Defence Institute of Advanced Technology PhD Admission 2025-26: Power Your Research Career!
Ph.D. Programmes – January 2026 Batch
Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (Deemed to be University), Girinagar, Pune-411025, India
Defence Institute of Advanced Technology PhD Admission 2025-26
Applications are invited for admission to the Ph.D. Programme for the January-2026 session at the Defence Institute of Advanced Technology (DIAT). DIAT, a Technological Institute of National repute, operates as a Deemed to be University under section 3 of the UGC Act 1956. The Institute is dedicated to higher learning, focusing on advanced technologies used by the Tri-services, DRDO, DPSUs, and other defence establishments.
DIAT aims to be an innovative, unique research university, developing indigenous contemporary Defence-related technologies and providing technological solutions to the Services. It offers full-time Ph.D. admissions in various frontier areas of Engineering & Applied Sciences under the Institutional Scholarship Category. Candidates with National fellowships like CSIR-NET, UGC-NET, DST, or Project Staff (JRF/SRF/RA) are also eligible to apply.
Table of Content
Defence Institute of Advanced Technology PhD Admission 2025-26: Disciplines and Vacancies
DIAT offers Ph.D. admission across multiple Departments/Schools for the Institutional Scholarship Category and the MoD Sponsored/Self Sponsored/Industry Sponsored Category. The following tables detail the research areas and the indicative number of vacancies for the Jan-2026 batch.
Institutional Scholarship Category Research Areas
| Sr. No. | Department/School | Subject / Research Area (Abridged) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metallurgical and Materials Engg. | Polymer Composite, Nanocomposites, Biomaterials/Bio nano technology, High Entropy Alloys, Coating/Corrosion, Supercapacitor and battery type electrode materials, Armor materials, Additive manufacturing, Friction stir Processing/Welding, Polymer Nanocomposites for energy storage, polyurethane foam for acoustic absorption. |
| 2 | Electronics Engg. | Antennas, Computational Electromagnetics, Energy Harvesting, Metamaterials, Radar, RF Photonics, RF/Microwave/Millimetre wave circuits, RFID, EMI/EMC, Stealth Technology, UAV, Signal Processing, Robotics, Underwater Acoustic, Embedded System, VLSI, AI & ML, Electronic Warfare, Wireless Power Transfer. |
| 3 | Computer Science & Engineering | Block Chain Technology, Cryptography, Secure Software Engineering, Post Quantum Cryptography, Artificial Intelligence, LLM, Game Theory, QML, ML for IoT, Cyber Security, AIML, DL Applications, Computer Vision, Generative AI, XAI, Malware Analysis, NLP, Computer N/W, HPC, Hardware Security, Cloud Computing and IoT. |
| 4 | Applied Mathematics | Applied Mathematics, Convection in Porous Media, Computational Numerical Method’s for Differential Equations (AI / ML, Finite Element Method), Mathematical Modelling, Cryptography, Fluid Mechanic with Al & ML, Numerical Solution to PDF, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Fuzzy Metric Spaces, Probability Statistics. |
| 5 | Applied Chemistry, Energy and Environment | Synthesis and Applications of Ionic Liquids, Membrane Process, Green Solvents, Combustion of Hydrogen, Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation, Fuel Cell Membranes, Wastewater Treatment, Nanotechnology, Energetic Materials, Organic Hybrid Nanomaterials, Catalysis, Biomaterials, Hydrogels. |
| 6 | Mechanical Engg. | Heat transfer enhancement, Heat Exchangers, Refrigeration and Air conditioning, Solar thermal application, Photovoltaics, Desalination, IC Engine, CFD, Bio-fuels, Water to Energy, Hydrogen Fuel Cell, Electric Vehicles, AI and Optimization, Indentation, Tribology, Avionics, FEM, Vibration, Composite material processing, Additive manufacturing, Blast, Hardened Structures, Fracture Mechanics. |
| 7 | Aerospace Engg. and Autonomous Systems | Robotics Control, Control of Autonomous System, Underwater Robotics, Humanoid Robot, Aerial Robotics, Control & Guidance in Aerospace Engineering. |
| 8 | Applied Physics | Memristors, Photosensors, Microfluidic Lab-on-chip systems, Electronics-Nose, Radar Absorbing Materials, Metamaterials, Photoacoustic/Optical Communications, Optical Nano Materials, Fiber laser & amplifiers, Biophotonics / Optics, Photonics, Lasers, Terahertz. |
| 9 | School of Defence Technology Management | Behavioural Sciences, Aviation Management, Project Management, Supply Chain Management, Quality Management, Operation Research, Industrial Engineering, Aviation Technology, Maritime Surveillance, Applied Al/ML in Technology & Management. |
MoD Sponsored / Self Sponsored and Other Categories (Indicative Vacancies)
The total number of vacancies is only indicative, and DIAT reserves the right in this matter.
| Sr. No. | Department / School | Vacancies |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Metallurgical and Materials Engg. | 06 |
| 2 | Computer Science & Engineering. | 13 |
| 3 | Applied Mathematics | 07 |
| 4 | Applied Chemistry, Energy and Environment. | 03 |
| 5 | Applied Physics | 01 |
| 6 | Electronics Engg. | 05 |
| 7 | Mechanical Engg. | 14 |
| 8 | School of Defence Technology Management | 04 |
Defence Institute of Advanced Technology PhD Admission 2025-26: Eligibility Criteria
Qualification (Institutional Scholarship & National Fellowship Categories)
- A candidate must have secured at least 55% marks or equivalent CGPA/DGPA in the qualifying examination. A relaxation of 5% marks is available for SC/ST/OBC (non-creamy layer)/PWD (Divyang) categories.
- Qualifying Degrees include:
- Master of Engineering/Master of Technology (or equivalent) for Ph.D. in Engineering/Science. OR
- Master in Science (M.Sc. or equivalent) for Ph.D. in Science. OR
- A 1-year/2-semester master’s degree after a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s or a 2-year/4-semester master’s after a 3-year bachelor’s degree, with at least 55% marks.
- For candidates applying after a 4-year/8-semester bachelor’s degree, a minimum of 75% aggregate marks or equivalent grade is required.
- For School of Defence Technology Management: ME/M.Tech/MBA/MS in a relevant discipline (Science, Engineering, Management).
- National Level Test/Fellowship Requirement: A candidate must have qualified in a national-level test like CSIR/UGC NET, GATE, JEST, or be a recipient of a National Doctoral Fellowship or similar fellowships from organizations such as CSIR, UGC, AICTE, DST, DRDO, DAE, etc.
- Project Staff (JRF/SRF/RA) from DRDO Labs & DIAT working under sponsored projects are eligible, subject to meeting criteria and/or qualified GATE/NET.
Eligibility for External Part Time Research Scholar
- Minimum 55% marks in the qualifying examination (5% relaxation for reserved categories).
- Qualifying Degrees include ME/M.Tech or M.Sc. in relevant areas.
- OR BE/B.Tech with 10 years of research/industrial experience for Ph.D. in Engineering/Science.
- For School of Defence Technology Management: ME/M.Tech/MBA/MS in relevant discipline OR BE/B.Tech with 10 years of research/Industrial experience.
- Must be sponsored as a part-time candidate by a government department / public sector undertaking / R & D, with at least five years of relevant experience.
Age Limit
Not above 35 years as on January 01, 2026. Relaxations apply as per Govt. of India rules for SC/ST/OBC/PH applicants.
Selection Process and Financial Assistance for Defence Institute of Advanced Technology PhD Admission 2025-26
Selection Process
Admission will be based on performance in an entrance exam (written test) conducted by the concerned department, followed by a personal interview. The Institute may restrict the number of candidates called for the written test/interview based on qualifications/marks higher than the minimum prescribed. The department screening committee may also decide subject-wise and category-wise GATE/NET cut-off for shortlisting.
Financial Assistance (Institutional Scholarship Category)
- The Institutional fellowship is currently Rs. 37,000/- per month for the first two years, and Rs. 42,000/- per month thereafter, up to five years or till the submission of the thesis, whichever is earlier.
- Selected students will also receive a contingency grant (presently Rs. 15,000/- per year).
- Institute-fellowship recipients may be assigned 4-6 hours per week of teaching/research assistantship.
Course Fee and Other Charges
| Category | Semester Fee (1st & 2nd Year) | Semester Fee (3rd Year Onwards) | Admission Fee & Caution Deposit (One-time) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gen & OBC (Institutional Scholarship/Project Staff) | Rs. 37,000/- | Rs. 42,000/- | Admission Fee: Rs. 6,000/-, Caution Deposit: Rs. 20,000/- |
| SC & ST (Institutional Scholarship/Project Staff) | Rs. 22,000/- | Rs. 27,000/- | Admission Fee: Rs. 6,000/-, Caution Deposit: Rs. 20,000/- |
| MoD Sponsored/Self-Sponsored (DRDO & Service Officers) | Rs. 50,000/- per semester | Admission Fee: Rs. 6,000/-, Caution Deposit: Rs. 20,000/- | |
| Industry Sponsored, Other R&D Govt. Organisations, DPSU’s, etc. | Rs. 65,000/- per semester | Admission Fee: Rs. 6,000/-, Caution Deposit: Rs. 20,000/- | |
Application Process for Defence Institute of Advanced Technology PhD Admission 2025-26
How to Apply
- The application form is available on the Institute’s website: http://www.diat.ac.in.
- Pay the non-refundable application fee per programme either online (through State Bank collect) or by Demand Draft (DD) in favour of Vice Chancellor, DIAT, Pune, payable at Pune-411025.
- Fee: Rs. 500/- for General/OBC category.
- Fee: Rs. 250/- for SC/ST & Women candidates.
- The filled-in application form, along with the DD/online generated receipt and self-certified copies of mark lists, certificates, and other testimonials, must be forwarded in a sealed envelope.
- The envelope must be super-scribed “Application for Admission to PhD Programme in the Department / School of _______”.
- Mail the documents to the Joint Registrar (Academics), Defence Institute of Advanced Technology, Girinagar, Pune 411025. These documents should reach DIAT latest by or before 14th Nov 2025. Postal delay will not be entertained.
- Candidates applying for more than one Department/School must apply separately (Maximum Two Departments).
Note on Joint Supervision: Candidates applying for the Ph.D. Programme have the opportunity to opt for Joint Supervision with the Homi Bhabha National Institute (HBNI), Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), and CSIR – Central Scientific Instruments Organizations (CSIR-CSIO) Chandigarh.
Important Dates
| Event | Date |
|---|---|
| Last Date of receipt of Hard copy of application | 14th Nov 2025 |
| Tentative Date of Written Test / Interview | 12th Dec 2025 |
| Tentative date of commencement of the programme | 1st week of Jan 2026 |