IIT Hyderabad Ph.D Sustainability: Fees 2026, Course Duration, Dates, Eligibility

Ans. The Greenko School of Sustainability (GSS) is an industry-funded research school at IIT Hyderabad, established with support from the Greenko Group. It offers doctoral research across 9 interdisciplinary thrust areas including renewable energy systems, green hydrogen, circular economy, smart water systems, green chemistry, urban climate resilience, and sustainable agriculture. The school provides exceptional fellowship support, including INR 80,000 per month for high-CGPA IIT graduates, making it among the best-funded PhD programmes in sustainability research in India.

Ans. The total programme fee is INR 4,08,000, comprising tuition of INR 60,000 and other institutional charges of INR 3,42,000. A refundable caution deposit of INR 6,000 is collected at joining. SC/ST students are exempt from tuition. Fellows receiving INR 31,000 or INR 80,000 per month from the institute comfortably cover living expenses, making the net out-of-pocket cost manageable for most admitted scholars throughout the programme.

Ans. The programme accepts GATE in any relevant discipline, CSIR-JRF, UGC-JRF, and DST-Inspire fellowship holders. B.Tech or B.S. graduates from IITs, IISc, and IISERs with a CGPA of 8.0 or above are also eligible to apply directly without a qualifying exam. All shortlisted candidates appear for a departmental interview conducted by the Greenko School of Sustainability faculty to assess research aptitude and area fit.

Ans. The Greenko School of Sustainability covers 9 interdisciplinary thrust areas: renewable energy systems, green hydrogen and fuel cells, circular economy and waste valorisation, green chemistry and clean processes, smart water systems, urban climate resilience, sustainable agriculture, mobility and transportation, and materials for sustainability. Scholars may work across departments including Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Civil Engineering depending on their chosen research topic.

Ans. Full-time scholars qualifying with GATE, CSIR-JRF, or UGC-JRF receive INR 31,000 per month as JRF and INR 35,000 per month as SRF subject to satisfactory annual progress review. B.Tech and B.S. graduates from IITs, IISc, and IISERs with a CGPA of 9.0 or above receive the GSS Excellence Fellowship of INR 80,000 per month for up to 4 years, one of the highest doctoral fellowships offered by any IIT in India.

Ans. Graduates pursue faculty positions at IITs, IISERs, and central universities, or research roles at government agencies like MoEFCC, NITI Aayog, and DST-funded labs. Several alumni join renewable energy companies, climate consulting firms, and international organisations such as UNDP and the World Bank as sustainability specialists. The Greenko School’s strong industry connection also facilitates transitions into corporate sustainability and ESG leadership positions at large Indian and multinational companies.