IIT Madras launched UDYOG, a finishing school for biotechnology students, on Wednesday 21 October 2026. The name stands for Upskilling and Development for YOung Graduates. The programme runs through SynBioME, the IIT Madras-TICEL Biofoundry, and moves students from online courses to four weeks of laboratory work and then to industry internships. Reports describe it as open to pre-final and final-year BTech, MTech and MSc students in biotechnology and allied fields across India.

IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti inaugurated the school on the Chennai campus. Prof. Guhan Jayaraman of the Department of Biotechnology is the principal coordinator.

What is the IIT Madras UDYOG finishing school?

A finishing school adds practical, workplace skills on top of a degree. UDYOG applies that idea to biotechnology and biomanufacturing. Its stated aim is to narrow the gap between what students learn in class and what employers in these sectors expect. The programme combines online courses, intensive laboratory training, pilot-scale exposure and industry internships.

At the launch, Kamakoti called UDYOG one more IIT Madras effort in this direction and stressed academia-industry collaboration. ETV Bharat quotes him: “AI also means Academia-Industry.”

Who can join UDYOG?

Deccan Chronicle reports that the programme targets pre-final and final-year BTech, MTech and MSc students in biotechnology and allied disciplines across India. Other reports describe the audience more loosely, as young graduates or biotech graduates, so check the eligibility line on the registration page before you apply.

The coverage does not say whether students outside those degrees, such as BSc students, can join. “Allied disciplines” is the phrase to confirm.

How does the three-stage training work?

1. Online learning, about three months. Courses run through IIT Madras’s Centre for Outreach and Digital Education (CODE). They include lectures from industry experts and demonstrations of industrial practices.
2. Hands-on training, four weeks. Students selected for this stage train at the IIT Madras Biofoundry, working on laboratory processes and biomanufacturing.
3. Industry engagement and internships. Students get the chance to work with industry partners and apply for internships.

If the first two stages run back to back, which the reports do not confirm, a student would finish about four months of structured training before the internship stage. The reports give neither the length of the internships nor the names of the industry partners.

What is a biofoundry, and why train in one?

A biofoundry is a facility where biological systems are designed, built and tested using automation and standardised workflows, instead of one-off bench experiments. Biomanufacturing is the production of medicines, vaccines, enzymes or bio-based materials using cells, microorganisms or enzymes.

Moving a process from a lab flask to pilot or industrial scale means keeping yield, quality and safety steady as volumes grow. That is the “pilot-scale exposure” UDYOG lists. Its second stage takes place in the IIT Madras Biofoundry.

How do you register interest?

ETV Bharat’s launch report says candidates can submit an expression of interest at code.iitm.ac.in/iitm-ticel-biofoundry-finishing-school. An expression of interest is not an admission, and no report describes how students will be selected.

Frequently asked questions

When did IIT Madras launch UDYOG?
On Wednesday 21 October 2026, at the IIT Madras campus in Chennai.

What does UDYOG stand for?
Upskilling and Development for YOung Graduates.

Who can apply?
Reports say pre-final and final-year BTech, MTech and MSc students in biotechnology and allied disciplines across India. Confirm the eligibility on the registration page.

How long is the programme?
The online stage runs about three months, and the lab stage at the Biofoundry runs four weeks. The internship length has not been stated.

How do I register interest?
Submit an expression of interest at code.iitm.ac.in/iitm-ticel-biofoundry-finishing-school.

Who runs it?
It runs through SynBioME, the IIT Madras-TICEL Biofoundry. Prof. Guhan Jayaraman of the Department of Biotechnology is the principal coordinator.

Is UDYOG a degree?
The reports describe a training pathway and a finishing school. None mention a degree or academic credit.