On October 2 in New Delhi, the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, formalized its collaboration with the Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF), an IIT Kanpur’s AIIDE CoE incubated non-profit specializing in cybercrime research and policy. The MoU was signed in the presence of Union Railways, Communications and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, MeitY Secretary S. Krishnan, National Educational Technology Forum Chairman Dr. Anil Sahasrabudhe, UIDAI CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, NIELIT Director General Dr. Madan Mohan Tripathi, Dr. Alok Tripathi, Director (Scheme/Skilling) NIELIT and FCRF’s Chief Mentor Prof. Triveni Singh. The agreement commits both organizations to co-develop advanced training modules, certification programs, and research initiatives addressing emerging threats such as AI-generated fraud, cyber forensics, and digital evidence handling.
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Under the agreement, NIELIT and FCRF will also jointly run national hackathons, awareness drives, and student engagement initiatives focused on safe internet practices and responsible AI use. Law enforcement training programs on incident response and forensic investigations form another key plank of the collaboration, alongside the creation of digital forensic labs for hands-on skill development. In addition to the FCRF agreement, NIELIT entered into a separate MoU with Microsoft.
“Today’s MoU marks a meaningful step forward for applied cybersecurity education in India. Together with NIELIT, we look forward to launching a suite of rigorous certifications and practice-oriented courses in emerging domains, AI-driven fraud detection, digital forensics, incident response, and cyber law, so learners and practitioners can tackle tomorrow’s threats with confidence.” — Prof. Triveni Singh, Chief Mentor, Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF)
Research, Policy, and AI-Driven Threat Response
Beyond classroom skilling, the MoU emphasizes research and development into AI- and ML-based tools for cyber threat detection. This includes developing models to analyze ransomware, phishing, and organized cybercrime patterns. The two parties will also publish research reports and policy recommendations for government bodies, aiming to shape India’s cyber governance framework in line with global best practices.
For FCRF, which has worked closely with law enforcement and regulatory agencies, the partnership represents a scale-up of its research-driven approach. For NIELIT, it deepens its mandate to build industry-oriented skill pipelines in critical areas of national security.
Other Developments at the Launch
The MoU signing took place during a larger ceremony led by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, where NIELIT also unveiled its Digital University Platform. Designed to make online skilling accessible nationwide, the platform will offer flexible courses in emerging technologies. The government also announced five new NIELIT centers in Muzaffarpur, Balasore, Tirupati, Daman, and Lunglei, expanding the physical reach of digital education.
The platform, developed under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), promises flexible online courses and certifications aimed at preparing a workforce conversant in artificial intelligence, data science, cybersecurity, and other emerging technologies.
“Digital education must be both inclusive and industry-relevant,” Vaishnaw declared, as he linked the university launch to the broader goals of the Digital India mission.
