The first self-financing Engineering College in the name of Bharath Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) was started in Tamil Nadu in 1984 by Sri Lakshmi Ammal Educational Trust, established by the academic visionary Dr.S.Jagathrakshakan. The trust then started Sree Balaji Dental College and Hospital, in 1989. Sree Balaji Dental College and Hospital was first recognized as a Deemed to be University by MHRD in July 2002, under section 3 of the UGC Act 1956 under the new trust Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER). The Bharath Institute of Science and Technology (BIST) was then brought under the ambit of Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER) in January 2003.
Later the following institutions of the trust were brought under the ambit of BIHER
•	Sree Balaji College of Nursing, Chennai
•	Sree Balaji College of Physiotherapy, Chennai
•	Sree Balaji Medical College and Hospital(SBMCH), Chennai
•	Sri Lakshmi Narayana Institute of Medical Sciences (SLIMS), Pudhucherry
Thus, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER) is providing multi-stream, multi-cultural and high quality education to nearly 10000 students from around the world. It is functioning in a sprawling area of 305 acres of land with 1.3 crore sq.ft buildings located in 6 Campuses both in Tamil Nadu and Pudhucherry with the state of the art infrastructure facilities. There are well qualified Teaching Faculty members to teach various UG and PG programmes and to guide Ph.D. Research.