Ranked amongst the best technological institutions in the world, the University of Roorkee has played a crucial role in pursuit of research, in providing the technical manpower and know-how to the country, since its inception. 

We owe it to the gigantic vision of Sir James Thomason who felt the need for an engineering college in the country. It was the cumulative effort of the then government and vision of Sir James Thomason that led to the birth of college of engineering at Roorkee. The college was later renamed as Thomason College of Engineering in 1854.

Established in 1847 AD as Roorkee College the institute was the first engineering college of the country. It got the status of University by Act No. IX of 1948 of the United Province (Uttar Pradesh) Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, presented the Charter in November 1949 elevating it to the first Engineering University.

The University of Roorkee was converted to Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) in 2001. Thus IIT Roorkee carries almost 150 years of History with it.

The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee is a trend setter in the field of teaching and research of modern sciences and technologies. The institute is publishing a number of research papers and conducting a lot of ground breaking researches to benefit the science and the society.

The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee offers programs in different engineering and scientific discipline at graduate, post graduate and research level. There are 10 disciplines of Engineering and Architecture at Bachelor’s level and 55 disciplines of Engineering, Applied Sciences, and Architecture & Planning at Post Graduate level. The Admission to under graduate programmes of Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee is made on the basis of IIT Joint Entrance Examination (IIT – JEE).
 
IIT Roorkee graduates make first choices among national and international recruiters. Every year hundreds of recruiters visit IITR campus for recruitment of engineers, scientists and thinkers. The placement cell offers necessary facilities to prospective employers for conducting exams and interviews and offers pre placement training to students. Students of all programs receive job offers before the finish of final semester. The pay packages offered to IITR graduates makes news in different media both print and electronic.  

The Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IITR) is located in Roorkee, a town in Uttaranchal’s Haridwar district. Roorkee is approximately 175 Km far from New Delhi, the National Capital of India. The IIT Roorkee is an institution of national importance and hence also a center of attraction for both academician and for those who merely travel to Roorkee. The Roorkee is the gateway to pilgrim centres of Hardwar, Rishikesh, Badrinath and Kedarnath and tourist attractions of Dehra Dun and Mussorie.