Chandigarh University Becomes India's First Private University to Launch a Private Internet Technology Research Lab with India Internet Foundation

The rapid advancements in the world of technology in recent decades have not only altered but transformed the dynamics of modern warfare completely. Amid rising cyber warfare threats, growing risks of digital espionage and the increasing weaponization of emerging technologies has indeed made it imperative for India to strengthen its cybersecurity resilience and build next-generation secure communication capabilities that not only ensure the expansion of the country’s digital economy but also safeguard the national defence preparedness.

Chandigarh University Officials along with IIT Guwahati management during National Level ISEA Workshop on Secure and Intelligent IoT Systems at Chandigarh University

And to strengthen India’s cybersecurity and secure communication research capabilities, Chandigarh University in collaboration with the India Internet Foundation (IIFON) has established an Internet Technology Research Lab under the AIORI (Advanced Internet Operations Research in India) framework, becoming the first private university in the country and the third institution overall after IIT Guwahati and IISc Bengaluru to set up such a specialized facility.

Internet Technology Lab at Chandigarh University to Strengthen Indigenous Cybersecurity Research and Build Next-Gen Secure Internet Systems

This initiative is aimed at building a robust indigenous research ecosystem wherein this lab will function as a collaborative platform for research, training and capacity building in internet technologies, internet measurement systems, IoT, DNS infrastructure, quantum-safe DNS and next-generation internet systems with technological inputs, tools, testbeds and research support from the India Internet Foundation.

The AIORI collaboration will provide Chandigarh University students and faculty access to a national-scale research testbed spread across multiple locations and hundreds of measurement anchors, enabling advanced experimentation and development in secure and intelligent internet systems. The initiative also supports course delivery through production-grade testbeds for edge computing, distributed systems, IoT and cloud computing, while creating opportunities for internships, live projects and hands-on training for students.

The collaboration will serve as a catalyst for outcome-driven Industry-academia engagement and capacity building in emerging internet technologies through joint workshops, hackathons, faculty development programs, training programmes and collaborative research projects. Moreover, the access to indigenous research infrastructures, datasets and reference architectures will support innovation in software engineering, advanced analytics and system design aligned to the national cybersecurity priorities.

As the modern warfare rapidly expands into cyber and information domains, experts believe that there is an urgent need to enhance indigenous research capabilities, nurture highly skilled professionals in these emerging domains and build secure communication systems that can strengthen nation’s security by protecting the critical digital infrastructure.

India today is among the most targeted countries globally for cyberattacks. As per the record of the Union home ministry, around 65.9 lakh cyber-fraud complaints involving a total amount of Rs 55,659 crore were reported in the country in the last five years through the National Cybercrime Reporting Portal (NCRP). With India accounting for nearly half of the world’s digital payments and rapidly expanding digital infrastructure, there is a need for robust cybersecurity mechanism and skilled manpower to safeguard the nation’s security and protect its critical digital infrastructure.

Responding to this national and economic security concerns, Chandigarh University and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati have initiated a strategic academic collaboration aimed at strengthening cybersecurity education, advanced research and innovation through joint initiatives under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology’s (MeitY) Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) programme.

IIT Guwahati–Chandigarh University Collaborate to Nurture Future-Ready professionals and build Research Capacity in IoT, Intelligent Systems and 6G Technologies

The collaboration between IIT Guwahati and Chandigarh University expands through the National Level ISEA Workshop (ISEA–SIEEC 2026) on Secure and Intelligent IoT Systems, Edge–Cloud Intelligence and 6G Networks, jointly organized by IIT Guwahati under MeitY’s Information Security Education and Awareness (ISEA) Phase-III initiative and Chandigarh University serving as a key partner institution under the national ISEA framework.

Organized at Chandigarh University on February 6–7, the national workshop that brought together leading academicians, cybersecurity researchers, industry experts and students from across the country, focused on emerging challenges and solutions in secure machine-to-machine communication, intelligent systems and next-generation network security. It is primarily aimed at strengthening capacity building in cybersecurity and digital systems by aligning them to the national priorities.

While IIT Guwahati serves as a hub institution under the ISEA framework, Chandigarh University’s role as a major collaborator enables the dissemination of advanced knowledge, technical training and research opportunities to a larger student and faculty base that in turn will contribute to the capacity building in critical and emerging technology domains.

With India moving toward highly connected digital networks and preparing for future 6G communication technologies, the workshop focused on emerging challenges in secure machine-to-machine communication, edge and cloud intelligence and next-generation network security areas increasingly significant for both for civilian infrastructure and defence communication systems.

The technical sessions delivered by experts from IIT Guwahati, IIT Kanpur, IIT Ropar and other premier institutions from the country covered topics such as securing low power computing, confidential computing across IoT edge cloud environments and sustainable security frameworks for edge AI, offering participants insights into cutting-edge research as well as practical challenges in implementing secure digital systems across sectors including defence, telecommunications and critical infrastructure.

Collaborative Indigenous Research to drive India’s Cybersecurity Preparedness and Tech Resilience

One of the main outcomes of the collaboration is enhanced academic and research exposure for students who engage directly with leading researchers and faculty from country’s premier institutions. The students gain access to emerging domains such as IoT security, intelligent systems and secure communication networks that extend beyond the classroom learning and direct exposure to the national-level initiatives like ISEA and AIORI will also help students open new doors to the career opportunities in research institutions, technology industries and government sectors working in defence technologies, cybersecurity and secure communication systems.

The collaboration between institutions like IIT Guwahati and Chandigarh University will also play a pivotal role in advancing India’s technological and cybersecurity objectives. A panel discussion also held on ‘Secure Systems Engineering through Atmanirbhar Bharat’ to showcase the importance of collaborative indigenous research and innovation and trusted digital infrastructure to establish strong connect among academia, industry and national policy initiatives. As India is moving rapidly into a more connected and technology-driven future, there arise an urgent need to build secure digital systems, intelligent networks and skilled professionals. So, such collaborations as the one between institutions like Chandigarh University and IIT Guwahati would be instrumental in strengthening the academic and research capabilities to meet these emerging challenges to enhance India’s cybersecurity preparedness and technological resilience.

About Chandigarh University

Chandigarh University is a NAAC A+ Grade University and QS World Ranked University. This autonomous educational institution is approved by UGC and is located near Chandigarh in the state of Punjab. It is the youngest university in India and the only private university in Punjab to be honoured with A+ Grade by NAAC (National Assessment and Accreditation Council). CU offers more than 109 UG and PG programs in the field of engineering, management, pharmacy, law, architecture, journalism, animation, hotel management, commerce, and others. It has been awarded as The University with Best Placements by WCRC.

Website address: www.cuchd.in.