The Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M), is preparing to inaugurate its inaugural international campus in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The institute aims to commence classes by October 2023 with an initial batch of 50 undergraduate (UG) and 20 postgraduate (PG) students. Programs in Data Science and Artificial Intelligence will be offered at the new campus. The exact fee structure is yet to be determined, according to a report by IANS.

Construction of the IIT campus in Zanzibar is expected to be completed within the next three to five years.

In February of this year, a dedicated team of five professors from IIT Madras visited Tanzania and engaged in discussions with various officials regarding the establishment of the campus. President Hussein Mwinyi of Zanzibar granted permission for the campus while ensuring that the IITs would have the necessary autonomy to uphold quality standards.

IIT Zanzibar will be one of three international campuses located outside of India, with the others situated in Kuala Lumpur and Abu Dhabi. Each campus is intended to serve its respective region, and Zanzibar's campus will cater to the greater East African region, as reported by The Citizen, a local Tanzanian daily.

During the visit to Tanzania, Binaya Pradhan, the Indian Diplomat and High Commissioner of India to Tanzania, expressed in a tweet that "IIT in Tanzania can play a crucial role in the growth and nation-building, not just of Tanzania, but of the entire continent."

The IIT Madras delegation that visited Tanzania for the offshore campus comprised Professor Raghu Rengaswamy, Professor Preeti Aghalayam, Professor Livy Philip, Professor KN Satyanarayana, and Professor Annamalai Mani.

In 2022, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan held a series of meetings with counterparts from various countries, including Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, and Ghana, to strengthen bilateral relations in the field of education and employment. During these meetings, Pradhan discussed India's support for the IIT project in Tanzania, which encompasses education and vocational training.

There have been reports suggesting that the offshore campuses of the IITs may be named "India International Institute of Technology," and faculty members from these esteemed institutions could be deputed abroad.