Which is better, ME at IIT Dharwad or IIT Tirupati?

Both these colleges have their own pros and cons.

Here are some important points for you to consider-

1. The Andhra Pradesh government is taking initiatives to make Tirupati an educational hub. IIIT Tirupati and IISER Tirupati are located close to the IIT Tirupati campus. This makes up for a very rich environment. 
   
   But then, even IIT Dharwad is located close to Karnatak University, Karnatak College, University of Agricultural Sciences, SDMCET, and IIIT Dharwad is soon to be established nearby. 
    
2. IIT Tirupati has very lenient branch change rules. You can opt for branch change after the 1st semester itself. I don’t know about the branch change rules of IIT Dharwad. 
3. IIT Tirupati operates from its transit campus which is a part of its permanent campus. Though the permanent campus is under construction, the transit campus has all the infrastructural facilities.
4. IIT Dharwad has been operating from its permanent campus since 12th March 2023. The campus was inaugurated by the Hon. Prime Minister himself.
    
5. The closing rank of IIT Tirupati is the lowest among all 3rd gen IITs, so it houses quite competent students. 
    
6. Tirupati is a clean tourist spot, so in terms of location, IIT Tirupati clearly wins.

Based on these points, I would suggest you choose IIT Tirupati over IIT Dharwad. But you should first consult some seniors from the Mechanical department of both these colleges to know about the academics and faculty at each.