The Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur has announced the launch of a four-year BTech programme in Biomedical Engineering, marking a significant expansion of its undergraduate academic offerings. The new course will admit students through the highly competitive JEE Advanced, with the inaugural batch expected to comprise approximately 25 students.
The programme will be offered under the School of Medical Science and Technology (SMST), which is also set to be upgraded into a full-fledged academic department. Currently, the school conducts postgraduate programmes in specialised domains such as informatics and allied interdisciplinary areas.
According to institute officials, the introduction of the undergraduate course reflects the growing global significance of biomedical engineering as a field that bridges engineering principles with medical sciences. The discipline has emerged as a major catalyst for innovation, driving developments in medical imaging systems, surgical technologies, prosthetics, diagnostic tools, and digital healthcare platforms.
A key feature of the programme will be its close integration with the Dr BC Roy Institute of Medical Sciences, which is located on the IIT Kharagpur campus. Students enrolled in the BTech course will have opportunities to engage directly with clinical settings, enabling practical exposure alongside academic instruction.
IIT Kharagpur Director Suman Chakraborty stated that the teaching framework has been designed as a “living laboratory” model. Under this approach, students will simultaneously interact with academic researchers, industry experts, and hospital professionals from an early stage in their academic journey. The model aims to provide hands-on learning experiences grounded in real-world medical challenges.
He further explained that the initiative will generate authentic datasets for research and training, supporting simulation-based learning modules such as surgical practice simulations and disease modelling exercises. Faculty members from the medical sciences institute will deliver foundational clinical education, while the associated super-speciality hospital will offer continuous practical exposure.
Chakraborty observed that many biomedical engineering programmes across the country remain largely classroom-oriented, with limited engagement with clinical environments. The newly introduced BTech course at IIT Kharagpur seeks to address this gap by fostering stronger integration between engineering education and medical practice.
The institute expects the programme to serve as a model for collaborative innovation between engineering and healthcare sectors, strengthening interdisciplinary education and research in India’s rapidly evolving biomedical landscape.