The National Institutes of Technology (NITs) are a group of 30 public engineering institutes located across India that were established to promote regional diversity and multicultural understanding. NITs offer undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs in engineering and technology and are considered the best technical institutes in India next to the IITs. They function autonomously similar to IITs and can set their own curriculum. NITs have produced many successful alumni in business, public service, and academia/research.