The Indian Institute of Technology Madras is planning to set up a full-fledged School of Medical Sciences that will independently offer MBBS and MD degrees, IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti has said. The plan was disclosed in a recent interview and reported by the Malayalam news outlet Madhyamam on August 20, 2026. Kamakoti said the proposal is currently at the announcement stage and will require regulatory clearance, new faculty positions and hospital infrastructure before it can take shape. No launch date, seat count or admission process has been announced yet.
Key Highlights
- IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti has announced plans to set up a School of Medical Sciences offering MBBS and MD degrees.
- This would be the institute’s first independent medical degree programme, distinct from its existing Department of Medical Sciences and Technology (DMST).
- The plan is still at the announcement stage. Approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC), faculty recruitment and hospital infrastructure are yet to be secured.
- No official timeline, seat matrix, eligibility criteria, fee structure or admission process has been released.
- Kamakoti cited the growing convergence of engineering and modern medicine, including the role of technology in medical devices, imaging systems, implants and digital health, as the reasoning behind the move.
- The announcement follows a broader trend of IITs entering medical education. IIT Kharagpur has received NMC approval for an MD programme after putting its MBBS plans on hold, and IIT Kanpur has laid the foundation stone for a medical school.
What Kamakoti Said
According to the report, Kamakoti explained that the increasing overlap between technology and medicine makes it necessary for IIT Madras to expand its footprint in healthcare education. He pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic as a period that highlighted how engineering contributes to modern medicine, through ventilators, imaging systems, implants, artificial intelligence-based diagnostics and digital health tools. The proposed School of Medical Sciences is intended to bring doctors and engineers together on campus, building on the interdisciplinary model IIT Madras has followed since 2023.
Kamakoti was clear that the plan has not moved past the announcement stage. He said the institute still needs to secure approval from the National Medical Commission, which regulates medical education and licenses MBBS and MD programmes in India, along with appointing faculty and setting up hospital facilities required to run clinical training.
IIT Madras’s Existing Medical Programmes
IIT Madras is not new to medical education. It launched its Department of Medical Sciences and Technology in May 2023, offering a four-year BS in Medical Sciences and Engineering, along with PhD and MS by Research programmes for doctors and engineering graduates. The department also runs an MD-PhD dual degree in partnership with the Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research, aimed at training physician-scientists.
The proposed School of Medical Sciences would go further by offering standalone MBBS and MD degrees, the kind of programmes typically run by dedicated medical colleges and regulated directly by the National Medical Commission. Until now, IIT Madras’s medical offerings have combined engineering training with medical science rather than granting standard MBBS qualifications.
Part of a Wider Trend Among IITs
IIT Madras’s announcement comes as several other IITs move into medical education. IIT Kharagpur has secured NMC approval to launch an MD programme with 20 seats, while its earlier MBBS plans remain on hold pending further clinical infrastructure. IIT Kanpur, meanwhile, has laid the foundation stone for its own medical school after receiving a donation from an alumnus to set up a school of medical sciences and technology.
These moves reflect a broader push by premier engineering institutes to combine medical and technical training, an approach the Ministry of Education has encouraged as part of efforts to strengthen research in medical technology and healthcare innovation.
What Happens Next
Any MBBS or MD programme at IIT Madras will need approval from the National Medical Commission, which sets standards for medical colleges, faculty strength, hospital bed capacity and clinical training facilities before granting recognition. Admission to MBBS programmes in India is conducted through NEET-UG, and any future IIT Madras MBBS seats would be expected to follow this route once the programme receives regulatory clearance.
IIT Madras has not released details on when the School of Medical Sciences will be established, how many seats it will offer, or its admission and fee structure. EduNews.info will update this report as the institute or the National Medical Commission issues further information.
Official Website and Important Links
- IIT Madras official website: https://www.iitm.ac.in
- Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, IIT Madras: https://mst.iitm.ac.in
- National Medical Commission: https://www.nmc.org.in
