore, the average CTC was INR 17 LPA which is considerably higher than other courses. According to the NIRF 2023 report, the placement rate for UG students of the 2021-22 batch was 95%, which is amazing! 

Our Take: 

After scrutinising the available data, it is clear that IIT Madras offers abundant internship and placement opportunities to its students. With over 95% placement rate and a high average package, students can expect to earn at least 10-20 LPA after graduating from IIT Madras. The surge in offers from previous years signifies the institute’s continuous efforts to provide more opportunities to the students. Notably, 231 students secured PPO showing their outstanding contribution. It is evident that the placement cell is playing a pivotal role in preparing students for IIT Madras placement and internships. 

IIT Madras Diversity & Representation

Let's have a look at gender participation and demographics at  IIT Madras as per the NIRF Report 2023 for the batch of 2021-22. 

Course-wise Gender Participation at IIT Madras 

Course Wise Demographic Representation at IIT Madras 

Our Take: 

It is evident that a substantial majority of the students, around 80% are male which outnumbers female students. However, the male-to-female ratio is better in PG-integrated programmes which is 38:62. Furthermore, a regional disparity is also visible at IIT Madras. Students from outside the state make up the majority of the student body, followed by students from Tamil Nadu. The number of international students is relatively small. Overall, the data reflects that IIT Madras is a predominantly male-centric institute. However, the institute has been a part of various initiatives to increase the females enrollment. It was also selected by the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, to advance Women in STEM (Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics) through the ‘GATI’ initiative.  

IIT Madras Faculty/College Administration & Management

IIT Madras has highly qualified and experienced faculty. The faculty members are experts in their respective fields and have published their work in top academic journals. IIT Madras faculty are also actively involved in research and innovation. They have developed new technologies and products that have had a positive impact on society. For example, IIT Madras faculty have developed new methods for renewable energy generation, water purification, and disease diagnosis. The majority of students have positive feedback for the faculty of IITM. However, students have listed a few professors that were too strict and unsupportive.  

Our Take:

Overall, the faculty of IIT Madras are highly qualified and experienced. Positive feedback from the majority of students reflects that the faculty are experts and provide high-quality education and support to the students. However, it's common for students to have varying experiences with different professors. 

IIT Madras Location

Chennai, the “Gateway to South India”, is home to one of the most prestigious engineering institutes in India, IIT Madras. IITM at Sardar Patel Road, Chennai, Tamil Nadu is a prime location. The campus is adjacent to the Guindy Snake Park and opposite to the Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI). The campus is located 10 km from the Chennai Airport, 12 km from the Chennai Central Railway Station, and is well connected by city buses. Kasturba Nagar is the nearest station on the Chennai MRTS line.

IIT Madras: Expectation vs Reality CLD Verdict!

IIT Madras is a renowned institution that excels in teaching, research and industrial consultancy in the country. Students from all over the country aspire to get IIT Madras admission and embark on a transformative journey. From academics to infrastructure, facilities, faculties, internships and placements, IITM offers a holistic experience to its students. A student gets a conducive environment with a platform to thrive as a learner at IIT Madras. However, the institute must take measures to safeguard the lives of its students against the unnatural deaths. Regular programmes that focus on mental health awareness could be a value addition. 

Our Final Checklist!