India and UK to establish joint telecom innovation centre with Rs 2.82 billion commitment

India and the UK have signed a strategic partnership at India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2025 to drive innovation in digital connectivity, committing £24 million (about Rs 2.82 billion) over the next four years.

The agreement, between the UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), represented by deputy director (Technology, Spectrum and Strategy), and India’s Department of Telecommunications (DoT), represented by the deputy director general, will set up the India-UK Connectivity and Innovation Centre (CIC).

With this year’s IMC theme, “Innovate to Transform,” both governments aim for real-world impact, and the India-UK CIC will operate across the spectrum from early-stage research to applied innovation.

Further, the CIC is expected to combine academic excellence with market-driven innovation.