Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology (TIET) in Patiala, Punjab, was established in 1956 through an arrangement between the then State of PEPSU (Patiala and East Punjab States Union), the Central Government and the Patiala Technical Education Trust, founded by the industrialist Lala Karam Chand Thapar. Its Trust Deed is dated 9 April 1956. It describes its model as a joint venture between the public and private sectors in technical education.
The campus covers more than 250 acres and TIET holds an A++ grade from NAAC. In its NIRF 2026 data submission it reported 10,096 students on four-year undergraduate programmes, 1,122 on two-year postgraduate programmes and 795 PhD students. Prof. Padmakumar Nair is Vice Chancellor; he joined TIET in July 2013 and previously led its management school, LMTSOM.