The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the telecom research and development centre under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), Ministry of Communications, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) to advance research and innovation in next-generation communication technologies.
As part of the collaboration, C-DOT will establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at IIT Hyderabad to accelerate indigenous research, innovation and capacity building in advanced communication domains, including wireless communications, quantum technologies, cybersecurity and AI-driven applications.
The new facility will be the fourth Centre of Excellence set up by C-DOT, following similar centres at IIT Kanpur, IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Roorkee, further strengthening India’s telecom innovation ecosystem.
Focus on emerging technologies
The Centre of Excellence will serve as a dedicated hub for high-impact research and development, combining IIT Hyderabad’s academic expertise with C-DOT’s experience in developing indigenous telecom solutions.
The centre will undertake joint research and prototype development in emerging technology areas such as 5G Advanced and 6G technologies, very large-scale MIMO systems, integrated sensing and communication systems, AI-enabled communication networks and devices, and quantum and post-quantum communications.
The initiative is also expected to create opportunities for students, researchers and startups to contribute to India’s technology self-reliance goals while fostering stronger academia-industry collaboration.
Startup and innovation ecosystem support
C-DOT has already partnered with WISIG, a startup incubated at IIT Hyderabad, for the development and deployment of disaggregated 5G Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) solutions.
Building on this engagement, the Centre of Excellence will support startups, facilitate intellectual property creation and promote knowledge exchange through workshops, training programmes and collaborative academic-industry initiatives.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen India’s position in global telecom innovation while contributing to the development of a self-reliant digital ecosystem.
Showcasing indigenous technologies
During the MoU signing ceremony, C-DOT highlighted its portfolio of indigenous solutions, including 4G and 5G technologies, the TRINETRA cybersecurity suite, secure quantum communication technologies such as Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), disaster management platforms, AI-enabled applications including Sanchar Saathi and fraud detection systems, and Mission Critical Communication (MCX) solutions.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Prof. B. S. Murty, Director, IIT Hyderabad, and Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO, C-DOT, along with faculty members and senior officials from both organisations.
Management comments
C-DOT CEO Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay said, “The establishment of this Centre of Excellence is a strategic step towards creating a robust innovation pipeline for next-generation communication technologies in India. By integrating cutting-edge academic research with real-world deployment capabilities, we aim to build globally competitive, secure, and scalable telecom solutions that position India as a leader globally.”
IIT Hyderabad Director Prof. B. S. Murty said, “This collaboration marks an important milestone for IIT Hyderabad as we join hands with C-DOT to advance India’s next-generation telecom capabilities. IIT Hyderabad’s strengths in communication engineering, semiconductor technologies, and emerging wireless systems will complement C-DOT’s national mission for secure and indigenous telecom solutions.”
He added that the Centre of Excellence would provide a platform for faculty, researchers and students to develop technologies of strategic importance and contribute to India’s long-term technology leadership ambitions.
Strengthening telecom self-reliance
The partnership reflects C-DOT’s ongoing efforts to advance indigenous telecom innovation through collaborations with leading academic institutions. By supporting research, nurturing talent and accelerating the development of next-generation communication technologies, the initiative aims to strengthen India’s position in the global telecom landscape while advancing the country’s vision of technological self-reliance.