IT Ministry, Indian Army forge strategic partnership for advanced technologies

NEW DELHI — The Military College of Telecommunication Engineering (MCTE), Indian Army and Society for Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering & Research (SAMEER) have forged a strategic partnership to strengthen the technological capabilities of the Indian Army.

The MoU plans to establish an ‘Advanced Military Research and Incubation Centre’ at MCTE, to focus on advanced wireless technologies for the Army, according to the Ministry of Electronics & IT.

SAMEER is an autonomous R&D laboratory under the IT Ministry.

The key objectives include joint research and development towards leveraging combined expertise in 5G, 6G, advanced cellular technologies, software-defined radios and cognitive radios, satellite communications, antenna design, free space optics, and tropo-scatter communications, as well as AI, Quantum, and military-specific chip design.

The MoU was signed by Lt Gen K H Gawas, Commandant, MCTE; Dr PH Rao, Director General, SAMEER, in the presence of senior officials.

“This initiative marks a significant milestone in strengthening the Indian Army’s technological capabilities which are aligned towards the declared vision for 2024 as ‘Year of Technological Absorption for Indian Army’ by the Chief of Army Staff,” the IT Ministry said.

The partnership between SAMEER and MCTE represents a shared commitment to exploring new technological frontiers and addressing modern battlefield challenges.

As part of the MoU, an incubation centre will support the development of military-specific innovative solutions from conceptualisation to large-scale production, involving MSMEs and start-ups.

In addition, the MoU also aims at knowledge exchange, training and development aspects.

“The collaboration between SAMEER and MCTE aims to enhance national security and technological infrastructure, with potential benefits that will not only be limited to the military but will go much beyond,” said the IT Ministry.