HCLTech has joined hands with Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) to accelerate deep-ech innovation for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), marking a strategic push to translate cutting-edge academic research into enterprise-ready solutions.
The two institutions have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly convert advanced research into real-world pilots and scalable deployments for GCCs. The collaboration is designed to help enterprises tap into frontier technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity and next-generation engineering systems, without the need to build in-house research labs.
Bridging Research and Enterprise
The partnership brings together HCLTech’s comprehensive GCC transformation capabilities and IIT Kanpur’s strong research and startup ecosystem. By integrating enterprise execution with academic innovation, the initiative aims to shorten the journey from laboratory breakthroughs to market-ready applications.
For GCCs, this model offers a distinct advantage: accelerated access to niche skills, translational R&D capabilities, research funding frameworks and industry mentorship. The outcome is expected to be faster experimentation, reduced time-to-market and scalable solutions grounded in deep scientific research.
IIT Kanpur director Prof. Manindra Agrawal said:“At IIT Kanpur, we have strong expertise and ongoing translational R&D in AI and intelligent systems, robotics, cybersecurity and other next-generation technologies.” He noted that the collaboration gives researchers direct exposure to real-world global enterprise challenges while strengthening the bridge between academia and industry to co-develop high-impact technologies.
Powering the Next Phase of GCC Growth
HCLTech views the partnership as central to the next evolution of GCCs in India and globally. As enterprises increasingly move beyond cost arbitrage to innovation-led value creation, access to deep-tech ecosystems is becoming a critical differentiator.
HCLTech EVP and global GCC practice head Kiran Cherukuri said: “The next era of GCC growth will be shaped by how effectively they tap into world-class research and deep tech ecosystems. The MoU positions HCLTech as a catalyst, bringing together GCCs, academia, research labs and startups to move from frontier research to pilots and enterprise-scale solutions with speed and measurable impact.”
Launched at GCC 4.0 Summit
The collaboration was formally launched at the ‘GCC 4.0: Co-Creating India’s Innovation Powerhouse’ summit in Hyderabad, which brought together over 250 leaders from India-based and global GCCs, IIT Kanpur, startups and the broader technology ecosystem.