IIT Madras is an elite engineering and technology school located in Chennai (formerly Madras) in southern India. It is recognized as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India and is regarded as one of the finest engineering institutions in India.
Founded in 1959 with technical and financial assistance from the Government of the erstwhile West Germany, IIT Madras is third among currently fifteen Indian Institutes of Technology (including 6 new IITs started in 2008 and 2 more in 2009) established by the Government of India through an Act of Parliament, to provide education and research facilities in engineering and technology.