Tirupati : The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) established after 2014, including IIT Tirupati, are on track for significant growth following Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement in the Union Budget 2025. The government has earmarked additional infrastructure to accommodate 6,500 more students, reinforcing the expansion of these institutions.

Over the past decade, the total student strength across all 23 IITs has doubled from 65,000 to 1.35 lakh. Highlighting this progress in her budget speech, Sitharaman stated that the government will develop new academic and residential facilities at the five IITs set up post-2014 — Tirupati, Palakkad, Bhilai, Jammu, and Goa — to cater to the increasing student intake.

The budgetary allocation for IITs has seen a substantial rise, with Rs.11,349 crore allocated for 2025, reflecting a 10 per cent increase from last year’s Rs.10,324.5 crore and an 8.4 per cent rise from the revised estimate of Rs 10,467.13 crore. The funds will be directed toward building additional hostels, classrooms and research spaces, enhancing the academic environment at these institutions.

IIT Tirupati, which currently offers undergraduate, postgraduate and integrated programmes, is poised for expansion as part of this initiative.

With an approved intake of 237 undergraduate and 119 postgraduate students, the institute is expected to witness a significant rise in enrollment and infrastructural enhancements.

Founded in 2015 under the mentorship of IIT Madras, IIT Tirupati was the first of the third-generation IITs announced in 2014. Initially offering BTech programs in Civil, Computer Science & Engineering, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, the institute later introduced MS and PhD research programmes in 2017, MTech and Chemical Engineering in 2018, MSc Mathematics in 2019 and a Master of Public Policy (MPP) in 2022.

From its early days at a temporary campus on Tirupati-Renigunta Road, IIT Tirupati transitioned to its permanent 548.3-acre campus in Merlapaka Village, near Yerpedu, on August 1, 2022. The first phase of development aims to support 2,500 students, 250 faculty members and 275 staff by 2024, with a long-term vision of accommodating 12,000 students. The state-of-the-art campus features air-conditioned classrooms, advanced laboratories, computer labs, a health centre and a central library, ensuring a world-class learning environment.