Manasi Sawant, a Master of Design (MDes) student at the Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad, has won the India’s Best Design Student Award at the India’s Best Design Awards (IBDA) 2026.

IIT Hyderabad announced the achievement, congratulating Sawant and noting that she is pursuing her MDes under the supervision of Dr Prasad Onkar from the Department of Design.

Sawant is among the students recognised under the India’s Best Design Students category at IBDA 2026. The official winners list features 30 students from institutions including the National Institute of Design, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Jodhpur, Srishti Manipal Institute of Art Design & Technology, CEPT University and other design schools across India.

Her work spans healthcare and sustainable design, combining human behaviour, material exploration and systems thinking.

Her projects presented at IBDA include Husk Works, Symphony of Kaas – Pop-up Book, Periodic Shuffle – Educational Game, and Asha Seva – Empowering Frontline Healthcare Workers.

The Department of Design at IIT Hyderabad focuses on areas including communication and interaction design, product systems and services, design and education, environment and sustainability, and participatory and collaborative design.

IIT Hyderabad’s MDes programme offers specialisations including Visual Design, Interaction Design, Product Design, and Photography, Film & Animation.