Established in 1963 as Malaviya Regional Engineering College (MREC) through a joint initiative of the Government of India and the Government of Rajasthan, the institute was upgraded to a National Institute of Technology in 2002 and was declared an Institute of National Importance under the NIT Act in 2007. Today, MNIT operates as an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, and is consistently ranked among the top engineering colleges in the country.
The institute is spread across a 317-acre green campus in Malviya Nagar, one of Jaipur's prime educational and residential areas. Its location provides excellent connectivity to Jaipur International Airport, Jaipur Junction Railway Station, and the city's commercial hubs. The campus houses modern academic buildings, advanced research laboratories, a central library, innovation centers, multiple hostels, sports complexes, medical facilities, banks, shopping complexes, and residential quarters for faculty and staff, creating a complete residential academic environment.