Chennai: The Indian Institute of Technology Madras has invited the general public to its 'Institute Open House 2026,' scheduled from January 2 to 4, offering visitors a rare opportunity to experience the institute's research and innovation ecosystem first-hand.

The event will allow school and college students, teachers, researchers, industry professionals and the public to explore advanced laboratories, innovation centres and student-led technology projects. The previous edition drew participants from across Chennai, other cities and several rural regions.

Registrations are open until December 5, 2025, through the Shaastra website. IIT Madras has also launched a dedicated WhatsApp channel for updates.

Welcoming the public, IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti said the Open House was aimed at “anaivarukkum IITM (IIT Madras for all).” He noted that nearly one lakh students had visited the campus in the past two years. “This year, we welcome students from all corners of the country, including rural schools. We hope many will return as our future students,” he said.

The 2026 edition will feature around 80 exhibition stalls, access to over 100 laboratories across national research centres, institute research centres and centres of excellence, and is expected to attract nearly 95,000 registrants and 60,000 visitors.

The 2025 Open House saw a footfall of about 35,000, with participation from more than 550 schools, including around 130 rural institutions.

Organised under the 'Annaivarukkum IITM' initiative and in association with Shaastra 2026, the event aims to make IIT Madras' research ecosystem more accessible to the public.