National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), previously known as Karnataka Regional Engineering College (KREC), also known as NITK Surathkal, is a popular engineering university at Surathkal, Mangalore. It was established in 1960 as KREC while today, it is one of the 32 National Institutes of Technology in India and is recognized as an Institute of National Importance by the Govt of India. It has a semi-urban campus, in close proximity to the Arabian Sea. National Highway 66 runs through the campus and serves as the major way of entrance.