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).

Later the following institutions of the trust were brought under the ambit of BIHER during 2004 and 2007:Institute of Science and Technology in 2003.

BIHER consists of:

• 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
• Bharath Institute of Law, Chennai

Thus, Bharath Institute of Higher Education and Research (BIHER) is a multi-stream and multi-cultural university, providing high quality education to nearly 10000 students from around the world. It is functioning in a sprawling area of 305 acres of land located in 4 Campuses both in Tamil Nadu and Pudhucherry with the state of the art infrastructure facilities. There are 1300 Teaching Faculty members in the University to teach UG and, PG programmers and to guide Ph.D. Research.