The Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati is spearheading an initiative to establish Manekshaw Centres for Defence and Security Research across India, serving as a unified link between the armed forces, security agencies, and academic institutions.
A high-level delegation led by IIT Guwahati Director Prof Devendra Jalihal recently briefed Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on plans to set up nodal centres in premier institutions. The project aims to enhance collaboration between defence stakeholders and the country’s leading research bodies, IIT Guwahati said in a statement on Friday.
Prof Jalihal, also chief patron of the Manekshaw Centre of Excellence, said the centres would “act as an interface between academia and defence forces” with membership from IITs, IISc, IIITs, and NITs. “The centre will periodically carry out dialogue with defence agencies and actively participate in designing systems for Indian security needs. It will work towards finding Indian solutions, fulfilling the aspiration of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” he added.
The delegation also included Prof Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, and deputy chief patron, as well as Lt Gen Subrata Saha (Retd), executive chairman and chief operating officer of the Manekshaw Centre of Excellence.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed support for the initiative, highlighting the need for inter-institutional collaborations to tackle evolving national security challenges. He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to building an innovation ecosystem that integrates academia, defence forces, security agencies, and industries.
The concept was first conceived by Lt Gen Saha (Retd) and Prof Sukumar Nandi, Dean of Administration, IIT Guwahati. Currently, the Manekshaw Centre network includes IITs in Guwahati, Madras, Kanpur, Jodhpur, Dharwad, Delhi, Bombay, and Kharagpur; BHU-Varanasi; ISM-Dhanbad; IISc-Bangalore; and IIIT-Delhi, with more institutions expected to join.
With its expanding membership and focus on indigenous solutions, the Manekshaw Centre for Defence and Security Research is poised to play a pivotal role in aligning India’s academic expertise with its defence and security priorities.
