IIT Bombay awarded 620 PhD degrees in the 2025-26 academic year, the highest single-year figure in the institute’s history. This milestone surpasses the previous record where the institute never crossed the 500-PhD mark in any year. Alongside this achievement, the institute has introduced a strict 8-year completion deadline for all new PhD registrations to tackle long-pending cases.
Record PhD Output at 64th Convocation
The institute held its 64th convocation ceremony, distributing 3,763 degrees to 3,442 students. The total included 1,713 undergraduate, 1,430 postgraduate and 620 PhD degrees. Among the graduates, 791 were women and 2,651 were men.
Director Shirish Kedare confirmed that the 620 PhDs represent a historic high for IIT Bombay. Within this batch, 77 PhDs were in chemical engineering, 62 in electrical engineering, 49 in mechanical engineering and 40 in humanities. The ceremony also awarded 28 students a three-year Bachelor of Science degree as an early exit option for BTech students who complete the required credits.
New 8-Year PhD Completion Rule
IIT Bombay reviewed its PhD programme and found several reasons behind prolonged completion times. Supervisors busy with other projects, students leaving for jobs, external candidates dropping out and the COVID-19 pandemic all contributed to delays. Some PhD registrations had been pending for more than 10 years.
The new rule applies to all fresh registrations. Students must finish their PhD within eight years or face termination from the programme. The move aims to improve completion rates and ensure timely research output from doctoral scholars.
Early Exit BS Option for BTech Students
IIT Bombay also introduced a Bachelor of Science degree as a formal early exit pathway for its four-year BTech programme. Students who meet the required credits can exit with a BS degree without finishing the full BTech. This option helps those who wish to start a startup or cannot complete the four-year course for other reasons. The convocation also featured a medal distribution ceremony.
