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Key Points

IIT Guwahati is leading a national initiative to establish Manekshaw Centres for defence and security research. The project, backed by the Ministry of Education, aims to bridge the gap between academia and defence forces. Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has pledged strong support for this Atmanirbhar Bharat-aligned initiative. The centres will foster collaboration among IITs, IISc, and defence agencies to develop indigenous security solutions.

Key Points: IIT Guwahati Leads National Manekshaw Centres for Defence Research

  • IIT Guwahati leads defence research hubs nationwide
  • MoE-backed initiative involves premier institutes like IITs & IISc
  • Focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat through academia-defence collaboration
  • Retd. Lt Gen Saha & Prof. Nandi conceptualized the nodal centres
3 min read

IIT Guwahati spearheads national initiative to establish Manekshaw Centres for Defence and Security Research

IIT Guwahati spearheads Manekshaw Centres to boost defence research, backed by MoE & Dharmendra Pradhan, aligning with Atmanirbhar Bharat.

"Manekshaw Center will act as an interface between Indian Academia and defence forces. - Prof. Devendra Jalihal, IIT Guwahati Director"

Guwahati, August 8

Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati is leading the initiative to set up nodal centres for defence and national security research throughout the country.

Established under the aegis of the Ministry of Education, Government of India, and led by Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati, the "Manekshaw Centre" is working towards next-gen education, innovation, productisation, manufacturing and research-based consulting/operations.

To support the initiative, a high-level delegation recently briefed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on the establishment of a Nodal Centre in Indian Premier Institutes dedicated to Defence and National Security Research.

The delegation included - Prof Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati and Chief Patron, Manekshaw Center of Excellence; Prof Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur and Dy Chief Patron, Manekshaw Center of Excellence; Lt Gen Dr Subrata Saha (Retd.), Executive Chairman and Chief Operating Officer of the Manekshaw Center of Excellence.

Speaking about the initiative, Prof. Devendra Jalihal, Director, IIT Guwahati, said, "Manekshaw Center will act as an interface between Indian Academia and defence forces. IITs, IISc, IIITs and NITs will be the members of the centre. The centre will periodically engage in dialogues with defence agencies and actively participate in defining and designing systems to meet India's security needs. It will work towards finding Indian solutions, thus fulfilling the aspiration of Atmanirbhar Bharat."

The meeting was also attended by Vineet Joshi, Secretary, and Saumya Gupta, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India.

Highlighting the need for inter-institutional collaborations, Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed strong support for the initiative.

He underlined the Ministry's commitment to supporting the Manekshaw Centre in building a robust innovation ecosystem that brings academia, defence, armed forces, security agencies and industries together to address the evolving challenges of national security.

Aligning with the Government of India's Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, this visionary initiative will unite IITs, IISc, IIITs, and NITs on a collaborative academic and research platform focused on defence technology and national security.

The idea of setting up this nodal centre for collaboration among IITs was conceived by Lt Gen Dr Subrata Saha (Retd.) and Prof. Sukumar Nandi, Dean of Administration, IIT Guwahati.

Currently, the Manekshaw Centre includes - IITs: Guwahati, Madras, Kanpur, Jodhpur, Dharwad, Delhi, Bombay, Kharagpur, BHU-Varanasi, ISM-Dhanbad; IISc Bangalore; IIIT Delhiwith more institutions expected to join soon.

Established in March 2025, IIT Guwahati's MCoENSSR is working towards bridging the gap between Defence Forces, Security Agencies, and Academic & Research Institutions that can enable convergence of strategic vision, operational excellence, and technological expertise to strengthen national security.

Other key objectives of the centre include - Create a new-age Security Industrial Complex/Ecosystem to promote Govt. of India's Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative to "win India's wars with Indian solutions"; Collaborate with start-ups, industry partners, foreign institutes to achieve higher technology readiness level and cater the requirements of the Indian Armed Forces and Security Agencies; Organise Dialogue Series, Workshops, Seminars, Ideathons, Conference with Indian Armed Forces and other key national security stakeholders on new-age national security challenges, next-gen asymmetric hybrid non-contact warfare, futuristic technologies.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

A
Ananya R
While the concept is good, I hope this doesn't become another bureaucratic setup. Our defence needs urgent solutions, not endless meetings. The inclusion of startups is promising though - that's where real innovation happens these days.
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Vikram M
Northeast finally getting its due in defence research! IIT Guwahati leading this is a proud moment for our region. Hope this brings more opportunities for local talent and industries to contribute to national security.
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Sarah B
As an international student at IITG, I'm impressed by India's focus on self-reliance in defence. The interdisciplinary approach combining academia and military is something more countries should emulate. Looking forward to seeing the outcomes!
K
Karthik V
Hope they allocate proper funding and have clear KPIs. Too many such centers become white elephants. Also, why only premier institutes? Should involve state universities too - talent exists everywhere in Bharat.
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Priya S
Finally! We need more women researchers in defence tech. Hope this center actively encourages female participation. National security isn't just a male domain. The inclusion of hybrid warfare research is particularly timely given current global scenarios.
M
Michael C
Interesting model. In US we have DARPA, but this seems more collaborative across institutions. The focus on 'Indian solutions' is noteworthy.

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