Manipal was a bare wasteland, a laterite hilltop covered with scrub and bush. Five decades ago, a great visionary Dr T.M.A. Pai, a country doctor changed the face of the hill top with his vision. He built a bustling township called Manipal. Today, Manipal is a renowned Center for Learning. He established Educational, Medical, Banking, Printing and Industrial Enterprises of national importance and repute. Manipal is an eloquent testimony to the vision, motivation and labour of Dr T.M.A. Pai. Now it has become the Mecca of Education and Health Services, it is the nucleus of 50 Educational Institutions and 10 Hospitals.

Manipal is situated in the rocky hinterland of the fabled Malabar (Konkan) coast of Southwest India. Manipal is situated on a laterite plateau about 200 metres above sea level and about 15 km from the Arabian Sea and commands a panoramic view of the Arabian Sea on the West and the Western Ghats ranges in the East. It nestles between the hill ranges of the Western Ghats and the blue waters of the Arabian sea and overlooks a narrow coastal plain through which the picturesque Swarna river meanders its way to the sea.

It is only a 50 km drive to the rain forests of the Western Ghat Mountains. Manipal is a suburb of the famous pilgrimage Centre of Udupi in Karnataka State on the West Coast of India and 330 kms. South of Goa near the coastal highway (NH 17) connecting Kanyakumari to Mumbai. Ideally situated amidst scenic beauty and rural surroundings, Manipal has all the modern facilities of transport, communication and banking.

The climate is humid and warm between November and May, and wet and cool during the monsoon months of June to October. It has a tropical climate characteristic of coastal plains in western India. Manipal, being located on an elevated place near the seashore, has a fine breeze throughout the day and the temperature ranges from 24°C to 38°C for most part of the year. The rainfall amounts to about 260-300 inches/year mainly during the monsoon months of June to October.

Manipal Education is one of the largest education services provider from India. The group includes two Universities, Manipal University & Sikkim Manipal University, and over 30 other institutions in India, besides colleges and university campuses in Antigua, Dubai, Malaysia and Nepal. Manipal Education currently has over 125,000 students from over 53 countries, of which about 25,000 students study at institutions and overseas campuses in India and abroad, while over 100,000 students undertake distance education, delivered using a blended approach including both satellite-based lectures and local coaching at 450 learning centres in India and overseas. Manipal Education also offers online testing and assessment for academic as well as corporate clients, and has recently launched professional education for service sectors like financial services, IT, media and retail.

Manipal Education recently signed Anil Kumble, a leading international cricketer and the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team, as its Brand Ambassador. His academic and extra curricular achievements are mirrored in the values and vision of Manipal Education.

The Sikkim Manipal University of Health, Medical and Technological Sciences, Gangtok is incorporated under the State Legislative Act (Act IX of 1995) of the Government of Sikkim. It is recognized by the Union Ministry of Human Resources Development and by the University Grants Commission. SMU’s Degrees/Diploma/Certificates are recognized by all members of Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

The University was set up in partnership between the Manipal Education and Medical Group and the Government of Sikkim with the objective of offering quality education to students and working professionals. Apart from regular on-site programs, the University offers many career oriented programs via distance education. These programs are offered as part of its effort to bring education to the masses and fulfill the growing demand for professionals.

The courses include Master degree programs, Bachelor degree programs, Diploma and Post Graduate diploma programs, both in Information Technology and Management category. Twinning programs are also launched in collaboration with IT majors in the field of Wireless Technology.