As part of an ongoing series, IIT Bombay is spotlighting its academic departments to showcase the depth and diversity of work taking place across the Institute. From research and innovation to faculty and student achievements, this initiative aims to build greater awareness and engagement within the alumni community. Through these features, we invite alumni to reconnect with their departments and explore meaningful ways to contribute to their continued growth.

Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IEOR)

50 Years of IEOR: Celebrating a Golden Jubilee of Innovation, Impact, and Excellence

As the Department of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research (IEOR) celebrates its Golden Jubilee in 2026, it marks fifty years of pioneering interdisciplinary education, research, and industry engagement at IIT Bombay. From its beginnings as IIT Bombay’s first interdisciplinary postgraduate programme in 1976 to its emergence as a rapidly growing department spanning operations research, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, optimisation, logistics, and digital transformation, IEOR has consistently pushed the boundaries of innovation. This milestone year also provides an opportunity to reflect on the department’s achievements, recognise the contributions of its alumni community, and invite continued partnership in shaping the next fifty years of growth and impact.

– Today, IEOR is a thriving, rapidly growing department comprising 16 core faculty members, 4 associated faculty members, 3 post-doctoral fellows, 5 staff members, and over 200 students—including more than 120 postgraduates—alongside more than 30 project staff driving innovation.

– The department offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, including B.Tech., M.Sc., M.Tech., and Ph.D. degrees. The B.Tech. programme, launched in 2024 with 36–40 students per year, attracts top-ranking JEE Advanced candidates who increasingly choose IEOR as their preferred programme. The curriculum covers optimisation, stochastic models, simulation, statistics, machine learning, artificial intelligence, deep learning, generative AI, digital twins, supply chain analysis, financial engineering, and industrial and service systems.

– The department engages in research, sponsored projects, consultancy, and continuing education, blending analytical modelling, computational algorithms, and data-driven methods to address complex problems in logistics, cybersecurity, healthcare, energy, and finance. This theoretical foundation is complemented by hands-on computational laboratories that equip students with practical skills in modelling and advanced software tools, enabling them to apply operations research theories to real-world industry challenges.

Celebrating IEOR DAY 2026

Broad Themes of Departmental Courses and Research

– Decision Sciences: Blending mathematical modelling, behavioural economics, and game theory to analyse risk, evaluate strategic alternatives, and engineer robust frameworks for optimal decision-making under deep uncertainty.

– Operations Engineering and Analytics: Transforming data into action by applying optimisation, stochastic modelling, and computer simulation to design, streamline, and scale complex systems in logistics, manufacturing, healthcare, and finance.

– AI/ML: Developing and deploying advanced predictive algorithms, deep learning architectures, and multimodal generative AI to automate complex processes, uncover patterns in massive datasets, and drive intelligent automation across industries.

Thematic Laboratories

– Industrial Transformation (InTra) Lab: Smart manufacturing, digital twins, and AI in discrete-part manufacturing; includes a hands-on Learning Factory for student training.

– Digital Twin & XR Simulation Lab: High-fidelity virtual models and extended reality environments for simulating and optimising industrial and healthcare systems.

– Cybersecurity Lab: Advanced threat detection, network security, and risk mitigation for critical digital infrastructure.

– ThOR Lab (Theoretical Optimisation Research Lab): Mathematical foundations and next-generation algorithms for large-scale optimisation problems.

– VersatAI Lab: Scalable AI and Machine Learning, including multimodal generative AI for industrial automation and decision-making.

Second-year B.Tech. students showcasing Industry 4.0 Learning Factory projects.

Initiatives through Alumni & Corporate Relations

– Student Endowment Fund: IEOR M.Tech. alumnus Nivesh Kumar (Class of 2006) contributed ₹1.25 crore to IIT Bombay in July 2021. The endowment flexibly supports student awards, research work, and conference funding for faculty and students.

– Technocraft Centre for Applied Artificial Intelligence (TCA2I): Established in June 2021 under Prof. Manjesh Hanawal, TCA2I bridges theory and industry by leveraging faculty expertise in Operations Research, AI, Data Science, and Optimisation. It offers certificate programmes and customised courses for corporate professionals alongside cutting-edge R&D.

– IITB-FedEx Center for Advanced Logistics and Focused Analytics (FedEx-ALFA): Inaugurated in December 2023 with support from FedEx Corporation and led by Prof. Ashutosh Mahajan, FedEx-ALFA drives supply chain R&D across five pillars: innovative pricing models, supply chain decarbonisation, AI-driven workforce management, digital transformation, and resilient network operations planning.

LSO Summer School 2025

Educational Outreach: IEOR organizes programs for upgrading and upskilling professionals through IIT Bombay’s Continuing Education Program (CEP) Office:

– Online Certificate Program in Generative AI: Designed for software, tech, and data professionals, as well as tech consultants, technical managers, STEM graduates, and GenAI enthusiasts looking to design, adapt, and deploy reliable GenAI applications.

– Online Certificate Program in Supply Chain Analytics with AI and ML: Equips professionals with data-driven frameworks to optimize supply chain networks using advanced AI and ML applications.

– Naval Operations Analysis (NOA) Program: Currently in its 6th edition, this specialized 16-week program is designed exclusively for Indian Navy officers. The rigorous curriculum features 20–30 modules covering core disciplines like Probability and Statistics, Optimization, Game Theory, Simulation, Combat Modelling, and Python programming, culminating in an intensive, 4-week analytical project.

– Digital Transformation, Industry 4.0 & Quality 4.0 Courses: Offered through TCAAI, these certificate courses deliver specialized training in Artificial Intelligence and Industry 4.0. Tailored to meet the evolving needs of MIL, the curriculum places special emphasis on advanced manufacturing and digital transformation, enabling professionals to spearhead emerging technology integration in modern industrial ecosystems.

Events and Workshops

– Mixed Integer Programming (MIP) International Workshop (December 2024): Global forum on discrete optimisation featuring expert speakers and student posters.

– 5th Large Scale Optimisation (LSO) Summer School (16–21 June 2025): Ph.D.-level programme on advanced topics including Benders decomposition and robust optimisation.

– Workshop on Digital Twin Modelling (11–12 October 2025): Practical workshop on real-time data integration, model validation, and AI-driven analytics for virtual modelling.

– IEOR Day 2026 (15 March 2026): Annual departmental event on “Operations Research in the Age of Generative AI” bringing together academics, industry leaders, and students.

Notable Projects

– Vajra: Endpoint Security Solutions
An indigenous endpoint security tool developed at IIT Bombay. Vajra monitors endpoints in real time to detect malicious activities and threats, generating alerts based on industry-standard security frameworks. It offers threat-hunting capabilities, multi-tenancy support, integration with existing security tools, and AI/ML-powered detection.

– Minotaur
An open-source solver for Mixed-Integer Nonlinear Optimisation (MINLO) problems developed by IEOR. It handles both convex and non-convex problems and supports LP, QP, and MILP subproblems through BQPD, CBC, Clp, CPLEX, FilterSQP, and IPOPT. Recent extensions include AMPL and Pyomo compatibility.

– Timetabling for Indian Railways
IIT Bombay, in collaboration with the Railway Board and Zonal Railways, redesigned timetables for all passenger trains on the Golden Quadrilateral plus Diagonals (GQD)—10,000 route kilometres covering India’s most congested railway corridors. Coordinated by Madhu Belur and Narayan Rangaraj with faculty and students, the project also addressed maintenance block planning and freight corridor operations using IIT Bombay’s rail traffic simulator.

Awards

– Faculty Research & Global Recognition: Prof. Nandyala Hemachandra was jointly awarded the prestigious Google India Research Award 2024

– Teaching & Development Excellence: Multiple faculty members were honoured for outstanding educational contributions, including Prof. Manjesh Hanawal (Patwardhan Technology Development Award and Departmental Award for Excellence in Teaching), Prof. Balamurugan Palaniappan (Departmental Award for Excellence in Teaching), and Prof. Jayendran Venkateswaran (S.P. Sukhatme Excellence in Teaching Award)

– Thought Leadership: Prof. Manjesh Hanawal represented the department at a high-level multi-institutional seminar on Next Generation Networks and Digital Cryptography in Vizag

– Institutional & Campus Initiatives: The department was recognised for its successful implementation of Hindi and secured second prize in the campus-wide Clean Campus Drive on 10 March 2026 as part of the Clean & Green Campus Initiative

Notable Research Highlights by Students from the Past Year

– Anjali Bhagat presented “Cyclic Sink Subtraction” (with Prof. Urban Larsson) at the International Conference on Combinatorial Game Theory, Japan, 19–22 March 2026.

– Divya Jyoti Bajpai presented “BEEM: Boosting Performance of EEDNNs Using Multi-Exit Classifiers as Experts” (with Prof. Manjesh Kumar Hanawal) at ACM ARCS 2026, 11–14 February 2026.

– Bhavya Gupta presented “System Dynamics Modelling Approach for Quantifying Supply Chain Resilience under Disruptions” at the Society of Operations Management (SOM 2025) Conference, IIM Nagpur, 19–21 December 2025.

– Madhu Dhiman presented two papers at IEEE CDC 2025, Rio de Janeiro (10–12 December 2025): “Constrained Average-Reward Intermittently Observable MDPs” (with Konstantin Avrachenkov and Prof. Veeraruna Kavitha) and “Punitive Policies to Combat Misreporting in Dynamic Supply Chains” (with Atul Maurya, Prof. Veeraruna Kavitha, and Prof. Priyank Sinha).

– Gurkirat Wadhwa presented “Price Equilibria with Positive Margins in Loyal-Strategic Markets with Discrete Prices” (with Akansh Verma, Prof. Veeraruna Kavitha, and Prof. Priyank Sinha) at IEEE CDC 2025, Rio de Janeiro, December 2025.

Upcoming Milestones

– IEOR Research Scholars Symposium: The IEOR Research Symposium 2026 is planned for 2–3 October 2026 and will bring together some of the brightest young minds shaping the future of Industrial Engineering and Operations Research

– Grand Alumni Meet: Join us for the Grand IEOR Alumni Meet 2026, bringing together alumni across all batches and programmes. Scheduled for 28–29 November 2026, the event will commemorate the department’s Golden Jubilee and celebrate fifty years of innovation, achievement, and community within the IEOR family

Supporting IEOR’s Golden Jubilee Vision: Opportunities for Alumni Engagement

– As IEOR enters its next chapter, the department remains committed to advancing research, education, and innovation at the intersection of engineering, analytics, and decision sciences. The Golden Jubilee year provides an opportunity not only to celebrate past achievements but also to build the foundations for the next generation of impact through stronger engagement with alumni, industry, and the wider IIT Bombay community.

– IEOR is moving to a state-of-the-art building designed to support the next generation of researchers and innovators. The new facility will feature advanced laboratories, collaborative spaces, and upgraded infrastructure to enhance teaching and research. We invite our alumni to support this transformation through contributions to our infrastructure fund. Your support will directly enhance the learning environment, enable cutting-edge research capabilities, and ensure IEOR remains a world-class programme. This is an opportunity to give back to the department that helped shape your career and to play a role in defining the future of IEOR.

– Computer Lab: Funding high-performance computing clusters, advanced workstations, and specialised software licences for optimisation, simulation, and data analytics to tackle complex, data-intensive research.

– Industry 4.0 Learning Factory: Supporting a hands-on learning environment equipped with cyber-physical systems, IoT infrastructure, smart automation, and digital twin setups for manufacturing and supply chain simulation.

– Seminar & Conference Room Infrastructure: Outfitting the department’s primary collaboration hub with state-of-the-art audiovisual equipment, hybrid conferencing systems, and ergonomic modular seating for guest lectures and global networking.

– Student Learning Spaces: Supporting collaborative classrooms, student lounge-cum-library spaces, exploratory projects, cultural activities, sports initiatives, and industrial visits.

– IEOR Student Endowment Fund: Providing vital financial support through merit-cum-means scholarships, international conference travel grants, and specialised research fellowships.

– Mentorship for Students: Investing a few hours in the department’s student mentorship bank through mock interviews, résumé reviews, and industry insights that help bridge the gap between classroom learning and professional success.

As IEOR celebrates its Golden Jubilee, the department invites its alumni and industry partners to play an active role in shaping its next chapter by advancing research, nurturing talent, building world-class infrastructure, and ensuring that the next fifty years are even more transformative than the first.

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