PhD
PhD 2026
IDC School of Design admits students to the PhD programme twice a year — in Spring and Autumn semesters.
The applications for PhD admissions for Autumn 2026 – 2027 are now open.
PhD. ONLINE Application Form for Autumn 2026-2027 can be filled up from
March 27, 2026 to April 14, 2026, 5PM
All updates will be shared through the official IITB 2026 website and through registered emails only.
PhD Research Areas
IIDC School of Design invites candidates to apply for PhD in the following core domains: Industrial Design, Communication Design, Interaction Design, Animation and Film, Mobility and Vehicle Design, Human Factors and Ergonomics. Besides these core domains, the PhD programme fosters an open interdisciplinary approach involving the disciplines such as engineering, social sciences, media and education.
Before applying, the candidates are strongly suggested to refer to the list below to know about the research areas of the faculty members and the research topics that are suggested for this intake.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to contact and discuss their research interests with individual faculty members of IDC School of Design before applying, to gain a better understanding of the current research focus. Candidates are also encouraged to work with the faculty member, for a few months, and develop their research areas before the application.
Faculty members available to take PhD students for Spring 2026-27:
- Anirudha Joshi,
- Anisha Malhotra,
- Girish Dalvi,
- G V Sreekumar,
- Jayesh Pillai,
- Kanika Jolly,
- Nishant Sharma,
- Purba Joshi,
- Sugandh Malhotra,
- Swati Pal,
- Venkatesh R,
- Wricha Mishra.
PhD topics suggested for the 2026-27 spring semester applications:
| Faculty | Topic |
|---|---|
| Anirudha Joshi | Text input in Indian languages / Other tools for Indian Languages Localisation for Indian Needs / Localisation of user interfaces for Indian languages Design Education for India of 2047 Design research for emergent users A writeup for these topics here. The link is not publicly available yet, but please write to me for an access request. |
| Anisha Malhotra-Dalvi | Designing for children Design Pedagogy |
| Girish Dalvi | Critical Design Theory and Technological Imaginaries in Indian Contexts Interpretive and Context-Sensitive approaches to Interaction Design Socio-material Design Studies: Technological Practices in the Indian Context |
| G.V. Sreekumar | Typography, Calligraphy, Letterform studies Publication design Information Graphics, Data Visualisation Design Pedagogy |
| Jayesh Pillai | Grammar of storytelling in Virtual Reality Novel Interaction Techniques in XR Future Applications of Immersive Media Please refer to these papers & projects for reference. |
| Kanika Jolly | Design for Inclusivity Designing for Sensory Experience |
| Nishant Sharma | Designing hospital and home care for ICU patients Evoloving methodologies in teaching Design Thinking PdX: Participatory Design for X (Mobility, Agriculture, Healthcare) Developing assistive mobility aids and devices for para-athletes Developing Vehicle Forms using biomimicry |
| Purba Joshi | Designing age-friendly cities of the future (see description) Design for healthcare/ assistive aids for people living with neurological disorders/ design for special needs |
| Sugandh Malhotra | Design for Future / Design Forecasting / Future Trends Design methods in immersive environments (VR/AR+AI) for the future Sustainable mobility design : adaptive systems from the nature |
| Swati Pal | Design for Elderly Design for Healthcare/Rehabilitation Occupational Health and Safety Designing for Decision Making |
| Venkatesh R | Data Visualization (visual encoding, next billion users, mapping, scientific viz) (e.g. see projects & recent papers) |
| Wricha Mishra | Digital Health Adoption Conversational Interfaces Sustainable Human Computer Interaction Embodied Design : A focus on cognition shaped by bodily interaction and multiple sensory modalities |
For More Information
Refer ;
CONTACT US
PhD inquiries may be addressed to:
Chairperson
UCEED-CEED Office
IIT Bombay
Powai, Mumbai 400076
Phone:
+91 22 2576 4063 / 9093 / 9094
(Monday to Friday, 09:30 – 17:30 hrs)
E-mail:
uceed@iitb.ac.in