PILANI, Sep 30: Birla Institute of Technology and Science Pilani is partnering with Indian Institute of Technology Madras to promote academic and research collaboration between the two institutions.

The five-year agreement establishes a framework for collaboration in areas of mutual academic and research interest and provides opportunities for the exchange of students and faculty, academic and scholarly information, materials, and publications. The collaboration will also facilitate the joint organisation of seminars, workshops, and other academic meetings.

A MoU towards this collaboration was signed on 29th September 2026 at the IIT Madras campus by Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Group Vice Chancellor, BITS Pilani, and Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, in the presence of Prof. Arya Kumar, Institute-wide Dean, Alumni Relations; Prof. Sounak Roy, Institute-wide Dean, Research and Innovation; and Prof. Raj Kumar Gupta, Professor, Department of Physics, BITS Pilani campus.

A key component of the collaboration is the student exchange programme, under which students from BITS Pilani and IIT Madras will be able to undertake academic coursework, research activities, and project work at the partner institution.

Students participating in the programme will be designated as special exchange students and will have the opportunity to enrol in courses for credit or audit, subject to the approval of the relevant faculty or project supervisors and fulfilment of applicable prerequisites.

Another key feature of this exchange programme is the provision of tuition-fee waivers at the host institution. Credits and grades earned during the exchange programme will be recognised by the home institution based on the academic report provided by the host institution.

Speaking about the collaboration with IIT Madras, Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Group Vice Chancellor, BITS Pilani, said,

 “BITS Pilani has always believed that students and faculty should have access to the best academic ecosystems, wherever they are. This collaboration with IIT Madras will create new opportunities for student mobility, joint research and faculty engagement, and will strengthen the larger culture of collaboration among India’s leading institutions.”

Welcoming the collaboration, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said,

“Extremely happy to have signed a MoU with BITS Pilani. Looking forward to working closely on an entire spectrum of  areas ranging from critical and emerging technologies to wellness initiatives, mutually learning from all best practices.”

The collaboration reflects the shared commitment of BITS Pilani and IIT Madras to creating greater opportunities for academic mobility, interdisciplinary engagement, and research collaboration, while enabling students and faculty to benefit from the academic expertise and resources of both institutions.