The Indian Institute of Information Technology Design and Manufacturing (IIITDM) Kurnool, an Institute of National Importance under the Ministry of Education, Government of India, has invited applications for Ph.D. admission to the January 2027 session. The online application window opened on 25 September 2026 and the last date for submission of the online application form is 18 October 2026.
Both full-time and part-time Ph.D. programmes are offered across six streams – Computer Science & Engineering, Electronics & Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Sciences (Physics, Mathematics, English), the Centre for Interdisciplinary Programs and Drone Technology. Full-time regular scholars admitted under the MoE fellowship category receive a Half-Time Research Assistantship (HTRA) of Rs 37,000 per month for the first two years and Rs 42,000 per month from the third to the fifth year, subject to satisfactory research progress.

IIITDM Kurnool PhD admission January 2027: quick facts
Quick facts2026-27
| Scholarship from | IIITDM Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh – Ph.D. admission for the January 2027 session, with the MoE Half-Time Research Assistantship (HTRA) of Rs 37,000 per month for full-time scholars |
| Last date to apply | 18 October 2026 (online application registration opened on 25 September 2026) |
| Official website | IIITDM Kurnool PhD admissions, January 2027 session (official page) |
IIITDM Kurnool PhD programmes offered in January 2027
| Ph.D. in Computer Science & Engineering | Full-time (with MoE fellowship / sponsored project) and part-time |
| Ph.D. in Electronics & Communication Engineering | Full-time (with MoE fellowship / sponsored project) and part-time |
| Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering | Full-time (with MoE fellowship / sponsored project) and part-time |
| Ph.D. in Sciences – Physics, Mathematics, English | Full-time and part-time |
| Ph.D. in Centre for Interdisciplinary Programs (CIP) | Full-time with MoE fellowship |
| Ph.D. Programme under Drone Technology | Advertised separately on the institute site |
Applications are submitted department-wise through the Google Forms linked on the official PhD admissions page. There is no single central application form for all streams, so candidates must pick the form that belongs to their department or programme.
IIITDM Kurnool PhD important dates for January 2027
| Web notification of the Ph.D. advertisement | 25 September 2026 |
| Online application registration starts | 25 September 2026 |
| Last date for submission of the online application form | 18 October 2026 |
| Notification of shortlisted candidates for interview / written test | 28 October 2026 |
| Written test and interview – CSE, ECE, ME, Physics and English | 12 November 2026, 8:00 AM at the respective department |
| Written test and interview – Mathematics | 13 November 2026, 8:00 AM at the Department of Sciences |
| Publication of final results | 29 November 2026 |
| Last date for seat acceptance and fee payment | 5 December 2026 |
| Reporting to the institute | 14 December 2026 |
IIITDM Kurnool PhD fellowship and financial assistance
- MoE fellowship / HTRA: Rs 37,000 per month for the first and second year (JRF level) and Rs 42,000 per month from the third to the fifth year (SRF level). Upgradation from JRF to SRF depends on the assessment and recommendation of the Doctoral Committee.
- Scholars under the HTRA category must carry out Teaching Assistantship (TA) of at least 8 hours per week. Renewal every semester depends on enrolment, satisfactory research progress and good performance in the preceding semester.
- HRA: housing rent allowance is granted to married scholars living off-campus, as per Ministry of Education rules.
- Conference support: regular full-time scholars get financial support of up to Rs 2 lakh for one overseas international conference presentation in a Group-A country and Rs 1.5 lakh for a Group-B country during the entire Ph.D. tenure.
- Sponsored-project scholars are paid from the respective project (DST, SERB, CSIR, DRDO and so on) and, if enrolled in a sponsored project for 2.5 years or more, are additionally entitled to institute financial assistance for one more year.
- Research Associate opportunity: an additional six months of fellowship as a Research Associate is offered to scholars who submit the thesis at least six months early.
IIITDM Kurnool PhD eligibility criteria
Eligibility is set department-wise in the department brochures. For the Department of Computer Science & Engineering the published criteria are:
| Full-time Ph.D. – Master’s degree route | M.Tech / M.E. / M.S. (by Research) in an appropriate branch of study with first class and a minimum of 60% aggregate marks or CGPA 6.5 out of 10 for UR / OBC / EWS candidates, and 55% or CGPA 6.0 for SC / ST / PwD candidates in both UG and PG. |
| Full-time Ph.D. – Bachelor’s degree route (CFTI) | B.Tech / B.E. / B.S. (4 years) holders from a Centrally Funded Technical Institute with a minimum CGPA of 7.5 out of 10 for UR / OBC / EWS and 7.0 for SC / ST / PwD. GATE qualification is not mandatory on this route. |
| Full-time Ph.D. – Bachelor’s degree route (non-CFTI) | Bachelor’s in Engineering / Technology with a valid GATE score and at least CGPA 7.0 out of 10 or 65% for UR / OBC / EWS, and CGPA 6.5 or 60% for SC / ST / PwD candidates. |
| Part-time Ph.D. | For permanent employees of Government R&D laboratories, government organisations, government industries, PSUs and State undertakings in a cadre equivalent to Scientist-C / Assistant Professor / Lecturer with at least three years of experience, or permanent / regular employees of private organisations or educational institutions with R&D facilities and at least three years of experience. An No Objection Certificate from the employer is required. |
| Relaxation | A 5% relaxation in the educational qualification applies to SC / ST candidates. Reservation is applicable as per Government of India rules. |
Application fee and how to apply
- Application fee: Rs 500 for General, OBC and EWS candidates and Rs 250 for SC, ST and PwD candidates.
- The fee is paid online to the institute’s account (IIIT DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING, account number 37806955974, IFSC SBIN0064655, IIITDM Kurnool Campus branch) or through the payment QR code printed in the brochure. A copy of the payment proof must be kept for future reference.
- Fill the online application from the institute’s PhD admissions page and upload the required enclosures as separate PDFs – GATE score card or CSIR-UGC-JRF / NET certificate, educational and experience certificates, the online fee payment receipt, and for part-time applicants the No Objection Certificate and undertaking certificate.
- If the NOC and undertaking certificate are not ready at the time of online submission, a duly-signed self-declaration must be uploaded stating that they will be produced at the interview.
- Take a printout of the submitted application and keep it for future record.
IIITDM Kurnool PhD selection process
- Shortlisting and selection are conducted by the respective departments.
- Candidates with a valid GATE score or CSIR / UGC-NET qualification go directly to the interview.
- All other applicants – full-time and part-time – have to write an entrance examination of 50 MCQs based on the GATE 2026 syllabus of the respective subject. Each question carries 2 marks with a negative marking of 0.5 for every incorrect answer, and the cut-off is fixed in line with GATE standards.
- The written test may be conducted in CBT (Moodle) mode or offline depending on the number of applications.
- Shortlisted candidates must produce the original certificates for verification on the day of the written test or interview. No TA/DA is paid for attending the test or interview.
- Accommodation is provided subject to availability.
IIITDM Kurnool PhD: official links
- Ph.D. admissions – January 2027 session, IIITDM Kurnool (official page with department application links)
- Ph.D. admissions January 2027 information brochure (PDF, 11 pages)
- Department of Computer Science & Engineering Ph.D. brochure, January 2027 (PDF)
- IIITDM Kurnool official website
- Ph.D. rules and regulations, IIITDM Kurnool
Frequently asked questions
The last date for submission of the online application form is 18 October 2026. The online registration process started on 25 September 2026.
Full-time regular scholars under the MoE fellowship category receive a Half-Time Research Assistantship of Rs 37,000 per month for the first two years (JRF level) and Rs 42,000 per month from the third to the fifth year (SRF level), subject to satisfactory progress.
Computer Science & Engineering, Electronics & Communication Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Sciences (Physics, Mathematics, English), the Centre for Interdisciplinary Programs and the Drone Technology programme. Both full-time and part-time categories are available.
Candidates with a valid GATE score or CSIR / UGC-NET qualification are directly eligible for the interview. All other applicants must write an entrance test of 50 MCQs based on the GATE 2026 syllabus. B.Tech holders from a Centrally Funded Technical Institute with a CGPA of 7.5 or above do not need GATE.
Rs 500 for General, OBC and EWS candidates and Rs 250 for SC, ST and PwD candidates. The fee is paid online and the payment proof has to be uploaded with the application.
The written test and interview for CSE, ECE, Mechanical Engineering, Physics and English are on 12 November 2026 at 8:00 AM, and for Mathematics on 13 November 2026 at 8:00 AM. Final results are published on 29 November 2026.
Yes. Part-time admission is open to permanent employees of Government R&D laboratories, government organisations, PSUs and State undertakings in a cadre equivalent to Scientist-C or Assistant Professor with at least three years of experience, and to permanent employees of private organisations with R&D facilities, with an No Objection Certificate from the employer.
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