IIT Kharagpur launches BTech programme in Biomedical engineering

The Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (IIT Kharagpur) on Friday announced the launch of a four-year Bachelor of Technology (BTech) programme in Biomedical Engineering, with admissions to be conducted through the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Advanced.

According to an institute spokesperson, the inaugural batch will consist of around 25 students. The undergraduate programme will be offered by the School of Medical Science and Technology (SMST), which is also set to be upgraded into a full-fledged academic department.

At present, SMST runs postgraduate courses in disciplines such as informatics. The new undergraduate programme reflects the growing importance of biomedical engineering a discipline that applies engineering principles to medicine and biology to design and develop healthcare solutions as a key driver of innovation in healthcare, encompassing fields such as medical imaging, surgical technologies, prosthetics, diagnostics and digital health platforms, the spokesperson said.

Students enrolled in the course will work closely with the BC Roy Institute of Medical Sciences, located within the campus, enabling continuous interaction with clinical environments.

IIT-Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty said the programme would adopt a “living laboratory” model, allowing students to simultaneously engage with academic research, industry practices and hospital settings from an early stage of their education.

“This framework will help generate real-world datasets for training and support simulation-based learning, including modules on surgical practice and disease modelling,” Chakraborty told PTI.

He added that faculty from the medical sciences institute would handle foundational clinical instruction, while the super-speciality hospital on campus would provide sustained practical exposure to students.

Chakraborty noted that many biomedical engineering programmes in India remain largely classroom-based, with limited linkage to clinical realities. “This initiative is aimed at creating a template for deeper collaboration between engineering and medicine, both in education and innovation,” he said.