New Delhi, February 26 IT services company HCL Technologies (HCLTech) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur have signed an agreement to jointly convert research into real-world pilots and scalable solutions for Global Capability Centres (GCCs), a release said on Thursday.
The collaboration aims to position HCLTech as a trusted GCC partner for enabling research-led innovation, particularly in advanced engineering and deep tech, with a strong focus on AI, robotics, and next-generation technologies.
"By combining HCLTech's comprehensive GCC solutions and IIT Kanpur's research and startup ecosystem, the partnership enables research-driven innovation that goes beyond traditional talent and services," the release said.
It helps GCCs accelerate complex research, access niche skills without having to build internal labs, and reduce time-to-market.
"At IIT Kanpur, we have strong expertise and ongoing translational R&D in AI and intelligent systems, robotics, cybersecurity, and other next-generation technologies. Through this partnership with HCLTech, our researchers gain direct access to real-world challenges faced by global GCCs, complemented by access to research funding and industry mentorship," Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, said.
Translational research being a strategic priority, this MoU serves as a bridge between academic research and enterprises to co-develop innovative technologies with measurable impact, Agrawal added.
Kiran Cherukuri, EVP and Global GCC Practice Head, HCLTech, noted that the next era of GCC growth will be shaped by how effectively they tap into world-class research and deep tech ecosystems.
"This MoU with IIT Kanpur positions HCLTech as a catalyst – bringing GCCs, academic excellence, research, and the startup ecosystem together – to help enterprises move from frontier research to pilots and enterprise-ready solutions at speed and scale, delivering quicker time-to-market and better customer experiences," Cherukuri said.