Life at IIT Bombay: 10 Reasons You Should Aim for the best IIT in India

IIT Bombay is one institution that every engineering aspirant or student wishes to study at. Be its faculty, the legacy that comes with the name, each and every characteristic contributes to making IIT Bombay one of the most sought-out engineering institutes in India. The ambiance here is vibrant, energetic and thrilling all in one. There are a plethora of co-curricular activities for students to show their talent in technical, cultural, social or sports events.

Founded in the year 1958, IIT Bombay is actually the first IIT in India, to be set up with foreign assistance. Over the years, it has grown and earned the title, as one of the top technical universities, not only in India but also in the world. So, it is indeed the apt place for your engineering education journey.

Academically, the institute houses 15 Departments, 18 Centers and 1 School for Management Studies. Some of the most popular courses include Aerospace Engineering, Biosciences and Bioengineering, Chemical Engineering Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Earth Sciences, Humanities & Social Science, Technology and Design, Entrepreneurship, Mathematics, Nanotechnology and Science and several others. They also have a few Interdisciplinary programs in Climate Studies, Educational Technology, Industrial Engineering and Operations Research etc.

Recently, IIT Bombay was named the best Indian university in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asian University Rankings for 2018 and was ranked 34th in Asia.

So finally, moving on to the best part, how is it, to live and study at IIT Bombay! Study this guide in following pointers:

Location of IIT Bombay

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A look at IIT Bombay / Source: Wikipedia

The location of this institute is a major factor. It is away from the busy hustle of Mumbai city life, it is situated in a peaceful small township of Powai, the campus is actually rich in natural flora and fauna and has a well-known maintained green cover. The campus has a hill on one side, the Powai and Vihar lakes on another side. This is what you need when you are looking for a place, away from your home.

Clubs in IIT Bombay

IIT Bombay is known for its distinguished clubs. It is actually, pretty famous for its variety of clubs. Some of the clubs that operate here are the Quiz Club, TechniC, The Scrabble Club, The Speakers Club, Hobbies Club, HAM club, Astronomy club, Wildlife Club, Swimming Club, Mountaineering Club, Group for Rural Activities (GRA) and the Special Interest Group in Finance.

These form the baseline of most of the fun activities on the campus. Some of the best fests, literary events, scrabble competitions, technology design workshops, star-gazing sessions, swimming events, nature hikes and trekking trips, seminars etc are organized through these clubs.

Already piped up, are we?

Festivals in IIT Bombay

Who doesn’t love the fests of colleges? IIT Bombay also hosts some of the most popular and recognized college and department fests, that are often looked out for and awaited among the student community at the national level as well as Asia level. Mood-Indigo (Cultural) and Techfest (Technical) are two such fine examples. They also have two unique events, the Performing Arts Festival (PAF) and Valfi, that are only organized at this campus, exclusively.

So, want to be a part of a college that probably, takes the number one spot in organizing the most number of events, more than any other college in India? You are just going to have your hands full, and variety to choose from. As every day, there will be some event at the campus.

Insight, student media body of IIT Bombay

This is an active, student media body at IIT Bombay which is managed by student editors. It's an amazing online platform, that talks of all major events, fests on campus, personal experiences of students, hostel affairs, departmental news, a cool column for the college professors; who they are and their achievements, column dedicated to news coverage about the campus etc.

The Teachers in IIT Bombay

Then, of course, it is the faculty you will be dealing with, who is quite open-minded. IIT Bombay stands out for its research and academic programs, taught by faculty, known nationally and internationally, for their work. Some of the faculty also have prestigious awards and recognitions, including the Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar and Padma awards, in their CV’s.

Also, this campus was awarded a score of 88.1 for academic reputation, 97.5 in employer reputation and 96.3 in staff with Phd., in the latest Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) Asian University Rankings for 2018.

IIT Bombay's Academics

Life at IIT Bombay Academics and Infrastructure

Apart from your regular studies and various courses, you also have an option to try out their innovative short-term courses through continuing education and distance education programs. Now isn’t that cool? You still get to be part of IIT Bombay, even if your interests and convenience, is not to pursue full-time studies.

The competition you will face

Competition does not come easy here. You will have many opportunities to prove yourself. As a student, one gets chances to organize some of the best cultural, farewells, technical festivals. Student elections are also a busy time with students campaigning going on 24*7. During all of this, what you get is an opportunity to nurture your entrepreneurial, leadership and team building skills, make new allies with every fest or club activity. You get to make a lot of personal contacts, while organizing as you will deal with external bodies that can be useful in your life, later on. Who knows, how many of them will be your colleagues or acquaintances?

Hostel Life of IIT Bombay

They provide you with an excellent accommodation facility that goes up to 15 hostels with individual messes and canteens. Every hostel also has their own fest and other celebrations. Having fun, meeting new people is a part of your everyday hostel life!

And there is always time for sports and gym here. Kho-kho, swimming, yoga, martial arts, cricket, football etc. are quite popular here.

So, quite a bit of motivation for your personal and recreational time, after taking all the food in!

Weekends at IIT Bombay

Life at IIT Bombay Clubs Lif

Weekends here are much as weekdays unless you plan to miss a few classes. There’s a Campus Hub where you can spend good quality time with your friends. People usually awake by lunchtime for the first meal of the day and spend rest of the day, either watching movies or playing sports or watching plays and performances or even better, adventure trips.

IIT Bombay Alumni

Nandan Nilekani, Manohar Parrikar, Jairam Ramesh, Pranav Mistry, Karan Grover, Bharat Desai etc. to name a few, are some of the notable alumni of IIT Bombay. Their achievements are notable because of their efforts and also a strong background.

When you look for a college, you aspire for the perfect base for your career. You want a place that would expand your horizons, provide you with a professional edge and make you stand out in the crowd. This college is one such place that would fulfill all your requirements and shape your future in a way that you always aspired to.