IIT Palakkad was founded in 2015 with the Director of IIT Madras, Dr. Bhaskar Ramamurthi as the mentor Director. IIT Madras deputed a batch of experienced professors including the ones recently retired, former deans and heads of various departments to the new campus as both permanent and visiting professors.[7] In January 2017, Dr. P B Sunil Kumar, who was the Professor-in-charge, was appointed as the Director by the President of India, Pranab Mukherjee.[8]