The Department of Design at IIT Guwahati, in collaboration with the MIT Institute of Design, Pune, successfully hosted the inaugural edition of the International Conference on Design and Innovation Studies (INDIS 2026) from September 28 to 30 at the institute’s campus. The conference brought together researchers, industry experts, policymakers, entrepreneurs and design leaders from India and abroad to explore how design, technology and innovation can contribute to addressing complex social challenges through inclusive and sustainable solutions.
The event was organised alongside Asia Design Week, marking the first time the international platform was held in India. The combined programme created a vibrant space for academic discussions, research presentations, exhibitions, industry engagement and global collaboration in design and innovation.
Assam Education, Plain Tribes and Information Technology Minister Ranoj Pegu attended the inaugural session as the Chief Guest, while former Assam Chief Secretary and RERA Assam Chairman Paban Kumar Borthakur was the Guest of Honour. Addressing the gathering, Pegu highlighted the importance of nurturing creativity among students from an early age, saying innovation is essential for socio-economic development and commending IIT Guwahati’s efforts in research and innovation.
IIT Guwahati Director Prof. Devendra Jalihal praised the Department of Design for its contribution to advancing innovation-driven design education and research in Assam and across the country.
Conceived as a platform at the intersection of design, technology and inclusive innovation, INDIS 2026 focused on how design methodologies and innovation systems can help solve challenges at a societal level. Discussions covered fields such as human-centred design, digital service systems, public-sector innovation, technology-enabled inclusion and emerging digital technologies.
Conference Chair and Head of the Department of Design, Prof. Pratul Chandra Kalita, said the event received an overwhelming response from researchers and practitioners. A total of 81 research papers were presented in four parallel technical sessions, while 40 short papers were published through Bloomsbury. Around 100 design entries were also showcased under the banner of Asia Design Week. The conference proceedings will be published by Taylor and Francis.
Over three days, participants took part in keynote lectures, panel discussions, poster presentations, exhibitions and industry-academia interactions spanning communication and visual design, product and industrial design, transportation and mobility design, environmental design, ergonomics, user experience design and design education.
The conference also explored emerging interdisciplinary areas including AI-driven computational design, frugal and bio-inspired innovation, product-service-system design, design entrepreneurship and technology-mediated design practices.
A key attraction of the event was a series of keynote addresses delivered by internationally acclaimed academicians and industry leaders, including Prof. Vijay Kumar from the Illinois Institute of Technology, Prof. Philip Cash from Northumbria University, Prof. Prakash Moorthy from the Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute, Nishant Gupta of Boston Consulting Group and Vikalp Sahni, Founder and CEO of eka.care.
INDIS 2026 also served as the launch platform for the IDEAx North East Design Entrepreneurship Challenge 2026, an initiative aimed at promoting design-led entrepreneurship and innovation across the Northeast. The programme seeks to connect local knowledge, technology and business opportunities while creating pathways for young innovators to develop solutions with regional and global relevance.
With the successful completion of its inaugural edition, INDIS 2026 has established itself as a promising international platform for research, collaboration and dialogue in design and innovation, reinforcing the growing role of design in shaping sustainable, inclusive and socially responsive solutions for the future.
