The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT), India’s premier telecom research and development organisation under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT Hyderabad) to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for advanced communication technologies. The CoE, inaugurated at the IIT Hyderabad campus, will focus on indigenous research and innovation in next-generation communication domains including 5G Advanced, 6G, quantum technologies, cybersecurity, and AI-driven applications. This is the fourth such CoE set up by C-DOT, following earlier collaborations with IIT Kanpur, IIT Gandhinagar, and IIT Roorkee.
What Is C-DOT?
The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) was established in August 1984 as an autonomous telecom research and development centre under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) , Ministry of Communications. It is registered as a society under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 and is recognised as a public funded research institution by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR) . C-DOT is headquartered in New Delhi and has additional offices in Bengaluru and Kolkata.
C-DOT was originally created with the mandate of designing and developing indigenous digital exchanges for India’s expanding telecom network. In its early years, it triggered a telecom revolution in rural India by developing cost-effective switching systems suited to local conditions. Over four decades, C-DOT has evolved into a full-fledged telecom R&D institution, achieving CMMI-Dev Maturity Level 5 accreditation. It has developed over 50 homegrown products across areas such as optical communication, wireless networks, switching systems, cybersecurity, and network management. C-DOT follows a unique technology transfer model, licensing its designs to domestic manufacturers and thereby building a self-sustaining telecom manufacturing ecosystem in India.
The Centre of Excellence at IIT Hyderabad
The MoU was signed in the presence of Prof. B. S. Murty, Director of IIT Hyderabad, and Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, Chief Executive Officer of C-DOT, along with faculty members and senior officials from both institutions. The signing was immediately followed by the inauguration of the CoE, marking the formal start of collaborative research activities.
The CoE will function as a dedicated hub for high-impact research and development, bridging the gap between academic research and real-world telecom deployment. It will enable students, researchers, and startups to work on cutting-edge technologies that contribute to India’s technological self-reliance. The centre will also support intellectual property creation, facilitate prototype development, and promote continuous knowledge exchange through workshops, training programmes, and joint academic-industry engagements.
On the occasion, Dr. Upadhyay delivered a lecture on “Building Indigenous Communications Technologies for Viksit Bharat”, in which he outlined India’s telecom landscape, the Bharat 6G Vision, evolving global telecom value chains, and C-DOT’s indigenous solutions spanning 4G and 5G technologies, the TRINETRA cybersecurity suite, secure quantum communications using Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) , the disaster management platform, AI-enabled applications such as Sanchar Saathi and fraud detection systems, and Mission Critical Communication (MCX) solutions.
Four Focus Areas of the CoE
The Centre of Excellence will undertake joint research and prototype development across several emerging domains that are critical to India’s telecom future.
5G Advanced and 6G Technologies
The CoE will work on 5G Advanced technologies, the next evolutionary step beyond current 5G networks, and on 6G systems, the sixth generation of wireless communication. 6G is expected to deliver data speeds exceeding 1 terabit per second and latency as low as 100 microseconds, enabling transformative applications such as holographic communication, remote robotic surgeries, and fully autonomous systems. Research will also cover very large-scale MIMO systems (Multiple Input Multiple Output), which use hundreds of antennas to dramatically improve network capacity and spectral efficiency, and integrated sensing and communication systems that combine wireless communication with radar-like sensing capabilities.
AI-Enabled Communication Networks
A major focus area is the development of AI-native communication networks where artificial intelligence is embedded into the network architecture itself rather than added as an afterthought. These networks can self-optimise, predict traffic patterns, detect anomalies, and allocate resources dynamically. The CoE will also explore AI-driven network management tools, intelligent beamforming, and automated fault detection systems that make telecom networks more efficient and resilient.
Quantum and Post-Quantum Communications
The centre will research Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), a technology that uses quantum mechanics to create theoretically unbreakable encryption keys, and Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC) , cryptographic algorithms designed to resist attacks from future quantum computers. These technologies are critical for securing India’s telecommunications infrastructure against the emerging threat of quantum-enabled cyber attacks. C-DOT has already partnered with Synergy Quantum for drone-based QKD systems and with CSIR-National Physical Laboratory for quantum communication research.
Cybersecurity and Indigenous Solutions
The CoE will build on C-DOT’s existing cybersecurity portfolio, including TRINETRA, an indigenous AI-powered cybersecurity suite designed to protect telecom networks, and Sanchar Saathi, a citizen-centric portal for reporting fraud and blocking stolen mobile phones. The centre will also work on Mission Critical Communication (MCX) solutions for public safety and emergency response, and on secure 5G and 6G network architectures that reduce dependence on foreign equipment.
C-DOT’s Growing Network of Centres of Excellence
The CoE at IIT Hyderabad is the fourth in C-DOT’s expanding national network. The three earlier CoEs are located at:
| S.No | Institution | Location | Year Established |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | IIT Kanpur | Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh | Prior to 2025 |
| 2 | IIT Gandhinagar | Gandhinagar, Gujarat | November 2025 |
| 3 | IIT Roorkee | Roorkee, Uttarakhand | November 2025 |
| 4 | IIT Hyderabad | Sangareddy, Telangana | June 2026 |
Each CoE focuses on advancing research in telecom and ICT domains while fostering startup incubation, patent filing, and skill development aligned with national missions such as Digital India, Make in India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat. Together, these centres are creating a nationwide innovation ecosystem that connects academic research with industry deployment.
Building on an Existing Partnership
C-DOT and IIT Hyderabad already share a prior collaboration through WiSig Networks (WISIG) , a startup incubated at IIT Hyderabad that works on disaggregated 5G Open Radio Access Network (O-RAN) solutions. O-RAN is a standardised approach that allows telecom operators to mix and match hardware and software from different vendors, reducing vendor lock-in and lowering costs. C-DOT has previously partnered with WiSig Networks and VVDN Technologies to develop indigenous 5G O-RAN products. The new CoE will build on this foundation by further supporting startups, facilitating intellectual property creation, and promoting collaborative academic-industry engagement.
The Broader Context: Bharat 6G Vision
This collaboration aligns with India’s Bharat 6G Vision, unveiled by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in March 2023. The vision document aims to position India as a frontline contributor in the design, development, and deployment of 6G technology by 2030. Key targets include securing 10% of global 6G intellectual property and developing indigenous 6G solutions.
To operationalise this vision, the government established the Bharat 6G Alliance (B6GA) , a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together industry, academia, research institutions, and standards organisations. The government has also sanctioned 100 5G labs at academic institutions across the country and funded specialised testbeds, including the 6G Terahertz Testbed and the Advanced Optical Communication Testbed, to accelerate research. India has also signed bilateral 6G cooperation agreements with countries including the United States, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Finland, and the United Kingdom.
C-DOT, as the government’s primary telecom R&D arm, is central to executing this vision. Its network of CoEs at premier IITs provides the infrastructure for translating policy goals into working technologies. The IIT Hyderabad CoE, with its focus on quantum communications and AI-driven networks, directly contributes to the foundational research that will underpin India’s 6G roadmap.
Key Takeaways
- The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DOT) signed an MoU with IIT Hyderabad in June 2026 to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for advanced communication technologies.
- This is the fourth CoE established by C-DOT, following centres at IIT Kanpur, IIT Gandhinagar, and IIT Roorkee.
- The CoE will research 5G Advanced and 6G technologies, very large-scale MIMO systems, AI-enabled networks, quantum communications (QKD and PQC) , and cybersecurity.
- C-DOT was established in August 1984 as an autonomous R&D centre under the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) , headquartered in New Delhi.
- C-DOT had previously collaborated with IIT Hyderabad-incubated startup WiSig Networks for disaggregated 5G O-RAN solutions.
- The Bharat 6G Vision was unveiled in March 2023, targeting India’s leadership in 6G technology and 10% of global 6G IPRs by 2030.
- The MoU was signed by Dr. Rajkumar Upadhyay, CEO of C-DOT, and Prof. B. S. Murty, Director of IIT Hyderabad.
