Press Release – 27 August 2026

Deakin University, Australia, announced that its researchers have been awarded multiple competitive grants under the Australia‑India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP). The partnership, established in 2020, supports collaboration among Australian and Indian research institutions, industry, government and civil‑society organisations to address cyber and critical technology challenges in the Indo‑Pacific region.

The funded projects are:

  • Post‑Quantum Cryptography Migration in the Indo‑Pacific, led by Deakin in partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras.
  • Quantum‑Safe Digital Public Infrastructure, led by Deakin in collaboration with Symbiosis International University and VIT (Vellore Institute of Technology).
  • Securing Critical Energy Supply Chains Using AI and Blockchain, led by La Trobe University together with Deakin and IIT Kanpur.
  • Addressing Barriers to Safe, Standards‑Based AI Adoption, led by Swinburne University of Technology in collaboration with Deakin, IIT Palakkad, River Venture Studio (Singapore) and Professor Robin Doss.

Director of the Deakin Cyber Research and Innovation Hub stated that the projects demonstrate the depth of the Australia‑India relationship and a shared commitment to developing secure, resilient and future‑ready technologies that will benefit both nations and the broader Indo‑Pacific region.

In addition to the AICCTP awards, Deakin’s SME Research Centre secured an A$340,000 Australian Government Maitri Grant for the initiative “Empowering Innovation: Australian FDI Initiatives for Building Innovation Centres in India”. The grant is intended to help Australian small‑ and medium‑size enterprises better understand India’s innovation ecosystem through workshops, policy insights and an India roadshow.

Ravneet Pawha, Vice President (Global Engagement) and CEO (South Asia) of Deakin University, emphasized that the university’s impact is maximised by bringing together talent and partners, noting that the collaborations aim to co‑create solutions that build capability, drive innovation and deliver tangible benefits for industry, governments and communities.

Deakin’s South Asia operations, launched in New Delhi in 1994, were among the first overseas education footprints in the region. The university continues to engage with government, industry and academia to promote education and research under its “in India, with India, for India” approach.

For further information on Deakin’s cyber and critical technology initiatives, readers are directed to the Deakin Cyber Research and Innovation Centre website.