Hyderabad, May 13: International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad and Athenian Tech Private Limited signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen collaboration in artificial intelligence driven cybersecurity research, education, and industry engagement.
The partnership aims to advance innovation in AI and machine learning powered cybersecurity solutions, digital identity protection, cyber resilience, and skill development.
The agreement was formalised by Prof. U Deva Priyakumar, Dean of Research and Development at IIIT Hyderabad, and Dr Kanishk Gaur, Chief Executive Officer of Athenian Tech Private Limited.
Officials said the collaboration would combine academic expertise with industry capabilities to create practical cybersecurity solutions and strengthen India’s digital ecosystem.
Focus on AI and ML in Cybersecurity
Under the partnership, both organisations will jointly develop capacity building programmes through government and industry collaboration. They will also organise awareness campaigns, workshops, stakeholder interactions, and specialised training initiatives.
The initiative will particularly focus on developing courses related to artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in cybersecurity. Both institutions described AI driven cyber defence as one of the most critical technology challenges in the current digital landscape.
Speaking about the collaboration, Prof. U Deva Priyakumar said India has built strong digital infrastructure but now needs to invest equally in securing it. He stated that IIIT Hyderabad believes research should solve real world problems and described cybersecurity as an urgent and complex challenge.
He added that Athenian Tech’s expertise in digital risk management, identity protection, and threat intelligence would help bridge the gap between academic research and practical cybersecurity needs.
Dr Kanishk Gaur said cyber threats are evolving rapidly and organisations are facing increasing risks from identity theft, financial fraud, ransomware attacks, cryptojacking, and advanced persistent threats.
According to him, technology alone cannot address these risks and India requires skilled researchers, engineers, and cybersecurity professionals who understand digital threats both theoretically and practically.
He also said the collaboration with IIIT Hyderabad would help create joint courses, research projects, and intellectual property that could become a benchmark for industry academia partnerships in cybersecurity.
The partnership is expected to create new opportunities for research, innovation, and workforce development in the cybersecurity sector.
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