IIT Bombay to open first international campus in Japan in collaboration with Tohoku University

The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT-B) is about to make an international debut by establishing a new campus in Japan.

IIT-B opens global campus

While IIT Delhi and IIT Madras already have international campuses in Abu Dhabi and Zanzibar, respectively, IIT Bombay has chosen to collaborate with Tohoku University, a renowned and government-supported Japanese institution. 

The two premium institutions will conduct a research-focused PhD programme and MTech courses.

"This is our first venture abroad, and by next year, we will begin with a joint PhD programme,” said IIT Bombay director Prof Shireesh Kedare. "MTech courses will follow soon after."

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Japan last month. With around 1,600 Indian students currently pursuing higher education in Japan, the number is expected to grow in the wake of this new partnership.

Japanese firms have also been regular recruiters from IIT Bombay, adding more significance to the collaboration.

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More details about courses

The focus will be on research-intensive courses that can utilise the complementary strengths of both nations: Japan’s world-class infrastructure and hardware innovation, and India’s software and algorithmic excellence.

While undergraduate courses are not currently planned, the partnership is aimed at high-impact postgraduate and doctoral programmes for advanced research fields, particularly in areas such as robotics, AI, advanced manufacturing, and sustainable technologies.

Prof. Kedare called the collaboration a “perfect symphony,” adding that the initiative was about more than just curriculum. “Japanese hardware meets Indian software. And in that harmony, both sides will thrive,” he remarked.

IIT-B Chairman Sharad Saraf described the venture as “pathbreaking.”

He said that the initiative is not merely an academic arrangement but a broader strategic alliance aimed at building intellectual and industrial bridges between India and Japan.

“This isn’t just about sharing classrooms,” Saraf said. “It’s a bridge that will not only strengthen the deep-rooted friendship between India and Japan but also unlock corridors into Japan's formidable industries and pioneering research labs.”

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