IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester is an opportunity for eligible candidates seeking admission to doctoral programmes at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay. The Spring Semester admission schedule includes the release of the advertisement, opening of online applications, regular and extended application deadlines, display of shortlisted candidates, written test and/or interview, declaration of results, fee payment, reporting, registration, document verification and commencement of instruction.

The IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester brochure covers the general eligibility requirements, application categories, financial support provisions, admission procedure, application instructions, documents required and academic units offering Ph.D. programmes. Candidates must also satisfy the specific eligibility requirements of the Department, Centre, School or Interdisciplinary Group to which they apply.

For the Spring Semester 2026-27, the advertisement is scheduled for September 4, 2026, online application forms are scheduled to become available from September 16, 2026, and the regular application deadline is October 17, 2026. An extended application period with late fine is scheduled until October 21, 2026.

1. IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester
2. IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester Highlights
3. Important Dates
4. Eligibility Criteria
5. Ph.D. Disciplines and Academic Units
6. Application Fee
7. Financial Support and Fellowship
8. Application Process
9. Documents Required
10. Statement of Purpose and Research Proposal
11. Admission and Selection Procedure
12. Important Instructions
13. Result, Fees, Reporting and Registration
14. Contact and Official Links
15. Frequently Asked Questions

The following dates are given in the tentative Spring Semester 2026-27 admission schedule. Candidates should keep checking the IIT Bombay website because the schedule states that dates may be changed.

For IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester, candidates must fulfil the general eligibility criteria as well as the eligibility requirements prescribed by the respective Department, Centre, School or Interdisciplinary Group.

Qualifying Degrees

• Master’s or equivalent degree in Engineering/Technology.
• M.B.A. with B.Tech./B.E. or equivalent degree.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Technology/Medicine with a 4-year degree.
• Bachelor’s degree in Science (BS) with a 4-year degree.
• Master’s or equivalent degree in Science.
• Master’s or equivalent degree in Arts/Commerce or allied subjects.

Additional Requirement for Certain Qualifying Degrees

For qualifying degrees under the specified Bachelor’s and Master’s degree categories, candidates must also fulfil one of the following requirements:

• A valid GATE score or JEST score for Physics and the Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering.
• Selection through National Eligibility Test – UGC NET, including lectureship/Assistant Professorship and/or admission to Ph.D.
• Selection through a national-level examination conducted by MoE or its agencies/institutions such as UGC, IIT, IISc., IIIT etc.
• Provisional selection for the DST-INSPIRE Fellowship, with provisional award letter to be produced.
• Minimum of two years of professional experience acquired after obtaining the qualifying degree and completed before the beginning of the semester in which admission is sought.

Marks / CGPA / CPI Requirement

In addition to the general eligibility criteria, candidates must satisfy the eligibility requirements specified for the particular academic unit and must meet any additional requirements for financial support or fellowship applicable to their admission category.

The IIT Bombay Ph.D. brochure lists the following disciplines and academic units for its Ph.D. programmes. Candidates should check the concerned academic unit for its discipline-specific eligibility, research areas and admission requirements.

Spring Semester restriction: The tentative Spring Semester schedule specifically states that there is no admission for Spring Semester 2026-27 for the Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies and MED-TRIC.

The application fee for IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester depends on the candidate category and the application period.

• The fee is payable through SBI Internet Banking / Online Payment System.
• A printed copy of the application does not have to be submitted.
• Applications without online payment details will not be considered.
• The application fee is non-refundable.
• Candidates can apply for up to three disciplines/specialisations.

The brochure refers candidates to the IIT Bombay fee structure webpage for programme fees and deposits. The specific programme fee amounts are not stated in the supplied admission brochure and therefore are not added here.

The brochure describes multiple application categories and financial-support routes for Ph.D. candidates. Financial support depends on the applicable admission category and fulfilment of the relevant requirements.

Teaching Assistantship – TA

Under the TA category, the assistantship is payable for a maximum duration of five years or until thesis submission, whichever is earlier. The monthly rate is ₹37,000 for the first two years and ₹42,000 for the remaining period. Continuation is subject to teaching-assistant duties of eight hours per week and satisfactory academic performance.

Research Assistantship – RA

Under the RA category, the assistantship is payable for a maximum duration of five years or until thesis submission, whichever is earlier. The monthly rate is ₹42,000 for the first two years and ₹47,000 for the remaining period. RA students are expected to assist with laboratory, teaching, research or related academic work for about 20 hours per week as assigned by the academic unit.

Teaching / Research Assistantship Through Project – TAP/RAP

Financial support under TAP/RAP is provided from sponsored projects according to the norms approved by the sponsoring agency and IIT Bombay. Availability of TAP/RAP seats is published by the individual academic units. Continuation of support is subject to project duties and satisfactory academic performance.

Fellowship Award – FA

The FA category provides financial support through various Government/Semi-Government schemes and other organisations, including schemes associated with CSIR, UGC, DAE, DST, DBT and NBHM. A valid Junior Research Fellowship award letter from the relevant Government/Semi-Government agency is required. The amount and duration are determined by the awarding agency.

Other Application Categories

• Sponsored Candidate (SW): Sponsored by the employer and not eligible for financial support from IIT Bombay.
• Self-financed Indian Nationals (SF): Not eligible for financial support from IIT Bombay.
• Self-Financed Foreign Nationals (FRN-SF): Candidates must fulfil the general eligibility requirements and follow the instructions for foreign students.
• ICCR: Foreign nationals sponsored by their governments and awarded scholarship by them apply through the Indian Embassy in their country.
• Institute Staff (IS): This category is for permanent IIT Bombay Institute Staff meeting the stated requirements.
• Project Staff (PS): Applicable to eligible IIT Bombay project staff under the conditions specified in the brochure.
• External (EX): Applicable to eligible employees of recognised R&D organisations, scientific institutions, laboratories and research-oriented industrial organisations.
• College Teacher (CT): Applicable to eligible faculty members of colleges and universities.

The application for IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester is to be submitted online. The brochure states that no downloadable application forms will be available. Candidates should carefully read the instructions before completing the application.

1. Read the Ph.D. Information Brochure carefully.
2. Check the general eligibility requirements.
3. Check the eligibility and research requirements of the selected academic unit.
4. Select up to three disciplines/specialisations.
5. Complete the online application form in all respects.
6. Upload the required documents.
7. Upload the Statement of Purpose, research proposal or other academic-unit-specific documents wherever required.
8. Pay the applicable application fee through the prescribed online payment system.
9. Submit the application online.
10. Take a print of the submitted application for personal records.

Candidates applying for IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester must upload the documents applicable to their category and academic unit.

• Scanned photograph.
• Scanned signature.
• Mark-sheet of the last semester / consolidated mark-sheet of the qualifying degree.
• Result-awaited candidates must upload their latest/previous semester mark-sheet as applicable.
• Caste Certificate for OBC-NC/SC/ST, if applicable.
• Affidavit for having applied for the caste certificate where the certificate has not yet been received, as applicable.
• EWS certificate issued by the competent authority in the prescribed format, if applicable.
• PwD Certificate, if applicable.
• Sponsorship certificate, if applicable.
• Self-Declaration regarding submission of sponsorship certificate at Interview/Admission where applicable.
• Project Staff / Institute Staff NOC or letter of recommendation from the Principal Investigator / Head / Office-in-Charge, as applicable.
• Statement of Purpose, sample of writing and/or research proposal, where applicable, as a single file irrespective of the number of disciplines/specialisations.

Some academic units require a Statement of Purpose, research proposal or both. Candidates should follow the requirements of the academic unit selected in the application.

Applicants should ensure that the proposal or Statement of Purpose follows the requirements of the relevant academic unit. The brochure also states that proposals must be the applicant's original work and that the Institute may reject applications showing evidence of plagiarism or significant AI-generation without attribution, subject to its verification process.

For IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester, admission is offered on the basis of an interview, usually held about a month before the commencement of the semester. The interview may be supplemented by a written test when necessary.

• Merely fulfilling the general eligibility criteria does not guarantee a call for the test/interview.
• Academic units may apply additional academic-performance-based shortlisting criteria depending on applications received and available resources.
• The final selection process may involve a written test and/or interview according to the concerned Department, Centre, School or Interdisciplinary Group.
• Candidates must satisfy both general and academic-unit-specific eligibility requirements.
• Admission decisions also consider the applicable admission category and financial-support requirements.

• Complete the application form in all respects. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Applications must be submitted online.
• Keep a print of the submitted application for your records.
• The application fee is non-refundable.
• Apply for a maximum of three disciplines/specialisations.
• Upload all applicable certificates and academic documents.
• Check the specific requirements of the selected academic unit.
• Check the IIT Bombay website for results and important announcements.
• Check the email address provided in the application for important communications.
• OBC-NC candidates must satisfy the stated annual income limit of ₹8 lakh for determining the creamy layer and submit the prescribed 2026-27 certificate.
• EWS candidates must satisfy the stated annual income limit of ₹8 lakh for determining eligibility for the EWS reservation benefit and submit the prescribed certificate.
• Seats are reserved for EWS, OBC-NCL, SC, ST and PwD categories according to Government of India rules.
• PwD candidates may request extra time according to Government of India rules and should make the request to the concerned academic unit well in advance.
• Candidates called for written test/interview should bring the required photo ID, printed application, thesis/dissertation/report/publications and certificates/mark-sheets.

The Spring Semester 2026-27 schedule provides December 18 to December 23, 2026 for declaration of results and payment of fees. Reporting and orientation are tentatively scheduled for January 1 and 2, 2027, while semester registration is tentatively scheduled from December 31, 2026 to January 1, 2027.

The brochure states that after admission, candidates have to apply for registration for the Ph.D. degree. The Departmental Postgraduate Committee considers the application and makes recommendations regarding coursework and the date of registration.

The period of validity of Ph.D. registration for candidates is five/six years from the date of confirmation of registration, with confirmation taking place after successful completion of the required course credits and fulfilment of the applicable academic-performance requirements.

Students admitted in the Spring Semester must submit self-attested copies of the qualifying degree certificate and final transcripts on or before January 29, 2027; failure to do so will result in cancellation of admission.

The IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester eligibility criteria include CGPA/CPI requirements for qualifying degrees. Candidates who need to calculate or check their GPA/CGPA can use the following tool.

When will the IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester advertisement be released?

The tentative schedule gives September 4, 2026 as the date for the advertisement on the website.

When will the online application form be available?

The online application forms are scheduled to become available from September 16, 2026.

What is the last date for regular applications?

The regular application deadline without late fine is October 17, 2026.

Is there an extended application deadline?

Yes. The tentative schedule provides an extended deadline of October 21, 2026 with late fine.

How many disciplines can a candidate apply for?

A candidate can apply for up to three disciplines/specialisations.

What is the application fee?

Women candidates and SC/ST/PwD candidates pay ₹150 during the regular period and ₹650 during the extended period. All other candidates pay ₹300 during the regular period and ₹800 during the extended period.

What is the minimum marks requirement?

For GN/EWS/OBC-NC categories, the general requirement includes 60% marks, First Class, CGPA/CPI 6.0 on a 10-point scale or equivalent. For SC/ST/PwD categories, the corresponding requirement includes 55% marks, First Class, CGPA/CPI 5.5 on a 10-point scale or equivalent, subject to the detailed eligibility conditions.

Is fellowship or financial support available?

The brochure describes TA, RA, TAP/RAP and Fellowship Award categories, along with other admission categories. Eligibility and continuation depend on the applicable category and prescribed conditions.

When will instruction begin?

Instruction is scheduled to begin on January 4, 2027, on a tentative basis.

Are all listed academic units admitting students in Spring Semester 2026-27?

The supplied Spring Semester schedule specifically states that there is no admission for Spring Semester 2026-27 for the Ashank Desai Centre for Policy Studies and MED-TRIC. Candidates should therefore check the concerned academic unit for applicable Spring Semester admission information.

When must Spring Semester admitted students submit their final qualifying documents?

The brochure states that students admitted in the Spring Semester must submit self-attested copies of their qualifying degree certificate and final transcripts on or before January 29, 2027, failing which admission will stand cancelled.

IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester follows a structured online application process with general and academic-unit-specific eligibility requirements. Candidates can apply for up to three disciplines/specialisations and must upload the applicable academic, category and research-related documents. The regular application deadline is October 17, 2026, while the extended deadline with late fine is October 21, 2026.

The selection process involves a written test and/or interview as specified by the concerned academic unit. Financial support opportunities described in the brochure include TA, RA, TAP/RAP and Fellowship Award categories, while other categories are available subject to their respective requirements.

Candidates interested in IIT Bombay PhD Admission 2026-27 Spring Semester should carefully read the brochure, check their chosen academic unit's requirements, prepare the required Statement of Purpose or research proposal where applicable, complete the online application and regularly check official IIT Bombay updates because the published schedule is tentative.