The ICT was founded in 1933 as a University Department of Chemical Technology (UDCT) of the University of Mumbai. Robert Forster was first Head of the Department (1933–38), followed by K. Ventakaraman, who continued its development. It was considerably improved under the guidance of Man Mohan Sharma. The university conferred the autonomous status on the UDCT in 1994, with concurrence from the Maharashtra State Government and the UGC. UDCT was renamed as the Mumbai University Institute of Chemical Technology (Autonomous) (MUICT) on 26 January 2002. ICT is considered to be the best post-graduate center in India and comparable to other top-level centers in the world. In June 2004, in accordance with the Technical Education Quality Improvement Programme (TEQIP) of the Government of India, under which the institute was selected as a Lead Institution, the Government of Maharashtra granted complete autonomy to the institute. On 12 September 2008, it was granted the deemed university status and renamed as the Institute of Chemical Technology. Institute of Chemical Technology was the first institute to be granted the elite badge by the state government of Maharashtra. This status put the institute on a par with other reputable schools such as the IITs, IISc and the Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research. It also makes the institute, which has plans to set up a satellite campus, eligible for various special grants from the union and the state governments.
