What is the elite Indian technological institute coming to Abu Dhabi?

Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, often referred to as the MIT and Harvard of India, to open first overseas campus in January

The Indian Institute of Technology Delhi campus. Getty

A leading Indian technological education and research institution is to establish a campus in Abu Dhabi next year.

State news agency Wam on Saturday said the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge and the Indian Ministry of Education signed a deal to open the first international outpost of the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi in Abu Dhabi in January.

The IIT-Delhi is one of 23 such institutes in India renowned for producing talented engineers, entrepreneurs and innovators. The IIT has often been referred to as the MIT and Harvard of India.

First reported in 2022 and again by the Indian envoy to the UAE this February, a deal was signed during the visit of Indian president, Narendra Modi, to the UAE and it will be called IIT-Delhi Abu Dhabi.

Sara Musallam, Minister of State for Early Education, chairwoman of the Federal Agency of Early Education and chairwoman of Adek, said the move represented a crucial step in Abu Dhabi’s efforts to build a world-class education system.

"We anticipate that the IIT-Delhi Abu Dhabi partnership will support our transition towards fostering an environment that nurtures innovation and accelerates high-level research,” Ms Musallam said.

Dharmendra Pradhan, Indian Minister for Education, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, hailed the deal as a major development that will strengthen the long-standing bilateral ties between the UAE and India, and further enrich the UAE’s higher education landscape.

“An exemplar of new India’s innovation and expertise, the IIT Delhi campus in UAE will be an edifice of friendship," he said.

So what is the significance of the deal and what can be expected from the campus?

What is India’s Institute of Technology?

The prestigious Institute of Technology is renowned for producing top graduates in engineering and science.

There are 23 in India and alumni of the institute include Sundar Pichai, Google's chief executive, and Narayana Murthy, founder of software giant Infosys.

They are known for a rigorous curriculum with an acceptance rate of only about 1.7 per cent. More than 900,000 students vied for about 16,600 places last year.

The IIT Delhi, one of the oldest and most respected, is to establish the Abu Dhabi branch.

IIT-Delhi recently ranked among the world’s top 50 institutions for engineering and technology. It also scored a top 30 rank for global employability in the 2022 QS World University Rankings.

It also said IIT-Delhi has been a front line contributor to India's research and development in sectors ranging from defence, healthcare and rural development, to transportation, IT and software.

It comes as IIT branches have been seeking to establish a presence abroad. Earlier this month, Indian media reported that IIT-Madras announced it was to establish an outpost in Zanzibar, Tanzania, which was the first IIT foreign campus.

When will the Abu Dhabi campus open?

IIT-Delhi Abu Dhabi is set to launch its academic programme in January, encompassing undergraduate and postgraduate programmes - including PhDs - covering a diverse range of subjects related to sustainable energy and climate studies, as well as computing, artificial intelligence and data sciences.

It is also envisaged the campus will feature research centres.

A location for the campus has not been disclosed yet but it was reported in February that a working group is already examining the best location.

What will IIT-Delhi Abu Dhabi bring to the capital?

The campus aims to complement the academic, research and innovation landscape in Abu Dhabi through collaboration with key third-level education entities, Wam reported.

These include Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence; Khalifa University; New York University Abu Dhabi; Technology Innovation Institute at Masdar; and tech centre Hub71 to offer complimentary programmes, conduct cutting-edge research, and advance the local start-up ecosystem.

"Advancing Abu Dhabi's technology and engineering higher education landscape, our strategic focus lies in cultivating home-grown [science, technology, engineering and maths] STEM talent and empowering future Emirati graduates to create a global impact,” said Ms Musallam.

“This strategic memorandum of understanding will attract high-calibre faculty, researchers and student talent and is a major stepping stone in paving the way for exponential growth and development.”

The deal reflected the shared vision of both nations to prioritise educational excellence, innovation, knowledge exchange, and investments in human capital as the foundations for future prosperity and enablers of long-term economic growth and sustainable development, Wam reported.

What else was signed during the visit of the Indian prime minister?

The UAE and India signed agreements for establishing a framework to promote the use of local currencies for cross-border transactions and co-operation for interlinking their payment and messaging systems

Talks also centred on co-operation ahead of the UAE's hosting of Cop28 and boosting bilateral co-operation in key areas including trade, energy, defence and food security.