The centres aim to advance next-generation communication technologies, strengthen industry-academia collaboration and nurture specialised talent
The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, has partnered with the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, to establish its sixth Centre of Excellence (CoE). The centre will focus on developing indigenous communication technologies through collaborative research in wireless communications, quantum technologies, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven communication systems.
The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in the presence of Dr Pankaj Kumar Dalela, EVP, C-DOT, and Professor Amit Patra, Director, IIT (BHU), Varanasi, along with faculty members and senior officials from both institutions. The signing ceremony was followed by the inauguration of the CoE.
The centre will undertake advanced research in emerging technologies, including 5G Advanced and 6G, very large-scale multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, integrated sensing and communication, AI-native communication networks and devices, and quantum and post-quantum communication technologies.
The collaboration aims to bridge academic research and industry requirements by bringing together researchers, faculty members, students and technology experts from both institutions. It is also expected to support knowledge exchange, develop specialised talent and accelerate the development of indigenous technologies for India’s digital and communication infrastructure.
Dr Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO, C-DOT, said the CoE would provide a collaborative platform to explore advances in AI, quantum technologies, advanced wireless systems and intelligent networks, accelerating the development of indigenous technologies for India’s digital future.
Professor Amit Patra said the partnership would help translate academic research into practical technological solutions, enabling students and researchers to address real-world telecommunications challenges and contribute to India’s self-reliance in advanced communication technologies.
With the addition of IIT (BHU), Varanasi, C-DOT’s network of Centres of Excellence has expanded to six. Its existing collaborations include IIT Kanpur, IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Roorkee, IIT Hyderabad and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, through the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID). The centres aim to advance next-generation communication technologies, strengthen industry-academia collaboration and nurture specialised talent.
