Chennai, July 17: His Excellency Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar and Chairman of the Revolutionary Council graced the 63rd Convocation of IIT Madras as Chief Guest.
Zanzibar hosts the IIT Madras Zanzibar, which is India's first international IIT Campus. It awards IIT Madras academic degrees and is committed to fostering academic excellence and technological advancements in Africa and across the world.
A total of 3,518 degrees were awarded to 3,106 students graduated during the Convocation, which was held in the campus . A total of 511 PhDs were also awarded, which included PhDs, Joint Degree Ph.Ds with foreign institutions and Dual Degree PhDs.
Other dignitaries present on this illustrious occasion include Lela Mohamed Mussa, Minister of Education and Vocational Training of Zanzibar, Her Excellency Mrs. Anisa Kapufi Mbega, High Commissioner of the United Republic of Tanzania to India and Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Madras, who presided over the Convocation, besides faculty, staff, students and other officials of the Institute.
Congratulating the graduating students and prize winners, Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi, President of Zanzibar, said,
“Every generation inherits the world as it is. Yours has the extraordinary opportunity - and responsibility - to shape the world as it ought to be. You graduate at a defining moment in history. Artificial intelligence, robotics, biotechnology and quantum technologies are changing the way humanity lives, learns and works. Yet history reminds us that technology alone has never guaranteed progress. Every great innovation presents humanity with a choice. It can deepen inequality or expand opportunity. It can divide communities or unite them. That choice belongs not to technology itself, but to those who create it.”
Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi added,
“Around the world, IIT Madras has become synonymous with academic excellence. Yet what has impressed me most is not only its remarkable reputation in engineering and scientific research, but its culture of innovation. It is an institution where ideas are encouraged to move beyond the classroom, beyond the laboratory and into society - creating enterprises, generating employment and solving real-world problems. That philosophy resonated deeply with our own aspirations.”
Further, Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi said,
“The establishment of IIT Madras Zanzibar, the first international campus of IIT Madras, represents far more than an educational milestone. It reflects a shared belief that knowledge should know no borders and that excellence should never be confined by geography. It demonstrates what becomes possible when nations choose partnership over isolation, collaboration over competition, and shared ambition over narrow interests. Today, students from Zanzibar, mainland Tanzania, India and several other African countries study side by side. They bring different cultures, different experiences and different perspectives, yet they are united by a common pursuit of excellence.”
DEGREES BREAK-UP
During this Convocation, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, awarded degrees to 3106 graduates including 812 B.Tech, 302 Dual Degree B.Tech and 617 M.Tech, 143 M.Sc, 123 M.A, 53 Executive MBA, 84 MBA, 32 PG Diploma, and 201 M.S. The 511 PhD degrees also includes 16 joint degrees with universities in foreign countries.
Congratulating the graduating students, Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, Board of Governors, IIT Madras, said,
“A little over two years ago, IIT Madras opened its first international campus in Zanzibar. Today, its President stands before our graduating class in Chennai. That is not a coincidence of geography. It is a partnership between our peoples, built on a shared belief that education, innovation and human capital are the true foundations of lasting development.”
Further, Dr. Pawan Goenka said,
“As Chairman, allow me a few numbers, I will keep them brief, because the real story is not in the rankings but in the people. IIT Madras has been ranked India’s number one engineering institution for ten consecutive years, and India’s number one institution overall for seven. Globally, it now stands at 170 in the QS World University Rankings, with four subjects in the world’s Top 50. It is home to India’s first university-based research park, and its incubation ecosystem has nurtured more than 560 startups since 2013 — together valued at over ₹74,000 crore. Last year, Ather Energy, incubated on this campus, entered the public markets. And two young space companies born here capture the spirit especially well: Agnikul Cosmos, which flew the world’s first rocket powered by a single-piece, 3D-printed engine, and GalaxEye, which is building satellites that can see through cloud and darkness. This campus does not merely produce graduates and publish papers. It builds industries, creates jobs, and turns research into enterprise.”
Dr. Pawan Goenka added,
“Now, Viksit Bharat is much more than two words, and much more than a GDP target. A developed India means an India where every citizen has dignity, opportunity, quality education and healthcare, and a fair chance at a good life — where the distance between our villages and our cities narrows to a thin line. It is a mission to turn growth into inclusion, talent into leadership, and possibility into achievement.”
IIT Madras was designated as an ‘Institute of Eminence’ in early 2020. The special grant that came with it is primarily being used to give a sharp impetus to research activities. Through an internal competitive process, the Institute identified for support nearly many research initiatives grouped under clusters, ranging from AI and Data Sciences to Safety Science and Systems, and Sensing and Vision.
Presenting the Director’s Report, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said,
“IIT Madras Zanzibar entered a transformative phase as an emerging hub of global higher education in East Africa. The campus currently hosts 130 students, with 51% from Tanzania and the remaining representing countries including Kenya, Uganda, Ethiopia, Zambia and India. The inaugural M.Tech. graduating batch achieved 100% industrial placement, with students securing opportunities in leading organisations such as SuperDoll, Zantel and Airtel.”
Prof. V. Kamakoti added,
“Looking ahead, IITMZ plans to expand enrolment to 350–500 students by 2027 through accelerated faculty recruitment, stronger industry engagement, enhanced research infrastructure and the development of East Africa's first research-integrated Startup Studio.”
‘EVENTFUL YEAR’
A defining milestone this year was the launch of ‘IITM Global Foundation’ by the External Affairs Minister, Dr. S. Jaishankar, marking the beginning of IIT Madras’ journey towards becoming the world’s first multinational university. Within weeks, IITM Global announced an Applied AI Innovation Centre in Dubai Commerce City and a US$7.5 million Deep-Tech Hub in Menlo Park, California, strengthening the Institute’s global innovation network.
IIT Madras’ international standing also continued to rise, with the QS Subject Rankings 2026 placing IIT Madras among the world’s Top 50 in four disciplines and among the 100 in ten subject areas - a testament to the outstanding contributions of our faculty, students, researchers and staff.
Following the Main Convocation in the forenoon, Department Degree Distribution Programmes were held in the various academic departments, where graduating students were conferred their degrees in person.