BIT Sindri, began as the College of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering in 1949 at Patna. Following a year, it shifted to Sindri on 17th, November 1950. Consequently, BIT Sindri was brought into the world by a principal, three professors, and sixty undergraduates in a simple function with some tea over the dining table. The Institute developed and prospered quickly during the good 'ole days under the dynamic leadership of Prof. D.L. Deshpande, the then Director[1950-61], who is considered "The architect of the Institute."

BIT Sindri, previously known as Bihar Institute of Technology, Sindri, was a subsidiary of Ranchi College. Later, it became the affiliated engineering college of Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh. Currently, it is under the affiliation of the Jharkhand University of Technology, Ranchi. Hence, the degree is honored by the JUT.

The Institute, located at a distance of 28 km from Dhanbad Railway Station, is linked by rail and road. It has a rambling campus of around 450 acres of land close to the eastern bank of the river Damodar. There are 28 hostels on the campus, a separate one for boys and girls, taking special care of the residential requirements of around 3000 undergraduate, postgraduate, and research students. Along with it, the Institute is fully residential for teaching staff and non-teaching staff.

The Branch of Science and Technology, Govt. of Jharkhand, Ranchi, controls the institute administration. It is academically associated with the Jharkhand University of Technology, Ranchi, which leads assessments, conducts examinations, and awards degrees. All the courses are approved by the All India Council of Technical Education(AICTE). Also, most undergraduate programs are accredited by the National Board of Accreditation(NBA), New Delhi.