Tier 1 — Elite IITs (Closing Rank Below 415)
These elite IITs — IIT Madras, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Roorkee, and IIT Kharagpur and others — offer AI & Data Science (Gender-Neutral) accessible only to candidates with JEE Advanced Category Ranks at or below 415. Competition here is among the most intense in Indian engineering admissions. IIT Madras and IIT Hyderabad and others are showing tightening competition year-over-year — meaning these seats are becoming progressively harder to secure. Notably, IIT Guwahati and IIT Kanpur show an easing trend year-over-year, potentially offering a marginal window for borderline aspirants.