In India, Institute of National Importance (INI) is a status that may be conferred on a premier public higher education institution by an act of the Parliament of India for such institutions which, "serve as a pivotal player in developing highly skilled personnel within the specified region of the country or state." Institutes of National Importance receive special recognition, higher autonomy, and direct funding from the Government of India. Some of India's highest ranked universities, including all of the Indian Institutes of Technology,National Institutes of Design, National Institutes of Technology, All India Institutes of Medical Sciences, Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research, Indian Institutes of Information Technology and Indian Institutes of Management, have this status.