C-DOT and IIT Hyderabad Launch Telecom Research Centre

By combining IIT Hyderabad's academic strengths with C-DOT's expertise in indigenous telecom solutions, the initiative is expected to bridge the gap between laboratory research and real-world deployment.

The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) and the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) have joined hands to strengthen India's telecom research ecosystem through a new Centre of Excellence (CoE) dedicated to next-generation communication technologies.

The partnership was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two institutions. With the launch of the new centre at IIT Hyderabad, C-DOT has now established four Centres of Excellence across the country, following similar initiatives at IIT Kanpur, IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Roorkee.

The new facility will serve as a platform for advanced research, innovation and skill development in key areas shaping the future of communications. Students, researchers and startups will have opportunities to work on cutting-edge technologies while contributing to India's growing focus on self-reliance in critical telecom infrastructure.

Research to cover 6G, AI-powered networks and quantum communications

The Centre of Excellence will undertake collaborative research in several emerging fields, including 5G Advanced and 6G technologies, very large-scale MIMO systems, integrated sensing and communication technologies, AI-enabled communication networks and quantum communication systems.

By combining IIT Hyderabad's academic strengths with C-DOT's expertise in indigenous telecom solutions, the initiative is expected to bridge the gap between laboratory research and real-world deployment. The centre will also support prototype development, encourage intellectual property creation and help transform research ideas into practical technologies.

The collaboration builds on an existing relationship between the two institutions. C-DOT has already worked with WISIG, a startup incubated at IIT Hyderabad, on the development and deployment of disaggregated 5G Open RAN solutions. The new centre is expected to create more opportunities for startups working in advanced telecom and digital technologies.

Partnership aims to strengthen India's telecom innovation ecosystem

The Centre of Excellence was inaugurated after the signing ceremony, marking the beginning of collaborative research activities. The event was attended by IIT Hyderabad Director Prof. B. S. Murty, C-DOT CEO Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, faculty members, researchers and senior officials.

Addressing students and scholars during the event, Dr. Upadhyay delivered a lecture on building indigenous communication technologies for a developed India. He spoke about India's evolving telecom landscape, the Bharat 6G Vision, global standards and emerging opportunities in the sector. He also highlighted several C-DOT innovations, including 4G and 5G solutions, the TRINETRA cybersecurity suite, quantum communication technologies, AI-powered fraud detection systems and mission-critical communication platforms.

Speaking on the collaboration, Dr. Upadhyay said the centre would help create a strong innovation pipeline for future communication technologies by combining academic research with deployment-focused development. Prof. Murty noted that IIT Hyderabad's expertise in communication engineering, semiconductor technologies and wireless systems would complement C-DOT's mission of building secure and indigenous telecom solutions. The partnership is expected to play an important role in developing skilled talent, advancing research and strengthening India's position in the global telecom innovation landscape.