Kanpur/New Delhi, 11 June 2026: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) and the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur), one of India's premier institutions of national importance, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today 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 Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, and Shri Jitendra Garg, PGM, BSNL, in the distinguished presence of Dr. Abhay Karandikar, Member, NITI Aayog; Shri A. Robert J. Ravi, CMD, BSNL ITS; Ms. Nandita Bakshi, CEO, Bisnouli Sarvodaya Foundation; Shri Sunil, President, BES(I); along with senior officials, faculty members, and researchers.

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. D2M technology has the potential to transform digital content delivery by enabling the broadcast of multimedia content directly to mobile devices without relying solely on conventional cellular networks. With the potential to reach hundreds of millions of users, the technology can significantly enhance the dissemination of educational content, public information services, disaster management communications, and emergency alerts across the country.

The collaboration will focus on areas including 4G/5G and future communication networks, BharatNet-enabled digital applications, AI/ML-driven telecom and network analytics, Direct-to-Mobile (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.

Together, BSNL and IIT Kanpur aim to create a robust framework for collaborative research, indigenous technology development, pilot deployments, Proofs-of-Concept (PoCs), field trials, testing and validation frameworks, capacity building, startup ecosystem engagement, intellectual property creation, standardization initiatives, and commercialization of scalable indigenous solutions supporting the vision of Digital India and Atmanirbhar Bharat.

The collaboration may also include consultancy support, incubation of innovative solutions, development of commercially viable products and services, and strategic technology initiatives for government, enterprise, strategic, and citizen-centric applications. By combining academic excellence, research-driven innovation, and large-scale deployment capabilities, the partnership seeks to accelerate India's technological self-reliance and strengthen the nation's digital infrastructure ecosystem.

About IIT Kanpur

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, established in 1959, is recognised as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India. Renowned for excellence in science, engineering, and interdisciplinary education, IIT Kanpur spans a 1,050-acre lush green campus and comprises 20 departments, 27 centres, three interdisciplinary programmes, and three specialised schools. With over 570 faculty members and more than 9,500 students, the institute continues to lead in innovation, research, and holistic development.

For more information, please visit: www.iitk.ac.in