Key Points
- C-DOT establishes fourth Centre of Excellence at IIT Hyderabad for telecom research
- CoE will focus on 6G, quantum communications and AI-driven networks
- Initiative builds on existing C-DOT partnership with WISIG startup for 5G O-RAN
The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), the government’s premier telecom research body, has signed an agreement with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad to establish a Centre of Excellence focused on next-generation communication technologies including 6G and quantum-secure systems.
The memorandum of understanding, signed on Wednesday (24 June), marks C-DOT’s fourth such academic partnership. The organisation has previously established similar centres at IIT Kanpur, IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Roorkee, creating a national network for indigenous telecom research.
The new centre will conduct research in wireless communications, quantum technologies, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence applications for telecom networks.
Specific focus areas include 5G Advanced and 6G technologies, very large-scale MIMO systems — antenna arrays that use dozens or hundreds of elements to improve wireless capacity — and integrated sensing and communication systems that combine radar-like detection with data transmission.
Quantum and post-quantum focus
The CoE will also work on quantum key distribution (QKD), a method of encrypting communications using the principles of quantum physics that makes eavesdropping theoretically detectable, and post-quantum cryptography (PQC), encryption algorithms designed to resist attacks from future quantum computers.
“The establishment of this Centre of Excellence is a strategic step towards creating a robust innovation pipeline for next-generation communication technologies in India,” said Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO, C-DOT.
“By integrating cutting-edge academic research with real-world deployment capabilities, we aim to build globally competitive, secure, and scalable telecom solutions,” he added.
The partnership builds on an existing collaboration between C-DOT and WISIG, a startup incubated at IIT Hyderabad that is developing disaggregated 5G O-RAN solutions. O-RAN, or Open Radio Access Network, is an industry initiative that allows telecom operators to use equipment from multiple vendors rather than relying on a single supplier, potentially reducing costs and increasing flexibility.
Indigenous telecom solutions
B S Murty, director, IIT Hyderabad, said the institution’s strengths in communication engineering, semiconductor technologies and wireless systems would complement C-DOT’s focus on indigenous telecom solutions.
“The CoE will provide a transformative platform for our faculty, researchers, and students to co-develop technologies of strategic importance and contribute to India’s long-term vision of technological leadership,” Murty said.
During the signing ceremony, Upadhyay delivered a lecture on indigenous communications technologies, outlining C-DOT’s existing solutions including 4G and 5G systems, the TRINETRA cybersecurity suite, secure quantum communications platforms, disaster management systems and AI-enabled applications such as Sanchar Saathi and fraud detection systems.
The centre will support startups working on telecom technologies, facilitate intellectual property creation and organise training programmes. Students, researchers and entrepreneurs will be able to access C-DOT’s expertise in indigenous telecom development through the partnership.
C-DOT operates under the Department of Telecommunications in the Ministry of Communications. The organisation has been central to India’s push for self-reliance in telecom infrastructure, particularly as the country prepares for 6G deployment later this decade under the Bharat 6G Vision announced in 2023.
Your Questions, Answered
What is the C-DOT IIT Hyderabad Centre of Excellence?
It is a research partnership between the Centre for Development of Telematics and IIT Hyderabad to develop indigenous next-generation communication technologies including 6G, quantum communications and AI-driven telecom networks.
How many Centres of Excellence has C-DOT established?
This is C-DOT's fourth Centre of Excellence. The organisation has previously established similar centres at IIT Kanpur, IIT Gandhinagar and IIT Roorkee.
What technologies will the CoE focus on?
The centre will research 5G Advanced and 6G technologies, very large-scale MIMO systems, quantum key distribution, post-quantum cryptography, AI-enabled communication networks and integrated sensing and communication systems.
What is O-RAN and why is it significant?
O-RAN or Open Radio Access Network allows telecom operators to use equipment from multiple vendors rather than a single supplier. C-DOT is already working with IIT Hyderabad-incubated startup WISIG on disaggregated 5G O-RAN solutions.
