The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) is a premier public technical and research university in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Established in 1959, it is renowned for excellence in engineering, science, and innovation, consistently ranking among India’s top engineering institutions and noted for its global research collaborations and entrepreneurial ecosystem.

IIT Kanpur was among the first Indian Institutes of Technology created to develop advanced technical education after independence. It was established with significant assistance from a consortium of nine U.S. universities under the Kanpur Indo-American Programme, which helped design its curriculum and research facilities. The institute’s first classes began in borrowed facilities before the permanent campus opened in the early 1960s.

The institute offers undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral programs in engineering, science, management, and humanities. Its academic structure emphasizes strong theoretical foundations paired with extensive laboratory work. IIT Kanpur is known for research in aerospace, computer science, materials science, and sustainable technologies, with numerous interdisciplinary centers and partnerships with industry and government bodies.