IIT Madras BS Program

Student Life at the IIT Madras BS Program

A true campus experience reimagined for learners wherever they are: community, leadership, friendships, creativity and personal growth, brought together through a unique hybrid model of online learning and meaningful offline engagement.

35,000+ learners across India and the world
12 student houses named after Indian forests
30+ clubs, societies and student communities

A connected learning community

Built for belonging, not just attendance

The IIT Madras BS Program was envisioned to democratize access to world-class education by reaching learners wherever they are. Student life extends that vision beyond lectures and examinations through a structured peer network, local support systems and national communities that help learners feel part of something real.

Local Support

Regional chapters help students meet during exams, weekend meetups and nearby activities.

National Network

Houses connect students across cities, backgrounds and interests throughout the program.

Creative Growth

Clubs, contests and cultural spaces make room for expression beyond coursework.

Peer Leadership

Elected representatives shape support, welfare, mentoring and community initiatives.

Student Houses

Where you belong

Every student becomes part of one of 12 Houses named after India's iconic forests. Your House is where you seek, share, support and study together, while building friendships and participating in activities with peers from across the country.

House-and-Region Framework

Houses create a national peer identity. Regions create nearby touchpoints. Together, they make an online program feel grounded, social and alive.

Saranda House logo
Saranda House

Saranda forest, Jharkhand

Visit house
Nallamala House logo
Nallamala House

Nallamala Hills, Andhra Pradesh

Visit house
Pichavaram House logo
Pichavaram House

Pichavaram Mangrove Forest, Tamil Nadu

Visit house
Sundarbans House logo
Sundarbans House

Sundarbans, West Bengal

Visit house
Wayanad House logo
Wayanad House

Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary, Kerala

Visit house
Namdapha House logo
Namdapha House

Namdapha National Park, Arunachal Pradesh

Visit house
Gir House logo
Gir House

Gir National Park, Gujarat

Visit house
Kanha House logo
Kanha House

Kanha National Park, Madhya Pradesh

Visit house
Bandipur House logo
Bandipur House

Bandipur National Park, Karnataka

Visit house
Corbett House logo
Corbett House

Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand

Visit house
Nilgiri House logo
Nilgiri House

Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

Visit house
Kaziranga House logo
Kaziranga House

Kaziranga National Park, Assam

Visit house

Regions

Local roots, national reach

Regional groupings strengthen engagement on the ground. They help students meet during examinations, attend weekend meetups and participate in local activities, while still staying connected to the wider BS community.

Bengaluru Region

Karnataka, Kerala

Chandigarh Region

Punjab, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir

Chennai Region

Tamil Nadu

Delhi Region

Delhi-NCR

Hyderabad Region

Andhra Pradesh, Telangana

Kolkata Region

West Bengal, North-East States, Odisha

Lucknow Region

Uttar Pradesh, Gwalior

Mumbai Region

Maharashtra, Gujarat

Patna Region

Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh

International Region

Students residing outside India

Student Leadership

Leadership in action

Elected student leaders, including House Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries and Regional Coordinators, play a central role in shaping the IIT Madras BS experience and strengthening peer support across the community.

  • Study circles and revision sessions
  • Peer mentoring and academic discussions
  • Soft-skill workshops and career guidance
  • Community-building and student-welfare initiatives

Through these initiatives, student leaders foster collaboration, confidence and a strong sense of shared identity.

Clubs & Societies

Explore what you love

The BS Program hosts a rich ecosystem of student-run clubs and societies. Students explore interests, build skills and form lasting connections through debates, hackathons, technical workshops, cultural events, book clubs, sports, e-sports, movie nights, city gatherings and student trips.

Debates & quizzes Hackathons & coding Music, drama & dance Research & entrepreneurship Sports & e-sports Art, film & pop culture
Aayam: IITM BS Drama Society

Drama and performance society.

Adhyay - The Civil Services Society

Civil services discussions and preparation community.

AKORD Music Society

Music, performance and listening community.

AWS Cloud Club

Cloud computing and technical learning club.

Deva-Bhasha: The Sanskrit Society

Sanskrit language and cultural learning society.

Amartya - The Finance Society

Finance, markets and business learning community.

Heighers eSports Society

E-sports tournaments and gaming sessions.

Shah Maat - Chess Society

Chess competitions, practice and community play.

Pravaha: The Dance Society

Dance, choreography and cultural performance.

RAAHAT: Mental Health & Wellness Society

Student wellbeing, awareness and support initiatives.

RaSoR: Ramanujan Society of Research

Research conversations, projects and scholarly exploration.

SAHARA - The Social Welfare Society

Social welfare and volunteering initiatives.

Sahityika: Literary Society

Writing circles, literature and reading culture.

SYNAPSE

Social studies, language study, cultural study, humanities and social skills.

WYZ Kids: IITM BS Quiz Society

Quizzes, trivia and competitive knowledge events.

Boundless - IITM BS Travel Society

Travel, exploration and city gathering community.

Diplomacia

Diplomacy, policy and international affairs community.

JITSIE

Entrepreneurship and innovation community.

Business.io

The Business Analytics Club of IITM BS.

CodeCrafters Coding Society

Coding, development and technical problem-solving.

Yantra Robotics Society

Robotics, builds and applied engineering projects.

Sportify - Sports Society

Sports events, training and active student participation.

IRIS Society

Photography, visual storytelling and creative showcases.

AVASYA Society

Aero and applied science student society.

Nature Nurture Society

Nature, sustainability and environmental interest group.

JARVIS

Joint AI, Research, Virtual Networks and IOT Society.

Alpha Gamma Nu

Student interest and community society.

Tech Society

Technology learning, peer projects and events.

Women in Tech Society

Community, mentoring and representation in technology.

Pixels N Panels

Film, anime and pop culture society.

Student Highlights

Excellence across technology, sport and culture

IIT Madras BS students bring technical depth, discipline and creative energy into national and global forums, while balancing the demands of a rigorous academic program.

Hackathons & Innovation

Students have consistently excelled at prestigious national and international hackathons, demonstrating technical depth, innovation and teamwork in real-world problem-solving.

  • Google Summer of Code (GSoC) 2025 selections
  • Smart India Hackathon 2024: National Winners
  • PanIIT Hackathon 2025: 2nd Place
  • AI Manthan 2025: 2nd Runner-Up
  • Innov8 (IIT Delhi x Eightfold AI): 2nd Runner-Up
  • Hashnode Hypermode Hackathon: Runner-Up ($2,000)
  • Apple Swift Student Challenge 2025: Top 50 Worldwide
Sports & Discipline

Sports form the heartbeat of the IIT Madras BS community, with participation through:

  • City-level meetups and training sessions
  • Virtual leagues and online tournaments
  • National-level competitions
  • Interactions with Olympic and Commonwealth medalists, plus Arjuna and Dronacharya Awardees
  • 150+ national and state-level athletes across 40+ sports
  • Renee Noronha's completion of the IRONMAN European Championship 2025 in Hamburg, symbolizing grit, balance and perseverance
Performing Arts

The program nurtures exceptional talent in music, dance, storytelling and performance. Classical musicians, dancers, theatre artists and storytellers continue to perform and win accolades nationally and internationally while pursuing their degrees, embodying the harmony between passion and academics.

Flagship Fest

Paradox: the spirit of the community

Every term culminates in Paradox, the flagship fest of the IIT Madras BS Program. Hosted every June, it is a four-day celebration of technology, culture, sports and creativity. For many students, Paradox is the moment their IIT Madras dream truly comes alive.

  • Paradox in Sāvan (Monsoon): Online
  • Paradox in Mārgazhi (Winter): Online
  • Paradox Annual Fest (Summer): On campus at IIT Madras
70+ events 5,000+ students expected in 2026
Explore Paradox

A new paradigm of campus life

The IIT Madras BS Program is more than a degree. It blends the flexibility of online learning with the warmth of human connection and the vibrancy of on-campus experiences. Here, students learn not only from textbooks, but from leadership, teamwork, empathy and shared joy.

IIT Madras BS Degree: where technology meets humanity, and every learner gets to live the IIT Madras experience.

support@study.iitm.ac.in
7850999966
IITM BS Degree Office, 3rd Floor,
ICSR Building, IIT Madras,
Chennai - 600036

Please use only the above methods for program queries. Response time: 3 working days. During peak periods, Google Meet links will be shared. Call wait times may be longer.