Kanpur
Aug 1, 2025
In a move to boost India's technology sector, C-DAC Noida and IIT Kanpur's Foundation for Innovation and Research in Science and Technology (FIRST) have signed a key Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). This partnership will focus on accelerating research, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
The MoU was signed by Shri. Vivek Kaneja, Executive Director, C-DAC Noida, and Prof. Deepu Philip, Director, FIRST - IIT Kanpur, in the presence of Shri P.N. Barwal, Scientist G & Group Coordinator and Shri. Rishi Prakash Scientist G - C-DAC Noida, along with Shri. Piyush Mishra, Chief Operating Officer, and Shri. Sarvesh Sonkar, Chief of Entrepreneurship, FIRST.
This partnership brings together C-DAC's strengths in advanced computing and e-Governance with FIRST's deep expertise in fostering innovation, managing startup ecosystems, and enabling industry-academia collaboration. The MoU outlines a 24-month collaboration to promote:
- Joint research projects addressing national priorities in areas such as AI/ML, Cyber Security, Medical Devices Technologies, and Green Technologies.
- Entrepreneurship development through joint incubation, mentoring, and startup support programs.
- Knowledge exchange between academia and industry to drive commercialization of cutting-edge technologies.
- Access to FIRST's innovation ecosystem, which currently supports over 160 startups across strategic domains including E-Governance, Cyber Security, Health Informatics and Defence Technologies.
The initiative sets a strong foundation for impactful, interdisciplinary R&D and is expected to significantly contribute to India's innovation-driven growth.
