The Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad (IIT Palakkad or IIT PKD) is a public autonomous engineering and research institute located in Palakkad district, Kerala, India. It is one of the second-generation IITs established by the Government of India under the Institutes of Technology Act, 1961 (as amended). The institute offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programmes in engineering, sciences, and humanities.
| Name | Indian Institute of Technology Palakkad |
|---|---|
| Type | Public technical institute |
| Status | Institute of National Importance |
| Established | 2015 |
| Location | Palakkad district, Kerala, India |
| Affiliation | Ministry of Education, Government of India |
| Mentor institute (initial) | IIT Madras |
IIT Palakkad was established as part of the Government of India's expansion of the IIT system announced in the Union Budget of 2014–15, which proposed setting up new IITs in states that did not yet have one. Kerala was among the states identified, and IIT Palakkad began functioning in 2015. IIT Madras served as the mentor institute during the institute's formative years, providing administrative and academic support.
The institute is located near Kanjikode in Palakkad district, in the foothills of the Western Ghats. Academic activities initially commenced from a temporary transit campus, while a permanent campus was developed at Nila in Kanjikode. The two locations have been used as the Ahalia campus and the permanent Nila campus during the institute's transition.
IIT Palakkad offers Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) programmes in core engineering disciplines, as well as Master of Technology (M.Tech), Master of Science (M.Sc), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) programmes. Admission to the undergraduate programmes is through the Joint Entrance Examination (Advanced), conducted jointly by the IITs. Postgraduate admissions follow national-level examinations such as GATE and JAM.
As with other IITs, IIT Palakkad is governed under the Institutes of Technology Act. The institute is headed by a Director, with a Board of Governors providing oversight. The President of India serves as the Visitor of the institute, and the IIT Council coordinates policies across all the IITs.
IIT Palakkad is the first IIT to be established in Kerala. Its setting up extended the network of national engineering institutes to the state and strengthened higher technical education and research capacity in southern India. The institute has progressively developed research programmes and industry collaborations, contributing to engineering education in the region.