The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) is a prestigious, autonomous public engineering and research institution located in Powai, Mumbai, India. It is classified as an Institute of National Importance (INI), a legal status granted by the Parliament of India. IIT Bombay was established in 1958, making it the second Indian Institute of Technology to be founded. Its creation was part of a post-independence national effort, following a 1946 committee recommendation, to establish higher institutes of technology to direct the development of technical education in the country. The institute's establishment was supported by UNESCO and received funding from the Soviet Union.
The legal framework for IIT Bombay and its sister institutions is the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961. This Act, notified as Act Number 59 of 1961, gives the IITs their legal status, including degree-granting powers, and declares them as Institutes of National Importance under Section 2. The Act also establishes the governance structure, including the Board of Governors and the Senate, and mandates that the President of India is the Visitor of every Institute. The IITs are linked through a common body called the IIT Council, which oversees their administration.
In a recent change, IIT Bombay was designated as an Institution of Eminence in 2018. The institute offers a wide range of programs, including the flagship 4-Year and 5-Year programs, with entry primarily through the Joint Entrance Examination – Advanced (JEE-Advanced). The institute has been evolving from a purely teaching institute to a research institute, with a current focus on incubation and startups.