About the Lab
Our history, mission, and how to get involved.
Our Mission
The AI and Database Laboratory (AIDB Lab) at IIT Madras was established to advance the frontiers of computer science in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and large-scale data management. We are committed to producing world-class research that is both theoretically rigorous and practically impactful.
Our research addresses fundamental challenges: How do we store, query, and reason over ever-growing datasets efficiently? How can AI systems become more trustworthy, fair, and explainable? How do we bridge the gap between natural language and structured data? We pursue these questions through a mix of algorithm design, systems building, and empirical evaluation.
History
The AIDB Lab traces its origins to the early 1990s, growing out of Artificial Intelligence and Database research activities in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at IIT Madras. Under Prof. Deepak Khemani, the lab built early expertise in Case-Based Reasoning, AI Planning, Knowledge Representation, and Natural Language Processing, with sustained collaborative projects with ISRO on satellite autonomy and launch vehicle scheduling, and with industry partners including Carborundum Universal and TRDDC, Pune.
Over the decades, the lab expanded to encompass XML and semi-structured databases (Prof. P. Sreenivasa Kumar), machine learning and reinforcement learning (Prof. B. Ravindran, Prof. Sayan Ranu), and information retrieval and CBR (Prof. Sutanu Chakraborti). Today the lab continues to grow, with new faculty working on mathematical logic and databases (Prof. Anantha Padmanabha) and AI safety and planning (Prof. Pulkit Verma). Our alumni hold positions at top universities, research labs, and technology companies worldwide.
Join the Lab
We are always looking for talented, motivated researchers to join our team. Please read the guidelines below before reaching out.
🎓 MS and PhD Applicants
Applications are accepted through the IIT Madras PhD admissions portal (December and May cycles). Mention your area of interest and the specific faculty you wish to work with. Strong candidates typically have prior research experience and a solid foundation in algorithms, probability, and programming.
🔬 Research Interns (BTech/External)
B.Tech students who have completed their 6th semester at a Centrally Funded Technical Institution (CFTI: NITs, IIITs, and other MoU-partner institutes) can apply under the IIT Madras CFTI MoU framework; check the list of eligible colleges first.
Students from other institutions can apply through the regular Summer Fellowship Programme registration once applications open each year; the portal may appear inactive outside the application window. Both routes use the same portal; note the Project ID of the AIDB Lab project you're interested in in your application. The last cycle's deadline was 2 March 2026, 5:00 PM.
In all cases, also send a single email to the relevant PI with your CV, a transcript, and a brief (½ page) statement of why you want to work on their specific research. Do not send mass emails to all faculty; such emails will be ignored.
👨🏫 Postdoctoral Researchers
Postdoctoral openings are advertised on the IIT Madras post-doctoral opportunities page when available. There are currently no open postdoc positions at the lab; any future openings will be advertised there. Please reach out to the PI you wish to work with before applying.
💼 Project Staff
The Department sometimes has positions open in various sponsored projects. Selected candidates work on R&D projects under a faculty member in the Department, at the level of Senior Project Officer, Project Officer, or Project Associate. Typical minimum qualifications (and monthly salaries) are:
- Senior Project Officer: usually a Ph.D. in an area relevant to the project (approx. ₹28,000–30,000)
- Project Officer: Masters degree in engineering or equivalent (approx. ₹17,000–20,000)
- Project Associate: Bachelors degree in engineering or equivalent (approx. ₹9,500–14,000)
Selected candidates are usually provided campus accommodation on request. Please contact the Principal Investigator of the project for more details. There are currently no open project staff positions at the lab; any future openings will be advertised on the IIT Madras current openings page.
Collaborations & Funding
Our research is generously funded by ANRF, DST, MeitY, ISRO, and Google Research. We actively seek new collaborative projects with both academic institutions and industry.
For potential collaborations or sponsored research, please contact the respective faculty member directly.