IIT Bombay to Increase Capacity by 75% with Vertical Expansion

In order to accommodate more students and implement flipped classrooms to maximize learning, the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay announced on Thursday that it plans to increase its built-up area by more than 75% to 16 lakh square meters.

The institute also claimed to have spent Rs 500 crore on top-notch tools for research and development. According to the findings of the IIT Bombay Institute Review 2018-2022, which was carried out from October 2023 to January 2024, the institute has been growing, Prof. Shireesh Kedare, the director of IIT Bombay, said reporters.

Due to space constraints, the expansion will be vertical, and we want to preserve the environment and the trees. To meet the growing number of students, teachers, and programs, we intend to extend our built-up space from the present 9 lakh square meters to 16 lakh square meters, or more than 75%. In the next three to five years, we hope to get past all of the obstacles we are currently encountering," he stated.

According to Prof. Kedare, this involves increasing the number of rooms for students from the present 12,000 to 16,000 within two to three years. There have been infrastructural limitations as a result of the rapid expansion and greater diversity. According to him, these expansions are consistent with the suggestions that provide a thorough plan for IITB's future development and leadership in research, academia, and societal impact.

Additionally, IIT Bombay has invested Rs 500 crore on equipment and instruments, such as nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), liquid helium, and high performance computing (HPC), among others, to support application-related research by providing top-notch facilities.

"We are currently debating how to improve learning and implement flipped classrooms in the future to boost student involvement," he stated. A flipped classroom is an instructional approach that flips the conventional learning process by having lectures outside of class and substituting more interactive activities within class time. In order to support and motivate students for innovation, the institute is also enhancing industrial and international partnerships as well as alumni participation, Prof. Kedare added.