BIT Mesra, IIT Kanpur Sign 5-Year MoU for Joint Research

BIT Mesra and IIT Kanpur sign a five-year MoU for joint research, student exchange, internships and co-supervised Master’s and PhD projects.

Birla Institute of Technology (BIT) Mesra and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur have signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for joint research, student exchange and co-supervised Master’s and PhD work, the Ranchi-based institute said on 3 November 2026. BIT Mesra Vice-Chancellor Prof Indranil Manna and IIT Kanpur Director Prof Manindra Agrawal signed the agreement.

What the BIT Mesra IIT Kanpur MoU covers

The partnership spans five areas:

Undergraduate and postgraduate research
Student exchange and internships
Joint supervision of Master’s and PhD students
Academic programmes
Training for staff and officers

Under the research component, faculty from both institutes will jointly guide undergraduate projects from the third year onwards and postgraduate projects from the first semester. Students will get summer and winter internships, short-term courses and workshops at either campus.

Shared labs and faculty exchange

The agreement also provides for shared access to research facilities, faculty exchange and faculty development programmes, along with short-duration training for staff and officers. BIT Mesra students will be able to join joint research projects, visit IIT Kanpur’s specialised laboratories and take part in exchange programmes, subject to the terms of each activity.

“Through this partnership, we aim to create new opportunities for our students and faculty to engage in advanced research, benefit from specialised academic expertise and work on challenges that have national relevance,” Prof Manna said. He linked the tie-up to the Viksit Bharat @2047 goal, saying joint research and technology development would help prepare graduates for the country’s emerging scientific needs.

Why it matters for higher education

The deal widens BIT Mesra’s links with the IIT system after its five-year MoU with IIT Kharagpur in June. For IIT Kanpur, it adds to a busy few weeks of outreach, from its workshop with BHU and CSJMU on AI in teaching and assessment to the ₹1 crore Made in Fire Fund for student startups.

Co-supervised research from the third year gives undergraduates at a deemed university early access to IIT-grade labs and mentors, a model that institute-to-institute partnerships such as the IIT Bombay and BITS Pilani MoU have also used.