IIT Kharagpur has played a pioneering role in advancing interdisciplinary education in India by systematically integrating the domains of medicine, engineering, and technology. The School of Medical Science and Technology (SMST), IIT Kharagpur, established in 2001, launching a new undergraduate programme — B. Tech in Biomedical Engineering (BME).
Biomedical engineering integrates diverse branches of engineering with biology and medicine to develop technologies that improve human health and healthcare accessible. The rapid growth of BME is evidenced by landmark innovations such as CT/MRI/Ultrasound imaging, robotic surgery, prosthetics, and medical informatics and AI, underscoring its pivotal role in modern healthcare, research, and education.
The B. Tech BME to be offered by IIT Kharagpur aims at:
Generating trained manpower needed for the fast-evolving Biomedical Engineering ecosystem in the country.
- Empowering the next generation of innovators at the intersection of engineering and healthcare.
- Integrating core engineering curriculum, with hands-on approach in healthcare technology development.
- Industry- hospital-academia integration – introducing the concept of living labs.
- Developing a internationally recognized curriculum strengthening the excellence and leadership of the institute in medical science and technology.
Biomedical Engineering is one of the fasted growing engineering fields worldwide. The B. Tech Program in BME will provide the urgently needed manpower to support the nation's growing medical device industry. Additionally, a training in biomedical engineering opens the doors for global leadership in academic research and emerging industrial roles.