Chennai: Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has revamped its BTech curriculum to align with modern technological demands, making it the most student-friendly engineering curriculum in India.

This new approach, recommended by an Institute Curriculum Task Force, emphasizes employment, research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Key changes include:

Curriculum Flexibility: Increased interdisciplinary learning, hands-on projects, and entrepreneurial opportunities from the second year.

Reduced Credit Load: Total BTech credits reduced from 436 to 400, allowing more exploration of professional and entrepreneurial interests.

Integrated Programs: Options for M.Tech. along with B.Tech. in five years, and interdisciplinary degrees in areas like Nanotechnology, Data Science, and Electric Vehicles.

Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, emphasized the institution's commitment to innovation and entrepreneurship, highlighting the start-up 100 program and the success of the IIT Madras Incubation Cell, which supports pioneering startups like Agnikul, Mindgrove, and Ather.

Students can now choose about 40% of their courses, allowing for a customized academic experience across 18 departments and numerous research centers. The updated curriculum eliminates the need for branch changes and introduces an 'Early Exit' option for alternative career paths.

Prof. Prathap Haridoss, Dean of Academic Courses, praised the curriculum for enabling students to express their uniqueness while maintaining core competencies. The first-year experience has been enhanced with extra vacation time and new recreational courses, and an entrepreneurship elective is available from the second year.

IIT Madras continues to offer state-of-the-art infrastructure for sports, research, innovations, entrepreneurship, and student clubs.