In a moment of pride for our state, students from Gujarat have once again outnumbered their counterparts from Maharashtra in the new undergraduate batch at the Indian Institute of Technology, Gandhinagar (IIT-Gn), cementing a major shift in the premier institute’s demographics.
For years, students from Maharashtra had dominated the intake at the elite engineering institute. The latest data, however, confirms a new pecking order.
A new balance
According to a media report, the incoming 2025 undergraduate class, the demographic analysis is based on the total BTech 4-year (352 students) also incorporating the integrated BTech-MTech batch, taking the count to 362 students. Of this cohort, 72 students (19.88%) are from Gujarat, placing them ahead of the 65 students (17.96%) from Maharashtra.
This continues the shift that began last year. In 2024-25, Gujarat led with 81 students (20.98%) in a batch of 386, slightly ahead of Maharashtra’s 78 students (20.21%). While the total number of students from both states dropped slightly, the key takeaway is the growing presence of local students at the institute.
This marks a reversal of a long-standing trend. In 2021-22, the gap was at its widest — Maharashtra students made up 25.51% (62 students) of a 243-student batch, while Gujarat students were only 15.23% (37 students). The gap began to close in 2022-23, with Gujarat contributing 17.83% (51 students) and Maharashtra 20.28% (58 students) of a 286-student batch. By 2023-24, Gujarat had 17.45% (63 students) and Maharashtra 22.16% (80 students) in a batch of 361, setting the stage for the current shift.
‘Awareness is growing’
IIT-Gn Director, Prof Rajat Moona, told Mirror that the shift is a result of several factors. “Students from Gujarat are increasingly taking admission here because of the larger awareness among the JEE scorers and IIT-Gn’s strong outreach initiatives,” he said. “The way I look at the scenario, students are now getting to know the IIT-Gn system better. I believe student populations across Indian states are similar when it comes to intelligence level, and students who opt for technology undergraduate programs are seeing the value of academics here,” Prof Moona said.
Praise for local talent
When asked specifically about students from Gujarat, the director said they often excel beyond academics.
“I have observed, students from Gujarat are not only good in academics but also in co-curricular activities,” he added.
“For example, one of our recent graduates, Adit from Gujarat, was not only great in academics but was also a swimming champion in a competition across all 24 IITs.”
More students from Gujarat are choosing IIT-Gandhinagar due to increased awareness among JEE candidates and the institute’s strong outreach efforts. These students are not only doing well in academics but also actively participating in co-curricular activities.