IIT Madras Pravartak, Medhastra join hands to advance Indigenous defence AI

IIT Madras’ Pravartak Technologies Foundation has partnered with Hyderabad-based Medhastra Techsystems to develop indigenous defence artificial intelligence solutions. The collaboration aims to combine academic research with industry expertise to deliver field-ready technologies for the Indian Armed Forces and strengthen strategic self-reliance

Chennai: The technology innovation hub of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, Pravartak Technologies Foundation, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Hyderabad-based defence AI company, Medhastra Techsystems Private Limited, to promote indigenous innovation in defence artificial intelligence.

The MoU was signed at IIT Madras in the presence of Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director, IIT Madras, and Dr. M. J. Shankar Raman, CEO, IITM Pravartak. Air Vice Marshal R. Guruhari (Retd.), Chief Advisor- Defence, Medhastra, was also present, according to a statement.

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“The partnership is part of IITM Pravartak’s wider effort to build India’s capability in strategic and defence technologies by connecting cutting-edge academic research with deep-tech companies that can take it to the field,” said the press release.

IITM Pravartak and Medhastra Techsystems will collaborate on a range of strategic AI initiatives to develop indigenous, field-ready solutions tailored for the Indian Armed Forces.

Highlighting the goal of supporting the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Dr MJ Shankar Raman, CEO, IITM Pravartak, said: “IITM Pravartak is committed to nurturing indigenous technologies that strengthen India’s strategic self-reliance. Defence Al is an area where India must build its own capability, and we are pleased to welcome Medhastra into the IIT Madras ecosystem. By combining the Institute’s research strengths with Medhastra’s focus on defence applications, we aim to accelerate the journey from laboratory to deployment and support the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.”

IIT Madras’ innovation ecosystem is one of India’s leading environments for research, deep-tech start-ups and technology translation, and after the collaboration, Medhastra becomes part of the association, which will give Medhastra closer access to the Institute’s research expertise and innovation network for joint research, faculty collaboration, lab access and student engagement, strengthening its work on sovereign defence AI.

Founder and CEO of Medhastra Techsystems, Abinav Varma Kalidindi said, “Becoming part of the IIT Madras ecosystem is a proud moment for Medhastra. IIT Madras and IITM Pravartak have set the benchmark for turning Indian research into real-world impact.” “We are grateful to Prof. Kamakoti and Dr Shankar Raman for their vision and for their trust in us. Together, we look forward to building sovereign defence AI that is designed, developed and made in India,” he added.

This strategic agreement underscores an accelerating momentum to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial capability. By fostering this synergy, the partnership aims to deliver homegrown defence technologies that directly advance the Government of India’s vision for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.