International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad

The International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT-Hyderabad or IIIT-H) is a deemed university, founded as a non-profit public-private partnership (N-PPP) (non-governmental) institute, located in Hyderabad, India. It is the first IIIT in India under this model. It is considered the leading institution among all IIITs in India, and its model has served as a template for the establishment of several other IIITs across the country. The institute is also known for supporting major Olympiad training programs and is held responsible for pathways toward the International Olympiad in Artificial Intelligence (IOAI) for India, and training Indian candidates. History IIIT Hyderabad was founded in 1998 under the public-private partnership Deemed University model by the Ministry of Human Resource Development of the Government of Telangana and NASSCOM, with the state government supplying a grant of land and buildings. As special officer for IIIT Hyderabad and the Secretary of IT for the state government, Ajay Prakash Sawhney shaped the concept and was responsible for and overseeing the initial development of the institute. Rajeev Sangal, former director of Indian Institute of Technology (BHU) Varanasi designed the syllabus and served as the first director of the institute until 10 April 2013. The institution was founded as the Indian Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad as a foundation for the 20 Indian Institutes of Information Technology under the same model, which was renamed to International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad in 2001, when it attained a status of a deemed university. The institute celebrated its Silver Jubilee on 2 September 2023. The main celebrations were held from 1 to 3 September, with many earlier events throughout the previous year, including a special fire-side chat with former chief minister of Andhra Pradesh Nara Chandra Babu Naidu and the honouring of esteemed people associated with the history of the institute. Academics IIIT Hyderabad’s academic model emphasizes early and sustained engagement in research alongside formal coursework, enabling undergraduate and postgraduate students to contribute to high-impact research outputs and peer-reviewed publications. Its curriculum offers flexibility, strong theoretical grounding, and project-based learning, with faculty granted significant autonomy in course design to respond quickly to technological advances and research developments. Academic activities are organized through departments, centres, and advanced laboratories spanning areas such as computer science and engineering, electronics and communication engineering, computational natural sciences, computational linguistics, bioinformatics, cognitive science, spatial informatics, artificial intelligence, and semiconductor technologies. The institute’s research centres routinely publish hundreds of papers annually, with citation counts at many centres increasing significantly year over year, reflecting growth in scholarly impact. IIIT Hyderabad has achieved recognition in national rankings and academic surveys. In the 2025 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF), the institute was placed 38th among engineering colleges in India and within the top 100 overall, showing improvement over previous years. It has also been rated highly in independent surveys, including being ranked among India’s top private engineering institutions by Education World and other national rankings. The institute’s students and faculty have a record of awards and competitive success at national and international venues, including best paper awards at IEEE and ACM conferences, innovation contest prizes, and competitive programming achievements such as participation and honors at the ACM International Collegiate Programming Contest (ICPC) World Finals. Faculty members have been recognized with prestigious honors such as election as Fellows of professional academies for contributions to engineering and education. The institute maintains a selective admissions process and a comparatively low student–faculty ratio, facilitating close academic mentorship and research supervision. Graduates are consistently placed in leading technology firms and research institutions, and many pursue advanced doctoral studies at globally recognized universities. IIIT Hyderabad’s academic ecosystem—marked by rigorous scholarship, interdisciplinary breadth, and sustained industry engagement—has positioned it as one of India’s most prominent and elite institutions in information technology and engineering education. Admissions Admission to undergraduate programs is based on one of five acceptance modes: Joint Entrance Examination (Main) (JEE (Main)), the institute's own Undergraduate Engineering Entrance Examination (UGEE) and interview, representing India in the International Olympiads at class XI and XII (including the International Olympiad in Informatics (IOI), International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), International Biology Olympiad (IBO), International Astronomy Olympiad (IAO), International Mathematical Olympiad (IMO), and International Linguistics Olympiad (IOL) / Paninian Linguistics Olympiad (PLO)), Direct Admissions for Students Abroad (DASA), and lateral entry admissions to dual-degree programs through the Lateral Entry Entrance Examination (LEEE) and interview. Admissions for postgraduate studies are on the basis of the Postgraduate Entrance Exam (PGEE) conducted by IIIT Hyderabad. Admissions to the MSIT programme at this institute are based on a test conducted every year from April to May. Rankings The institute was ranked 74th among universities in India by the NIRF in 2024, and 47th among engineering colleges It is in the 501-600 band in the Times Higher Education ranking. In the DataQuest Best T‑School survey, the institute was ranked No. 1 at the All‑India level and No. 1 in the South Zone for undergraduate technical programs among both government and private institutions."IIITH tops DataQuest Best T‑School survey"."In a survey conducted by DataQuest Best T‑School, IIIT Hyderabad has been ranked No. 1…". In the Education World India Higher Education Rankings 2025, IIIT Hyderabad was placed No. 3 in India and No. 1 in Telangana among private engineering institutes, and was ranked within the top 10 nationally for Campus Planning & Design Excellence."Education World India Higher Education Rankings 2025: IIIT Hyderabad…". In earlier Education World surveys, IIIT Hyderabad also appeared as No. 5 overall in India and No. 1 in Telangana among private universities.{{cite web|title=IIIT Hyderabad has been ranked India’s number 5 and Telangana’sIn the DataQuest Best T‑School survey, IIIT Hyderabad was ranked No. 1 at both the All‑India and South Zone levels for undergraduate technical programs based on placement, academics, infrastructure and engagement metrics."IIITH tops DataQuest Best T‑School survey"."In a survey conducted by DataQuest Best T‑School, IIIT Hyderabad…". In the India Today – Marketing and Development Research Associates (MDRA) Best Colleges 2025 survey, the institute achieved All‑India Rank 2 overall for private engineering, was ranked No. 1 for Best Placement Record nationally, and secured No. 1 for Emerging Private Colleges and South Zone categories."IIITH rankings in a survey conducted by India Today – MDRA Best Colleges 2025". According to the Education World India Higher Education Rankings 2025, IIIT Hyderabad was placed No. 3 in India overall among private engineering institutes and No. 1 in Telangana, and was ranked No. 10 nationally for Campus Planning & Design Excellence."Education World India Higher Education Rankings 2025: IIIT Hyderabad…". In earlier Education World India Higher Education Rankings 2022–23, IIIT Hyderabad was ranked No. 1 in India and No. 1 in Telangana among private universities."IIIT Hyderabad has been ranked India's number 1 and Telangana's number 1 Private University…". Additionally, independent institute listings for 2025 place IIIT Hyderabad at No. 11 among Top Technical Universities in India according to a survey by India Today Group – MDRA Best Universities."Institute Awards – IIIT Hyderabad". References External links Official website