Plaksha University

What Plaksha University is

Plaksha University is a private university in Mohali (SAS Nagar), Punjab, established under the Plaksha University Punjab Act, 2021, and recognised by the UGC under Section 2(f) since September 2021 (Plaksha Regulatory Disclosure). The university was founded by a collective of 100+ tech entrepreneurs, business leaders, and academicians across six countries, with the explicit aim of reimagining technology education in India.

Plaksha began undergraduate classes in August 2021 on its 50-acre campus near Chandigarh International Airport. The campus was designed by New York-based architecture firm Plan A. The university currently enrolls approximately 500 students and has around 40 full-time faculty recruited from institutions including MIT, Cornell, UC Berkeley, Purdue, LSE, Imperial College London, and the IITs (plaksha.edu.in).

The university’s Academic Advisory Board includes figures such as Abhijit Banerjee (Nobel Laureate, MIT), Anant Agarwal (CEO of edX, MIT), and faculty from Stanford, Princeton, UC Berkeley, and Purdue.

Plaksha does not yet appear in NIRF rankings, which is expected given its recent establishment. It holds DSIR Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (SIRO) status.

Who it’s for

Plaksha targets students who want an interdisciplinary engineering education with a strong emphasis on problem-solving, research, and entrepreneurship — students who might otherwise consider institutions like Ashoka University (for its liberal approach) or new IITs (for engineering), but want something that combines both.

The typical Plaksha student is academically strong (JEE Main 95th+ percentile or equivalent), intellectually curious beyond just engineering, and interested in building things — whether that’s AI research, startups, or solutions to societal challenges. The university’s small size (500 students) means close faculty interaction and a tight-knit community.

All students share a common “Freshmore Year” before declaring majors, which appeals to students who want to explore before specialising. The university also offers a Minor in Tech Entrepreneurship and a Grand Challenge Scholars Program.

Students should note: Plaksha is very new. Its first graduating batch entered the job market in 2025. The university has strong early placement numbers, but it doesn’t yet have the decades-long track record or alumni network of established institutions. Prospective students are essentially investing in a bet on the institution’s trajectory.

Programs offered

Undergraduate (4-year B.Tech, holistic application):

• B.Tech in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence — combines CS core with AI/ML, NLP, and human-computer interfaces
• B.Tech in Robotics and Autonomous Systems — computing, mechatronics, IoT, and autonomous systems
• B.Tech in Biological Systems Engineering — engineering principles applied to biology, biomedical data, and planetary health
• B.Tech in Data Science, Economics and Business — data science with econometrics, game theory, behavioural economics, and finance

All B.Tech programs share a common Freshmore Year. Students declare majors after Year 1.

Postgraduate:

• MS in Artificial Intelligence — 1-year full-time residential, co-delivered with Penn Engineering (University of Pennsylvania). Requires CAT/GMAT/GRE/GATE score.

Doctoral:

• Ph.D. in CS/AI, Robotics, Biosystems, Data Science/Economics, Clean Energy, Water Security, and Humanities/Linguistics. Stipend: ₹42,000–₹1,00,000/month depending on fellowship.

Partnerships:

• Academic collaborations with UC Berkeley, Purdue University, and SRI International for curriculum design, research, and exchange programs.
• PhD programmes across multiple disciplines

Campus and infrastructure

The Plaksha campus covers 50 acres in the Chandigarh tri-city region (Mohali/SAS Nagar), approximately 10 minutes from Chandigarh International Airport and 30 minutes from Chandigarh city. The campus includes:

• Academic buildings designed by Plan A (New York)
• Laboratories and makerspaces for hands-on engineering work
• Mandatory residential hostels (twin-sharing) — all students live on campus
• Library and digital resources
• Sports courts, dance room, yoga studio, music room
• Wellness centre
• Dining facilities with meal plan

The fully residential model is a deliberate design choice. Plaksha requires all students to live on campus to foster a close-knit academic community.

Things to verify before applying

• No entrance exam requirement: Plaksha uses a holistic application process (application + virtual interaction). JEE/SAT scores are used for merit scholarship determination, not as admission requirements. Verify the current process at plaksha.edu.in/admissions.
• Fee structure: Tuition is ₹8,40,000/year for the 2026 intake, plus hostel and meal plan. Total annual cost is approximately ₹10,67,000. However, 69% of students receive financial aid, and 33.7% receive full tuition waivers (plaksha.edu.in).
• Placement track record: Early placement data is strong (average ₹20 LPA, highest ₹65 LPA for 2024-25 batch). However, only 2-3 batches have graduated. Verify the latest placement report at plaksha.edu.in/placements.
• Accreditation status: UGC 2F recognised (not 12B). No NAAC accreditation yet. B.Tech degrees are valid, but students should understand the accreditation timeline.
• Small scale: With 500 students and 40 faculty, the experience is very different from a large university. This can be a benefit (close mentoring) or a limitation (fewer peer options, smaller alumni network).

Where to go next on this site

• Plaksha University Fee Structure
• Plaksha University Admissions
• Plaksha University Placements
• B.Tech AI & Data Science — related program overview
• Ashoka University — another new-model private university
• Shiv Nadar University — private university with research focus
• IIT Bombay — traditional engineering benchmark
• JEE Main — commonly held by Plaksha applicants (used for scholarships)

Sources Used

• Plaksha University Official Website
• Plaksha Admissions
• Plaksha Placements
• Plaksha Regulatory Disclosure
• Plaksha Financial Aid