IIT Bombay Partnership

The Illinois Grainger Engineering-IIT Bombay Partnership Program is a multi-year cohort experience designed to connect Grainger Engineering students with peers at IIT Bombay through collaborative learning, intercultural engagement, and joint academic and professional opportunities. Students will participate in a structured cohort experience that combines academic, cultural, and professional development activities. 

Yes! The program includes academic components, and students may earn academic credit through associated coursework and program activities.  Specific course requirements and credit details will be shared as the program develops. 

Yes! The partnership is first and foremost an academic program. International travel may be one component of the experience, but the broader objective is sustained collaboration between U. of I. and IIT Bombay students over multiple years. In the cohort program, there will be one semester of academic exchange. The cohort program starts in your first year on campus and is currently only open to first–year, first-time freshman Engineering students. There is also a short-term faculty-led program; this is open to all engineering students, regardless of year of study. Information can be found under the ‘Short-Term Faculty-Led Program’ heading below. 

The Joint Credential Certificate awarded upon completion of the cohort program will recognize meaningful engagement in the partnership. The value of the credential will come from the skills and experiences students gain, including international collaboration, cross-cultural communication, project-based learning, leadership development and global engineering engagement. 

Additional information regarding credential requirements, learning outcomes, and recognition will be released as the program develops.  The credential itself will be part of the university’s Accredible digital credentialing system.

The cohort program is open to first-year (freshman) engineering students. This includes all students within The Grainger College of Engineering and those majoring in Agricultural and Biological Engineering and Chemical Engineering.

Eligibility requirements, application criteria and cohort selection processes will be communicated during recruitment and onboarding. 

Yes. Participation in the IIT Bombay Partnership Program is not dependent on living in the Innovation LLC or any other University Housing.  

Students will engage in collaborative academic and professional activities that may include:

• Team-based projects
• Cross-cultural academic exchange
• Design challenges
• Leadership development
• Industry and research engagement
• Faculty-led seminars and workshops 

Specific project opportunities will evolve as the partnership grows. 

Potential activities include: 

• Virtual collaborations with IIT Bombay students
• Faculty and guest speaker presentations
• Cultural learning experiences
• Research exposure
• Innovation and entrepreneurship programming
• Industry site visits
• International mobility opportunities 

Students who participate in the semester exchange program will be living and learning on the IITB campus for the duration of one semester and will take IITB courses. The partnership aims to create meaningful academic engagement between the two institutions.  

Students participate as part of a multi-year cohort. Cohort members will build relationships with one another and with students at IIT Bombay through a combination of virtual engagement and, potentially, short-term travel experiences and a semester exchange. 

Students may connect through:

• Virtual meetings and collaborative projects
• Academic programming
• Cultural and academic exchanges (semester long or short term)
• Joint workshops and seminars
• Potential in-person programs and visits 

Yes! International travel opportunities are anticipated as part of the partnership. The number of international experiences and their duration are still under development. At least one semester exchange will take place.

View the TE 298 – Innovation and Entrepreneurship in India webpage

The Costs/Scholarships tab of the program brochure discusses this information. Program costs are still being finalized. The intent is to make participation as accessible as possible, and financial information will be shared before any required commitment. 

If international travel is included, students should anticipate travel-related expenses. Details regarding program fees, housing, transportation, scholarships, and financial support will be communicated well in advance are available on the My Study Abroad brochure linked above. Additional questions can be sent to the Office of International Programs in Engineering at ipeng@illinois.edu.

The program is being developed, and when the itinerary is finalized, it will be available on the My Study Abroad brochure.

Students will enroll in TE 298 for Fall 2026 and complete an application.  Any additional required coursework or preparatory activities will be communicated to participants before the program begins. 

One goal of the partnership is to expand opportunities for collaborative learning and research. Students will have opportunities to engage with IIT Bombay faculty and students as the partnership matures. 

Potential opportunities may include:

• Exposure to international engineering perspectives
• Collaboration with IIT Bombay students and faculty
• Access to emerging engineering and technology ecosystems
• Research and innovation programming
• Cross-cultural engineering teamwork experiences 

Specific discipline-focused opportunities will depend on faculty involvement and program development.