C-DOT sets up Centre of Excellence at IISc to boost indigenous telecom innovation

New Delhi: India is dialling up its telecom ambitions. The Centre for Development of Telematics has signed a tripartite agreement with the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development and the Indian Institute of Science to establish a new Centre of Excellence (CoE) aimed at accelerating indigenous telecom research and next-generation communication technologies.

The Centre of Excellence has been set up at FSID, IISc Bengaluru to strengthen research, innovation, commercialisation and talent development in advanced communication technologies. The initiative is designed to foster closer collaboration between academia and industry while supporting the government’s vision of a self-reliant and Viksit Bharat in the telecom sector.

The new CoE will focus on research across wireless communications, quantum technologies, cybersecurity and AI-driven communication systems. It will also undertake advanced work in emerging fields such as 5G Advanced, 6G technologies, very large-scale MIMO systems, integrated sensing and communication, AI-native communication networks and devices, as well as quantum and post-quantum communication technologies.

By combining IISc’s academic expertise with C-DOT’s experience in indigenous telecom research and development, the Centre aims to develop future-ready communication technologies, generate intellectual property, support deep-tech start-ups and facilitate knowledge exchange through collaborative research projects, workshops, training programmes and industry engagements.

The Bengaluru facility becomes C-DOT’s fifth Centre of Excellence, following similar collaborations with Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar and Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee. The growing network reflects C-DOT’s strategy of building a nationwide ecosystem for cutting-edge telecom research and indigenous technology development.

The agreement was signed in the presence of senior representatives from the three organisations, including Rajkumar Upadhyay and Omprakash Subbarao, alongside IISc faculty members and C-DOT officials. The signing ceremony was followed by the inauguration of the new Centre of Excellence.

During the event, C-DOT, ceo, Rajkumar Upadhyay said the Centre represents a strategic investment in India’s telecom innovation ecosystem by bringing together IISc’s research capabilities and C-DOT’s expertise in indigenous communication technologies. He said the collaboration would accelerate research in 5G Advanced, 6G, AI and quantum communications while strengthening India’s self-reliance in critical technologies, generating intellectual property and nurturing future innovators and deep-tech enterprises.

Highlighting the academic significance of the partnership, Indian Institute of Science, chair of the department of electrical communication engineering, Neelesh B. Mehta said the collaboration would enable long-term partnerships between IISc researchers and C-DOT engineers, helping accelerate innovation in advanced communication technologies.

Welcoming the collaboration, Foundation for Science Innovation and Development, ceo, Omprakash Subbarao said the partnership would create impactful research projects by bringing together academia and industry, strengthening India’s scientific ecosystem and technological leadership.

As part of the programme, Dr Upadhyay also delivered a special lecture at IISc on the role of C-DOT in building secure indigenous communication technologies for Viksit Bharat. The session highlighted India’s digital transformation, the importance of trusted communication infrastructure and the country’s growing leadership in areas such as AI-enabled telecom networks, cybersecurity, quantum-secure communications and future 6G technologies.

With its fifth Centre of Excellence now operational, C-DOT is expanding its research footprint while reinforcing India’s push to become a global leader in next-generation telecommunications through home-grown innovation and collaborative research.