IIT Guwahati Hosts Inaugural INDIS 2026, Bringing the Global Design and Innovation Community Together

The Department of Design at IIT Guwahati hosted the inaugural International Conference on Design and Innovation Studies (INDIS 2026) from 28 to 30 September, in collaboration with the MIT Institute of Design, Pune. Held alongside Asia Design Week, the event brought researchers, practitioners, policymakers and entrepreneurs to campus to explore how design can help solve complex societal challenges.

Published 30 September 2026 | Category Meetings & Conferences | Office Department of Design

Department of Design, IIT Guwahati, in collaboration with MIT Institute of Design, Pune, hosted the inaugural edition of International Conference on Design and Innovation Studies (INDIS 2026).

Held from 28th to 30th September 2026, the event brought together researchers, practitioners, industry professionals, policymakers, entrepreneurs and design leaders from India and across the world to examine how design, technology and innovation can contribute to more accessible, equitable and sustainable solutions for complex societal challenges.

The conference was conducted alongside Asia Design Week, marking the first-ever India edition of the international design platform. The combined programme created a multidisciplinary forum for academic exchange, research presentations, exhibitions, industry interaction, and international collaboration in design and the creative industries.

Dr Ranoj Pegu, Minister of Education, Plain Tribes and Information Technology of Assam, graced the inauguration as Chief Guest. "Creativity should be imbibed at school level itself, which will help our students to be innovative," he said. "Innovation is the key for socio-economic development, and I am happy to see the cutting-edge research and development initiatives of the Department of Design, IIT Guwahati."

Shri Paban Kr. Borthakur, IAS (Retd.), Chairman, RERA Assam and former Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, was Guest of Honour. Prof Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati, commended the Department for its commitment to advancing design and innovation in Assam and across the country.

Research, keynotes, and exhibitions

During the conference, 81 papers were presented in four parallel sessions. The proceedings will be published by Taylor & Francis; 40 short papers were presented and 100 entries were displayed under the aegis of Asia Design Week.

Sessions covered communication and visual design, product and industrial design, transportation and mobility design, space and environmental design, ergonomics, user experience, design education, and emerging areas including AI-driven computational design, frugal and bio-inspired innovation, and design entrepreneurship.

Keynote addresses were delivered by:

• Prof Vijay Kumar, Illinois Institute of Technology, Institute of Design

• Prof Philip Cash, Northumbria University, Newcastle

• Prof Prakash Moorthy, formerly of the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Kolkata

• Mr Nishant Gupta, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group

• Mr Vikalp Sahni, Founder and CEO, eka.care

Spurring design entrepreneurship in the North East

INDIS 2026 served as the launch platform for the IDEAx North East Design Entrepreneurship Challenge 2026. The initiative aims to connect design with entrepreneurship, technology and local knowledge, creating pathways for young innovators to develop solutions relevant to regional and global challenges.

The successful completion of INDIS 2026 established a foundation for the conference as an international platform for research and dialogue on design and innovation. It brought out the importance of design in shaping systems, services, technologies, and experiences.