New Delhi: IIT Delhi is planning to go vertical as part of a proposed decade-long campus redevelopment roadmap that aims to comprehensively upgrade its academic, residential and research infrastructure by 2035 while retaining its existing footprint and green cover.The institute is working on a plan that lays out a phased redevelopment strategy over the next 10-15 years. The blueprint, expected to be finalised by May, moves away from incremental construction towards a unified campus-wide vision that integrates hostels, academic blocks and residential housing for faculty and staff, said IIT-D director Rangan Banerjee. “In about 10 to 15 years, the entire campus will essentially be rebuilt,” Banerjee said. “But we have to carefully plan transitions, create capacity, shift people, build and then move on to the next phase.”With the campus located in the heart of south Delhi at Hauz Khas, a key constraint is limited space. To address this, the institute plans to build vertically within its current boundaries, enabled by revised height regulations that are expected to allow residential buildings up to 38-42 metres. This potentially permits nearly doubling the height of existing hostels, significantly increasing capacity without expanding the campus footprint or cutting trees.Two new highrise hostels, one for men and another for women, are already in the pipeline, adding close to 4,000 beds. Once these are operational, the institute is expected to begin demolishing older hostels dating back to 1960s and 1970s in phases and replacing them with full-height modern structures. “Usually, we approach projects one at a time. We identify a shortage, plan to build over the next few years, figure out funding and then construct. The problem with such a short-term approach is that our infrastructure never really keeps pace with our aspirations. That’s why we decided it’s important to take a long-term perspective,” said Banerjee.He added, “We reviewed the original master plan, the zoning and available areas while ensuring that no trees are cut. Our current plan focuses on the same footprint and, under existing regulations, evaluates how much we can construct and when. The goal is that 10-15 years from now, with the projected number of faculty and students, the campus will have the necessary space to support our growth.”The redevelopment is estimated to require Rs 8,000-9,000 crore over roughly a decade. The funding model is expected to be evenly split between institutional resources, alumni contributions and support from govt or industry. Rather than relying on traditional endowments, alumni funding is likely to follow a “spend-down” approach, with donations directly deployed for construction, particularly for rebuilding older hostels.Beyond the main campus, IIT Delhi is also expanding residential capacity in nearby RK Puram, where a two-acre plot is being developed to provide 140-150 flats for international students, visiting faculty and staff, with completion targeted in two-three years. Simultaneously, it is advancing plans for its Sonipat campus, where development is proposed to begin on 10 acres, with another 40 acres earmarked for future expansion.Banerjee said the 2035 roadmap was being shaped through both top-down planning and bottom-up engagement with faculty, staff and students. “It’s not just about buildings. It’s about collectively deciding what IIT Delhi should become and then designing the infrastructure to support that future,” he added.Once finalised, the institute plans to present the comprehensive blueprint to stakeholders, positioning the redevelopment as a foundational step towards sustaining its academic and research ambitions over the coming decades.
