IIT Bombay Awards Record 620 PhDs at 64th Convocation Ceremony
The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay in Mumbai awarded 620 PhD degrees for the 2025-26 academic year at its convocation ceremony on Saturday, marking the highest-ever number of doctorates conferred by any IIT in the country.
In total, the institute awarded 3,763 degrees to 3,442 graduating students during its 64th convocation and award function held across August 22 and 23. The graduates comprised 791 women and 2,651 men. The degrees conferred included 1,713 undergraduate degrees, 1,430 postgraduate degrees, and 620 doctoral degrees. The institute's humanities department also recorded its highest-ever tally by awarding PhDs to 40 students.
IIT-Bombay director Shireesh Kedare explained that the surge in doctoral degrees was linked to efforts to streamline the programme. "IIT Bombay is working to reduce PhD completion time, which is one of the reasons the number of PhD students has risen," Kedare said.
To ensure timely completion, the institute has established a six-year limit for completing a PhD, which can be extended to eight years in exceptional circumstances. A senior professor noted that earlier there was no deadline to finish the programme, but with the new time limit in place, warnings have been issued to candidates who had been pursuing their doctorates for 12 years that their registration could be terminated.
Discussing new campus initiatives, Kedare stated that the institute is expanding its Frontier Research initiative, with faculty groups focusing on major national and global challenges. IIT Bombay has also initiated an internship for final-year students from several National Institutes of Technology to draw BTech graduates to research. Around 80 to 90 students are currently enrolled with opportunities to transition into Master's or PhD programmes. Additionally, the institute has approved a new post for an associate dean for students' wellness.
Addressing issues faced by younger students, Kedare noted that while Gen Z possesses energy and new ways of working, they also face distractions. He highlighted pressures such as coaching classes, parental and peer expectations, and addictive social media use, adding that Gen Z remains a high-potential force that will shape India's future.
