New Delhi: HCLTech on Wednesday announced a strategic partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur to accelerate research-led innovation for Global Capability Centers (GCCs), underscoring the growing convergence between academia and enterprise R&D.
The two entities have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at converting cutting-edge research into real-world pilots and scalable enterprise solutions, particularly in areas such as artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity and other next-generation technologies.
The collaboration seeks to position HCLTech as a key partner for global enterprises looking to leverage India’s deep-tech ecosystem to strengthen their GCC operations.
Bridging academia and enterprise
Under the partnership, HCLTech will combine its GCC solutions framework with IIT Kanpur’s research capabilities and startup ecosystem. The model is designed to enable enterprises to access advanced research without investing in internal laboratories, while accelerating time-to-market for emerging technologies.
Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, said the institute has strong expertise in translational R&D across AI, intelligent systems and robotics, and the MoU will provide researchers access to real-world enterprise challenges along with research funding and industry mentorship.
Kiran Cherukuri, Executive Vice President and Global GCC Practice Head at HCLTech, said the next phase of GCC evolution will hinge on how effectively enterprises integrate world-class research into business operations.
Focus on GCC 4.0
The collaboration was formally launched at the ‘GCC 4.0: Co-Creating India’s Innovation Powerhouse’ summit in Hyderabad, which brought together over 250 leaders from India-based and global GCCs, startups and the broader technology ecosystem.
Industry analysts note that India’s GCC ecosystem is increasingly moving beyond cost arbitrage toward high-value research, engineering and product innovation. Partnerships between IT majors and premier academic institutions are expected to play a pivotal role in shaping this transition.
HCLTech, which employs over 226,000 professionals across 60 countries and reported consolidated revenues of $14.5 billion for the 12 months ended December 2025, continues to deepen its presence in AI, engineering and digital transformation services.
The IIT Kanpur partnership signals a sharper push toward embedding research-led innovation within India’s expanding GCC landscape.