IIT Madras Marks 63rd Convocation With Zanzibar Campus Unveiling

Standing before the graduating class at India’s top-ranked engineering institute, President of Zanzibar Dr. Hussein Ali Mwinyi unveiled the official layout for the IIT Madras Zanzibar campus. The 63rd convocation ceremony served as a stage for both academic achievement and the expansion of India’s first international university footprint.

Corp and Tech·July 20, 2026·reads: 2,829

IIT Madras Marks 63rd Convocation With Zanzibar Campus Unveiling

A total of 3,518 degrees were conferred, including 511 PhDs, to a cohort of 3,106 graduates. The event highlighted the institute’s growing global influence, centered on a 200-acre site in the Fumba peninsula. This new facility is being constructed as a hub for 22nd-century learning, blending academic rigor with specialized zones for startups, sports, and faculty residences.

Addressing the students, President Mwinyi emphasized that the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computing demands a human-centric approach to innovation. He framed the Zanzibar campus as a symbol of borderless knowledge, noting that the partnership transcends traditional educational cooperation. Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman of the Board of Governors, echoed this sentiment, identifying human capital as the primary engine for sustainable development.

Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, reported that the Zanzibar campus currently enrolls 130 students from across East Africa and India, with the inaugural M.Tech. batch securing 100 percent industrial placement. The institute aims to scale enrollment to 500 students by 2027 while simultaneously advancing the IITM Global Foundation to further its multinational university ambitions.