The International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIIT-Hyderabad) and the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). They will work together to strengthen India’s digital payments ecosystem.
IIIT Hyderabad’s Cyber Manthan Centre (CMC) will lead the effort. The centre works on cybersecurity, digital forensics and trusted infrastructure. Professor Sandeep K Shukla, Director of IIIT Hyderabad, will lead the institute’s engagement with CMC.
The MoU sets up a framework for joint research and development. It targets new cybersecurity challenges in digital payments. It will also support capacity building through specialised training and research. The aim is a skilled workforce that can handle evolving security threats. That, in turn, should make India’s digital payments ecosystem more secure, resilient and trusted.
Dilip Asbe, Managing Director and CEO of NPCI, said the partnership combines industry experience with academic expertise. It aims to advance cybersecurity research and produce practical solutions for emerging risks.
Director Prof. Sandeep K. Shukla said the collaboration gives IIIT Hyderabad a platform to study cybersecurity challenges specific to digital payments. It will also let the institute explore how emerging technologies can improve payment security. He added that capacity building matters just as much. Relevant parties need to acquire and grow specialised skills to secure the next generation of digital payment systems, he said.
