Emerge 2026 is a three-day seminar with the theme of Product Design and Innovation sponsored by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and hosted by the IDC School of Design, IIT Bombay. While anyone can submit to the seminar, Emerge encourages people under the age of 35 years working in any area of design research  whether through traditional PhD routes or practice-based, industrial, or independent pathways.

Who should attend?

•     Young faculty members embarking on research careers
•     Recent PhD graduates transitioning to research positions
•     Postdoctoral researchers continuing their scholarly work
•     PhD students (all stages) and M.Des by Research or similar program students on a research pathway
•     Researchers and designers within corporate R&D teams conducting rigorous inquiry
•     Emerging practitioners and independent researchers dedicated to advancing design knowledge
•     Prospective students exploring design research as a career direction
•     We particularly welcome researchers whose work challenges conventional disciplinary boundaries and those whose research contexts extend beyond traditional academic institutions.