Kanpur (UP)

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur and HCLTech have signed an MoU to jointly translate cutting-edge research into real-world pilots and scalable solutions for Global Capability Centres, according to a communique issued by the institute on Thursday.

The collaboration positions HCLTech as a strategic Global Capability Centres (GCCs) partner to enable research-led innovation in advanced engineering and deep tech, with a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and next-generation technologies.

By combining HCLTech's GCC solutions with IIT Kanpur's research and startup ecosystem, the partnership aims to drive innovation beyond traditional talent and service models, the communique said. Under the initiative, GCCs will be able to accelerate complex research programmes, access niche skills without building in-house laboratories and reduce time-to-market.

IIT Kanpur Director Manindra Agrawal said the institute has strong expertise and ongoing translational research and development in AI and intelligent systems, robotics, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies.

"Through this partnership with HCLTech, our researchers will gain direct access to real-world challenges faced by global GCCs, along with research funding and industry mentorship," he said.

Calling translational research a strategic priority, Agrawal said the MoU would serve as a bridge between academia and enterprises to co-develop innovative technologies with measurable impact.

Kiran Cherukuri, executive vice president and global GCC practice head at HCLTech, said the next phase of GCC growth would depend on how effectively they leverage world-class research and deep tech ecosystems.

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"This MoU with IIT Kanpur positions HCLTech as a catalyst, bringing together GCCs, academic excellence, research and the startup ecosystem, to help enterprises move from research to pilots and enterprise-ready solutions at speed and scale," he said.

The collaboration was formally launched at the 'GCC 4.0: Co-Creating India's Innovation Powerhouse' summit held in Hyderabad, which was attended by over 250 leaders from India-based and global GCCs, IIT Kanpur, startups and the broader technology ecosystem.