held at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, India in January 2012. After the workshop, these researchers were invited to develop book chapters for this edited collection in order to reflect the latest results and open research questions in the area. The contributed chapters have been organized by the editors to reflect the various themes of sliding mode control which are the current areas of theoretical research and applications focus; namely articulation of the fundamental underpinning theory of the sliding mode design paradigm, sliding modes for decentralized system representations, control of time-delay systems, the higher order sliding mode concept, results applicable to nonlinear and underactuated systems, sliding mode observers, discrete sliding mode control together with cutting edge research contributions in the application of the sliding mode concept to real world problems. This book provides the reader with a clear and complete picture of the current trends in Variable Structure Systems and Sliding Mode Control Theory.