Kanpur: The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (IIT Kanpur) and NMDC Limited, a Navratna Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Steel, Government of India, signed a landmark Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deepen collaboration in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Digital Transformation, and next-generation technological applications across NMDC’s IT and OT ecosystems.
The MoU was signed by Satyendra Rai, Executive Director (Digital Transformation), NMDC Limited, and Dean of Research & Development, IIT Kanpur, in the presence of Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur, Project Director, Project Leads, and Officials from NMDC and I-Hub NTIHAC Foundation (C3iHub).
Under the MoU, IIT Kanpur’s C3iHub will support NMDC in cyber risk assessments, vulnerability analysis, security governance, incident response planning, and benchmarking of Security Operations Centre (SOC) models.
The partnership will also explore AI/ML-driven solutions, digital twins, predictive maintenance frameworks, and advanced data analytics to enhance operational efficiency across NMDC’s mining ecosystem.
During the MoU signing ceremony, Prof Manindra Agrawal, Director of IIT Kanpur, said, “At IIT Kanpur, we have a strong research expertise in the domains of cybersecurity and AI, addressing challenges of national interest. I am confident that this collaboration will not only strengthen cyber resilience across NMDC’s operations but also foster the development of transformative technologies in AI, machine learning, and smart industrial systems in mining applications.”
Both institutions will jointly undertake research, capacity-building programs, and technology pilots, with successful proofs-of-concept evaluated for scalable deployment. The collaboration marks a significant step toward strengthening cyber resilience and accelerating digital transformation in India’s mining sector.
