Jaipur, September 2025:(Mind Plus) Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) celebrates decades of excellence in engineering education by retaining the top position in the National Institutional Rankings Framework (NIRF) of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, the results for which were announced today at an awards function in New Delhi.
In an achievement setting a precedent in the Indian Education System, the Institute has been ranked No. 1 in the ‘Engineering’ category for the 10th consecutive year in NIRF 2025 and in the ‘Overall’ category for the 7th consecutive year, cementing its place as a leader in Indian education. IIT Madras has been ranked #1 in the Engineering Category for every year since the NIRF Rankings were introduced.
It also secured the #1 rank in the ‘Innovations’ category (previously known as Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements), improving upon its position of #2 in the same category last year. Recently, the Institute has launched the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship to create a World-Class ecosystem to establish Deep-Tech Start-ups, with an objective to put the Institute on the Global Map of entrepreneurial universities
In the ‘Research Institutions’ category, IIT Madras retained the last year’s position of Rank #2, behind only the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.
Notably, IIT Madras also secured #1 Rank in the category of ‘Sustainability Development Goals’ (SDG), which was introduced this year. The Institute had launched a School of Sustainability in October 2023 to further boost the exemplary work being done in this area.
Mr Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Education Minister, Government of India, announced the results of the 10th edition of NIRF India Ranking Results today (4th September 2025) in New Delhi in the presence of Dr. Sukanta Majumdar, Hon'ble Minister of State for Education; Dr. Vineet Joshi, Secretary, Department of Higher Education; Prof. T.G. Sitharam, Chairman, AICTE; Prof. Anil Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, NBA; and Dr. Anil Kumar Nassa, Member Secretary, NBA and gave away the trophies.
Congratulating all the Institutes that took part in the NIRF 2025, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Education Minister, Government of India, said , “I congratulate all the institutes that participated in this year’s ranking and those who emerged as category leaders. From 16 categories last year to 17 this year, the expansion reflects India’s growing diversity in higher education. A robust ranking framework and accreditation system will not only enhance competitiveness but also play a vital role in nation-building.”
Further, Mr Dharmendra Pradhan said, “In 2014–15, India had less than 3.5 crore students in higher education; today, this number has crossed 4.5 crore. By 2030, our aim is to reach 9 crore students, and the National Education Policy provides multiple pathways to achieve this ambitious goal. Ranking and accreditation of institutions will be one of the cornerstones in ensuring quality and accountability in this journey.”
The awards were received by Prof. V. Kamacite, Director, IIT Madras, in person, who was accompanied by Prof. R. Sarathi, Dean (Planning), IIT Madras and Prof. Rajnish Kumar, Chairperson, Rankings Committee, IIT Madras.
Congratulating the students, faculty, alumni and non-teaching staff for their hard work, Prof. V. Kamacite, Director, IIT Madras, said, “Being a topper consistently is a result of a collective, cohesive and focused team effort. Thanking the Almighty for blessing us with such a wonderful team. Together, we pledge to put in our best efforts towards Viksit Bharat@2047.”
IIT Madras has the unique distinction of being the first IIT to establish a full-fledged foreign campus - IITM Zanzibar that has attracted students from all over Africa, India, Middle East and other countries as well. IIT Madras was recognised as an ‘Institution of Eminence’ (IoE) in September 2019 by the Government of India.
It also became the First IIT to offer ‘Sports Excellence Admission,’ recognising the need for all-round development of students and to encourage sportspersons in 2024. From this year, the Institute is also admitting students under the ‘Fine Arts and Cultural Excellence’ (FACE) program.
IIT Madras, for the first time in its history, incubated more than 100 start-ups during 2024-25 financial year. It also filed 417 Patents during 2024-25, exceeding the IIT-M Director's vision of ‘One Patent a Day’.
Further, IIT Madras also launched in August 2025 the School of Innovation and Entrepreneurship to create a World-Class ecosystem to establish Deep-Tech Start-ups. The objective was to put the Institute on the Global Map of entrepreneurial universities.
Started in 2015, NIRF outlines a methodology to rank educational institutions across the country. The parameters used for ranking broadly cover “Teaching, Learning and Resources,” “Research and Professional Practices,” “Graduation Outcome,” “Outreach and Inclusivity,” and “Perception.”
IIT Madras has also improved its position significantly in international rankings this year. In the QS World University Rankings (QS WUR) 2026, IITM’s position went up from 227 last year to 180 this year.
