IIT-K, BSNL MoU to advance indigenous telecom, AI & digital infra technologies

Kanpur: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and IIT Kanpur signed an MoU on Thursday to establish a long-term framework for collaborative research, innovation, development, testing, deployment, and commercialization of next-generation telecom and digital technologies aligned with national priorities.

The MoU was signed by IIT Kanpur director Prof Manindra Agrawal and BSNL PGM Jitendra Garg, in the presence of NITI Aayog member Dr Abhay Karandikar, CMD of BSNL ITS A Robert J Ravi and Bisnouli Sarvodaya Foundation CEO Nandita Bakshi Sunil.

The partnership brings together IIT Kanpur’s globally recognized research excellence and innovation ecosystem with BSNL’s nationwide telecom infrastructure, digital platforms, and operational scale to accelerate the development, deployment, and commercialization of indigenous technologies aligned with national priorities.

A key focus area of the collaboration will be direct-to-mobile (D2M) broadcasting technology, where IIT Kanpur has emerged as a national leader through pioneering research and development efforts.

The collaboration will focus on areas including 4G/5G and future communication networks, BharatNet-enabled digital applications, AI/ML-driven telecom and network analytics, D2M broadcasting technologies, cybersecurity and cyber resilience solutions, indigenous communication systems, cloud and edge computing, GPU/HPC-enabled computing platforms, advanced wireless technologies, smart infrastructure solutions, secure data communication systems, telecom infrastructure utilization and monetization, digital public infrastructure, and other emerging technologies critical to India’s digital transformation and strategic self-reliance.