The Maharashtra government has formally proposed renaming IIT Bombay to IIT Mumbai, arguing that the change would reflect the city’s officially recognised name and correct a long-standing inconsistency. The proposal comes nearly three decades after Bombay was renamed Mumbai in 1995 to honour the city’s patron deity, Goddess Mumbadevi, and to move away from British-era nomenclature.
According to officials, the state government has communicated its recommendation to the Union Ministry of Education, requesting that the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay adopt the updated name. The institution, established in 1958, has retained “Bombay” in its title despite the city’s official renaming, leading to periodic demands for alignment.
A senior official noted that several other institutions in the city have already updated their names over the years. “It is only logical that a premier national institution like IIT also reflects the identity of Mumbai,” the official said. The proposal aims to synchronise institutional names with the city’s administrative and cultural reality.
The move has sparked a debate among alumni, students, and citizens. While many support the name change as a matter of cultural and geographical accuracy, others argue that the brand “IIT Bombay” carries global recognition built over decades and should be preserved for academic continuity.
Experts say the decision, if approved, will require updates across official documents, academic records, signage, and digital platforms. The Union government is expected to review the proposal before arriving at a final decision.
For Maharashtra, the renaming aligns with its broader efforts to standardise place names across the state in accordance with local history and cultural identity. Whether IIT Bombay will officially become IIT Mumbai now depends on central approval and stakeholder consultations.
