Varanasi

Meeting people at IIT-BHU

IIT (BHU) Varanasi is a 425-acre institute inside the much larger Banaras Hindu University campus, so its students get an IIT's intensity plus BHU's tree-lined avenues, temples and the ghats of Varanasi a short ride away. Its three big fests are Technex, Kashiyatra and Spardha.

The story of IIT-BHU

Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya, the founder of Banaras Hindu University, set up the Banaras Engineering College, known as BENCO, in 1919. It was one of the first places in India to teach engineering subjects like mining and metallurgy at degree level.

In 1968 BENCO merged with two sister colleges, TECHNO and MINMET, to form the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, or IT-BHU. That is the name generations of alumni still use.

After years of campaigning, IT-BHU was converted into an IIT. The amendment bill was signed by the President on 20 June 2012, and the institute became IIT (BHU) Varanasi, while staying physically inside the BHU campus.

What the campus is like socially

Studying at IIT BHU means living on one of India's largest university campuses, sharing roads, canteens and festivals with BHU students from every discipline. Cycling down the long avenues, evening chai at the campus stalls and trips to Assi Ghat or the old city lanes are part of the routine.

Hostel identity runs deep, from historic hostels to large newer blocks, and inter-hostel sports and cultural rivalries fill the year. Most first-years find their crowd through clubs under the Students' Gymkhana or the organising teams of Technex, Kashiyatra and Spardha, which are among the busiest student teams on campus.

Traditions every IIT-BHU student knows

• Technex: The techno-management fest, held in late February or early March. It traces its roots to MODEX, an engineering model show started in 1970, and bills itself as Asia's oldest techno-management fest.
• Kashiyatra: The socio-cultural fest, started in 1981 and formerly called Sparsh and Spandan. It draws students from hundreds of colleges for dramatics, dance, the Crosswindz rock contest and more.
• Spardha: IIT BHU's annual sports fest, bringing teams from colleges across India to Varanasi.
• FMC Weekend: The film and media festival run by the Film and Media Council, with photography, design and filmmaking events.
• Antarnaad: The final night of Kashiyatra, when the biggest performances of the fest take place.

Campus lore and insider spots

• IT-BHU forever: Many alumni and even current students still say IT-BHU instead of IIT BHU, a habit handed down from seniors.
• Kashiyatra's classical roots: Past Kashiyatra stages have hosted greats like Ustad Bismillah Khan and Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, fitting for a fest in Varanasi.
• The ghats as an extended campus: No other IIT has Varanasi's ghats on its doorstep, and sunset at Assi Ghat is a classic plan for freshers.
• Older than most IITs: BENCO was founded in 1919, decades before the first IIT, so the institute carries a century of history under its newer name.

How to find your people here

At IIT-BHU, a technical club, hackathon team, or the fest organizing crew is the fastest way to meet people outside your own branch.

Fests and societies at IIT-BHU

Signature fests

• Technex
• Kashiyatra
• Spardha

Notable societies

• FMC (Film and Media Club) Weekend organizing team

Societies worth knowing at IIT-BHU

• Science and Technology Council: Umbrella for clubs like the Club of Programmers, Robotics Club, Quant Club, Aeromodelling Club and the SAE team.
• Cultural Council: Home to dance, theatre, music, literary, quizzing and fine arts clubs, many of which compete at other colleges' fests.
• Film and Media Council: Covers photography, design, animation and filmmaking, and runs FMC Weekend.
• E-Cell: Runs the entrepreneurship summit and supports student startups.
• Social Service Council: Runs outreach and education programmes in villages around Varanasi.

Careers, internships and placements

IIT BHU runs a central placement season with recruiters across software, finance, consulting and core engineering. Computer science, electrical and electronics draw the most interest, while mining, metallurgy, ceramic and other specialist branches keep strong links with core industry.

Coding, quant and consulting clubs are popular routes into tech and finance roles, and the institute's alumni network in global tech is notably strong. E-Cell supports students who want to build startups.

Notable alumni

• Nikesh Arora: CEO of Palo Alto Networks and former senior executive at Google and SoftBank.
• Jay Chaudhry: Founder and CEO of cybersecurity company Zscaler.
• Deepak Ahuja: Former chief financial officer of Tesla.
• Manoj Sinha: Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir and former Union Minister.
• Krishan Kant: Former Vice President of India.
• Varun Grover: National Award-winning lyricist and writer, known for Masaan and Gangs of Wasseypur.

Rivalries and eternal debates

The oldest debate is identity: is it an IIT or part of BHU? Students happily claim both. Among IITs, IIT BHU likes to point out that its history goes back to 1919, older than any IIT, while JEE forums argue over branches at IIT BHU against branches at the original IITs. Technex and Kashiyatra measure themselves against the big North India fests at IIT Delhi and IIT Kanpur.

Meeting people at IIT-BHU by interest

A lot of friendships here form around a shared interest rather than a class or a hostel wing. If you are into filmmaking, coding and hackathons, startups and builders, gaming and esports, and running, those pages cover where that scene actually happens in India and how to find people near you who are into the same thing.

Colleges nearby

IIT-BHU sits close to BHU, all part of the same Varanasi student scene. Cross-college friendships often start at inter-college fests, hackathons, or shared-interest communities rather than in class.

Similar campuses across India

If you are looking beyond your own campus, students at IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Kharagpur, and IIT Madras share a similar campus culture, and Zyber works the same way at each: showing you verified people nearby who match on interest, intent, or timing.

Zyber on campus

Zyber is built for meeting people nearby in real time, with verified profiles only. At IIT-BHU, that means showing you people near you who share your interests or your drive, whether or not you overlap on a class or a society.

New to IIT-BHU? Start here

If you are just starting out, these freshers guides are written for exactly this moment: first week of college checklist, how to choose societies in college, making friends beyond your branch, and hackathons for beginners in india.

the freshers guide, the Meet People pillar, or read what Zyber is.