- The last date to apply for the BS programme is April 30, while for the MTech Courses, the last date is April 15.
IIT Madras Zanzibar campus has started the applications for its full-time undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes for the 2026 academic year. Aspirants can visit admissions.iitmz.ac.in for details on eligibility, deadlines, test preparation, and campus information. The screening test for the MTech programme will be held on April 26, 2026, while the BS programme screening test, to be conducted simultaneously at centres in India and abroad, is scheduled for June 6, 2026. The last date to apply for the BS programme is April 30, while for the MTech courses, the last date is April 15.
Based in Tanzania, the first-ever international campus established by any IIT, the campus currently has more than 129 students enrolled across programmes. Around 51 per cent of students are from Tanzania, with representation from several other African nations, including Ethiopia, Zambia, and Kenya.
Speaking on the significance of the initiative, Prof V Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, said, “It is a matter of great pride for IIT Madras to have set up the first-ever international campus of any IIT at Zanzibar. Since then, the love and support that we are receiving from the Zanzibar Government and people have been nothing short of amazing. The students and faculty of IIT Madras Zanzibar are doing wonderfully well. I invite aspirants from across the world to explore our full-time on-campus degree offerings in leading fields of engineering and technology at IIT Madras Zanzibar.”
The campus entered a new phase of leadership in January 2026 with Prof. Prabhu Rajagopal taking charge as director-in-charge. An alumnus of IIT Madras and Imperial College London, he is the recipient of the 2024 Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize and is known for translating research into successful start-up ventures.
Prof Prabhu Rajagopal said, “The first batch of M.Tech in Data Science and AI graduated last year in our first convocation, and we are preparing to welcome our first PhD scholars shortly. Our students and faculty members have engaged extensively with academic and industrial communities in Tanzania and globally through conferences, workshops, internships, and joint research projects. The graduating M.Tech batch in 2025 recorded 100 per cent industrial placement.”
Students from the campus have secured internships with organisations such as SuperDoll, Zantel, and Airtel, while scholarships, including support from the Airtel Africa Foundation, have helped widen access to quality higher education.
Faculty members from the Zanzibar campus have also presented research at leading global platforms, including ICML, ICLR, and IEEE conferences. The campus has organised industry and innovation events, faculty exchanges, and start-up hackathons in collaboration with partners such as UNDP and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Meanwhile, development of the permanent campus at the Fumba peninsula is progressing, with a new hostel block inaugurated in January 2026.
