The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the premier telecom R&D centre of the Department of Telecommunications, signed a tripartite agreement with the Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID) and the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru on July 30, 2026. This agreement establishes a Centre of Excellence (CoE) at FSID, IISc Bengaluru with the objective of accelerating indigenous research, innovation, capacity building and commercialisation of advanced communication technologies.
The CoE will serve as a collaborative platform for academia and industry, focusing on high-impact research in wireless communications, quantum technologies, cybersecurity, and AI-driven communication systems. Specific research areas include 5G Advanced/6G technologies, very large-scale MIMO systems, integrated sensing and communication, AI-native communication networks and devices, and quantum and post-quantum communication technologies. The center aims to generate intellectual property, support deep-tech start-ups, and facilitate knowledge exchange through collaborative research, workshops, training programmes, and academic-industry engagements.
This marks C-DOT's fifth Centre of Excellence, following similar collaborations with IIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, IIT Gandhinagar, and IIT Roorkee. The expanding CoE network reflects C-DOT's commitment to building a national innovation ecosystem that strengthens indigenous technological capabilities and reinforces India's position in next-generation telecommunications.
The agreement was signed in the presence of Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO of C-DOT, and Mr. Omprakash Subbarao, CEO of FSID, along with faculty members from IISc and senior officials from C-DOT. Following the signing ceremony, the Centre of Excellence was inaugurated, and Dr. Upadhyay delivered a special lecture on "Role of C-DOT in Building Secure Indigenous Communication Technologies for Viksit Bharat" to the IISc community.
Dr. Upadhyay emphasized that this collaboration represents a strategic investment in India's future telecom innovation ecosystem, combining IISc's world-class research capabilities with C-DOT's expertise in indigenous telecom technologies. Prof. Neelesh B. Mehta, Chair of the Department of Electrical Communication Engineering at IISc, noted that the partnership would foster long-term collaborations between IISc faculty and students and C-DOT's domain experts. Mr. Subbarao highlighted FSID's commitment to bridging academia and industry for strengthening India's scientific ecosystem and technological leadership.