C-DOT and IIT Roorkee sign MoU to establish Centre of Excellence for next-generation telecom R&D
Dr Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO of C-DOT, and Prof. Kamal K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, at the signing ceremony of the MoU, on Thursday.
New Delhi, November 28: The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) on Thursday signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee to set up a Centre of Excellence (CoE) dedicated to advanced communication technologies. The initiative aims to accelerate indigenous R&D, foster academic–industry collaboration and strengthen India’s pathway towards a self-reliant and globally competitive telecom ecosystem.
The CoE, inaugurated following the MoU signing, will serve as a specialised hub for research in wireless communication, quantum technologies, cyber security and AI-based telecom applications. It will enable joint innovation in emerging domains such as 5G/6G, RF–Sub-THz integrated circuits, millimetre-wave beamforming antennas, V2X communication, data-driven wireless systems and energy-efficient network technologies.
The MoU was signed in the presence of IIT Roorkee director KK Pant and C-DOT CEO Rajkumar Upadhyay, alongside institute faculty and senior officials. The partnership brings together C-DOT’s national leadership in indigenous telecom solutions and IIT Roorkee’s academic expertise across communication engineering, semiconductor technologies and advanced wireless systems.
C-DOT said the CoE will support start-ups, generate intellectual property, and promote continuous knowledge exchange through workshops, training programmes and collaborative projects. The centre is expected to strengthen India’s position in global telecom innovation by nurturing talent and enabling high-impact prototype development.
Speaking at the event, Rajkumar Upadhyay said the collaboration would help reduce reliance on foreign telecom systems and create opportunities for India to lead in advanced domains including 5G, 6G, AI and secure communication systems. Pant said the partnership marks an important milestone for IIT Roorkee and will give researchers and students a platform to co-develop technologies of strategic national significance.
As part of the sixth Prof. AK Kamal Memorial Lecture Series, Upadhyay delivered a talk on “Building Indigenous Communication Technologies for Viksit Bharat,” outlining India’s telecom landscape, the Bharat 6G Vision, standards development and C-DOT’s contributions in areas such as 4G/5G networks, quantum-secure communication, disaster management and AI-enabled telecom platforms including Sanchar Saathi and mission-critical communication systems.
