Yes, you can prefer IISER Pune over IITs like Madras, Kanpur, or Kharagpur. Although this choice is not that significant. If you are interested in research, your bachelor’s and master’s degree are just baby steps. The difference between IISERs and IITs is the student crowd. Since IISER is more research-oriented, you will get to meet people who are genuinely interested in research. Before choosing any of these institutes, it’s better if you talk to the current students and get to know the faculty and facilities of these institutes.

The integrated BS-MS 8’ Physics program offered at IIT Madras is a dual degree in reality. The program is a great success because it is under the umbrella of IIT Madras' excellent Physics department. This department is affiliated with CERN and LIGO and has approachable professors and a friendly ambiance for study.

One has to clear JEE to become eligible for this program. The cutoff keeps changing and this program has a small batch size of around 10-15 students. The small batch size is because the program has been newly launched and is still yet to be made known. 

The peer group has geniuses from every culture and academic background. IMT might be a rank holder in Karnataka CET while the other may be a 98% in class 12th. There are dynamic discussions among the students and it’s more than one can ask for.

Additional features include INSPIRE scholarship of around INR 60000/- year. You even get the golden opportunity to attend the KVPY Vijyoshi camp.

Ultimately, this program is a dream come true for Physics lovers and is a better option than Engineering for them.