Indian Institute for Human Settlements
Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is a Bengaluru-based deemed university, founded in 2009, that delivers interdisciplinary urban-studies education, applied research, and capacity development for graduate students, urban practitioners, and government policymakers in India, with global reach via Coursera and edX courses.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersBangalore, India
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Indian Institute for Human Settlements does
The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is a private, deemed-to-be-university based in Bengaluru, India, founded in 2009, that operates as an interdisciplinary knowledge institution focused on transforming India's cities, towns, and villages. IIHS organises its activities across five Schools (Governance, Economic Development, Human Development, Systems & Infrastructure, and Environment & Sustainability) and five functional areas: academics, practice, research, capacity development, and digital blended learning. Core offerings include the Urban Fellows Programme, Master's, Doctoral, and Postdoctoral programmes, a Knowledge Gateway publication platform, specialised Research Labs (Geospatial, Sustainable Energy), and a Library service that hosts quarterly public exhibitions.
The underlying platform architecture couples on-campus academic delivery with a digital blended learning stack distributed globally through Coursera and edX partnerships, alongside open courses on the IIHS digital platform. The research engine is anchored in international consortia — PEAK Urban, Urban KNOW, ASSAR, and ReSET — that produce applied outputs on climate adaptation, energy equity, and urban governance.
Revenue is derived from four streams: tuition and fees from degree programmes, restricted and unrestricted research grants, capacity development training for government and practitioners, and revenue from digital courses. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and revenue is not reported. Headcount sits in the 51–100 range and primary customer segments are graduate students and researchers, urban practitioners and development professionals, and government and municipal policymakers in India, with a secondary global learner base reached through MOOC partnerships.
Indian Institute for Human Settlements firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Indian Institute for Human Settlements
- Legal name
- Indian Institute for Human Settlements
- Website
- https://iihs.co.in
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is a Bengaluru-based deemed university, founded in 2009, that delivers interdisciplinary urban-studies education, applied research, and capacity development for graduate students, urban practitioners, and government policymakers in India, with global reach via Coursera and edX courses.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Indian Institute for Human Settlements is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bangalore
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
Indian Institute for Human Settlements business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Academic Programs and Degrees: Master's level programmes, Doctoral programme, and Postdoctoral Programme delivering interdisciplinary education on urbanisation, cities, towns, and villages
- Research Grants and Projects: Funding from domestic and international research partnerships including PEAK Urban, Urban KNOW, ASSAR, and ReSET for applied research on urban challenges
- Capacity Development and Training: Open courses, workshops, and professional development programmes on topics including climate change, water, sanitation, planning, and urban governance
- Digital Blended Learning: Online and blended learning courses delivered through platforms including Coursera and institutional partnerships with global universities
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
Indian Institute for Human Settlements product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is a deemed university and interdisciplinary knowledge institution offering academic programmes (Master's, Doctoral, Postdoctoral, and Urban Fellows), applied research on urbanisation, capacity development training for practitioners and policymakers, and digital blended learning courses delivered via Coursera and edX. The institution operates across five integrated areas—academics, practice, research, capacity development, and digital blended learning—organised through five Schools covering governance, economic development, human development, systems and infrastructure, and environment and sustainability.
Product overview
The Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is an interdisciplinary knowledge institution focused on urban and regional development. IIHS operates as a platform-plus-services model offering academic programmes (Urban Fellows Programme, doctoral and master's degrees), digital blended learning courses through Coursera and edX partnerships, research labs and publications through the Knowledge Gateway, library services with quarterly exhibitions, and capacity development programmes. The institution brings together five areas: academics, practice, research, capacity development, and digital blended learning, organized across five Schools: Governance, Economic Development, Human Development, Systems & Infrastructure, and Environment & Sustainability.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Urban Fellows Programme A postgraduate fellowship programme focused on urban studies and human settlements, preparing professionals for careers in urban policy, planning, and governance.
- Digital Blended Learning Courses Online and blended learning programmes delivered through partnerships with Coursera and edX, offering self-paced courses on urban studies, sustainability, housing, economic policy, and education.
- Knowledge Gateway Digital repository and publishing platform hosting IIHS publications including papers, articles, books, reports, policy briefs, maps, and data related to urbanization, sustainability, and human settlements.
- Library Services Physical and digital library providing access to books, journals, databases, audio-visual resources, and hosting quarterly exhibitions on urban themes such as sustainability, caste discrimination, climate change, and architecture.
- Capacity Development Programme Professional development and training initiatives including workshops, open courses, and capacity-building resources for urban practitioners, policymakers, and researchers on themes such as climate change, water, sanitation, planning, and urban governance.
- Research Labs Specialized research facilities including Geospatial Lab, Sustainable Energy Lab, and other thematic labs conducting interdisciplinary research on urban challenges.
- Capacity Development Forum (CDF) Annual forum exploring how capacity development can strengthen systems for complex, technology-enabled, and partnership-driven public service delivery, targeting public service professionals.
Quantifiable outcome
- Delivers four Master's level programmes and a Doctoral programme, with expansion planned to five Masters' programmes and an undergraduate programme
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Indian Institute for Human Settlements
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Indian Institute for Human Settlements technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Indian Institute for Human Settlements partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered global, core and regional.
- Coursera Global University ConsortiumglobalCollaborative effort of five global institutions including IIHS launching Shaping Urban Futures course on Coursera. Addresses pressing challenges of 21st century urbanisation through multidisciplinary approach.
- PEAK UrbancoreInternational research partnership focused on building next generation of scholar-practitioners and researchers in urban studies. IIHS contributes interdisciplinary research and expertise on urbanisation challenges across Global South cities.
- Urban KNOWcoreResearch partnership contributing to knowledge production and dissemination on urban development challenges, with IIHS providing interdisciplinary expertise and research capabilities.
- ASSAR (Assessing the Potential for Adaptive Transformation in the Semi-Arid Regions)coreResearch partnership focused on climate adaptation and transformation in semi-arid regions. IIHS contributes research on urbanisation, livelihoods, and adaptation challenges in Indian context.
- ReSET (Reconfiguring Energy for Social Equity)coreResearch initiative examining energy systems and social equity. IIHS contributes interdisciplinary research on energy governance, infrastructure, and equitable access to sustainable energy.
- Bengaluru Sustainability ForumregionalMulti-institutional initiative focusing on urban and peri-urban sustainability issues in Bengaluru. Collaborates on interdisciplinary conversations and collaborations involving academics, researchers, practitioners, social advocates, and citizens.
- AEEE (Alliance for an Energy Efficient Economy)regionalCollaboration on Net-Zero Building Fundamentals course development and delivery. Joint initiative providing online course on energy performance, passive design, thermal comfort, and sustainable building practices.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Indian Institute for Human Settlements competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- O.P. Jindal Global University: Jindal Global University is a multi-disciplinary private Indian university with schools of public policy, liberal arts, and sustainability. It is comparable in mission, scale, and interdisciplinary model to IIHS and competes for similar graduate student and research talent pools.
- CEPT University: CEPT University (Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology) in Ahmedabad offers architecture, planning, and urban studies programmes at undergraduate and graduate levels. It is the most direct domestic peer to IIHS, with overlapping focus on urban development education and applied research in India.
- Azim Premji University: A Bengaluru-based private university focused on education, development studies, and public policy with a strong social science orientation. It is a direct peer in the Indian interdisciplinary higher education space and is similarly mission-driven and not-for-profit in character.
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS): TISS is a premier Indian deemed university with a strong interdisciplinary social science orientation, including urban studies, public health, and development practice. It shares IIHS's model of combining graduate education, research, and field practice for development sector professionals.
- National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA): NIUA is India's apex body for urban research, capacity building, and policy advisory to central and state governments. It directly overlaps with IIHS's practice, research, and capacity development pillars focused on Indian urbanization.
Broad incumbents
- LSE Cities (London School of Economics): LSE Cities is a major international urban research and education centre at the London School of Economics. It is comparable to IIHS as a global leader in urban studies research and education, but operates at significantly greater scale, brand, and funding depth as part of a top global university.
- UCL Bartlett School of Planning: UCL's Bartlett School of Planning is one of the world's most established urban planning and development research and education groups. Comparable to IIHS for urban studies research output and graduate education, but with substantially larger resources, faculty, and global reach.
- MIT Urban Risk Lab: MIT Urban Risk Lab conducts interdisciplinary research on urban risks and resilience, with strong Global South focus. It overlaps with IIHS's applied research and capacity development work on urban challenges, but is anchored within a top-tier U.S. research university with far greater resources.
Emerging players
- African Centre for Cities (University of Cape Town): ACC is a leading interdisciplinary research and policy centre on urbanization in the Global South, based at the University of Cape Town. It is comparable to IIHS for its Global South focus, research-practice integration, and engagement with policy and capacity development.
- Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD): SUTD is a research-intensive university in Singapore with design and urban systems programmes. It is comparable to IIHS for its interdisciplinary, design-and-systems approach to urban education and research, and competes in the international urban studies talent and research market.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Indian Institute for Human Settlements social profiles
Digital presenceIndian Institute for Human Settlements financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Indian Institute for Human Settlements leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Indian Institute for Human Settlements funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Indian Institute for Human Settlements M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Indian Institute for Human Settlements
What does Indian Institute for Human Settlements do?
Indian Institute for Human Settlements (IIHS) is a deemed university and interdisciplinary knowledge institution offering academic programmes (Master's, Doctoral, Postdoctoral, and Urban Fellows), applied research on urbanisation, capacity development training for practitioners and policymakers, and digital blended learning courses delivered via Coursera and edX. The institution operates across five integrated areas—academics, practice, research, capacity development, and digital blended learning—organised through five Schools covering governance, economic development, human development, systems and infrastructure, and environment and sustainability.
Is Indian Institute for Human Settlements a public or private company?
Indian Institute for Human Settlements is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Indian Institute for Human Settlements founded?
Indian Institute for Human Settlements was founded in 2009. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Indian Institute for Human Settlements based?
Indian Institute for Human Settlements is headquartered in Bangalore, India, in the Asia region.
How does Indian Institute for Human Settlements make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Academic Programs and Degrees are the primary driver. The others are research Grants and Projects, capacity Development and Training and digital Blended Learning.
Who are Indian Institute for Human Settlements's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are O.P. Jindal Global University, CEPT University, Azim Premji University, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA). Broad incumbents are LSE Cities (London School of Economics), UCL Bartlett School of Planning and MIT Urban Risk Lab. Emerging players are African Centre for Cities (University of Cape Town) and Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD).
Does Indian Institute for Human Settlements have an API?
No public API is recorded for Indian Institute for Human Settlements.