The IAF IIT Madras agreement for an indigenous digital secure communication system for airborne applications was signed by the Indian Air Force's Software Development Institute (SDI), IIT Madras and IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday. The three partners will jointly design and develop the system.

Air Vice Marshal Sarabjit Singh, Commandant of SDI, and Dr MJ Shankar Raman, Chief Executive Officer of IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation, signed the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA). Prof V Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, was present at the signing.

IAF IIT Madras agreement covers communication and networking algorithms

Under the agreement, the IAF will work with IIT Madras and IITM Pravartak on advanced algorithms for communication systems and networking.

Such algorithms decide how data is protected and passed between aircraft, ground stations and command centres, so that information moves quickly and cannot be read or altered by an adversary.

System aimed at cutting reliance on imported technology

According to the Ministry of Defence, the indigenous system is meant to reduce dependence on imported technology and improve the operational efficiency of the Indian Air Force. The ministry said the effort is in line with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision of building homegrown capability in defence.

Self-reliance has been a running theme for the force this autumn. Aatmanirbharta featured in the vision Air Chief Marshal Ashutosh Dixit set out after taking over as Chief of the Air Staff on October 31, and the IAF briefed around 100 drone firms, MSMEs and start-ups on its unmanned systems roadmap at Vigyan Bhawan in October.

Agreement follows a December 2025 MoU

The MoA builds on a Memorandum of Understanding the same partners signed in December 2025 for the joint design and development of the system. That document was signed by Air Vice Marshal R Guruhari, then Commandant of SDI, along with Prof Kamakoti and Dr Shankar Raman.

The move from an MoU to an MoA takes the partnership from a statement of intent to a formal working arrangement.

At the MoU stage, the focus areas were listed as advanced encryption protocols, secure data transmission, resilience against threats, scalability for airborne networks and integration with existing defence systems, according to reports at the time. The IAF IIT Madras agreement now carries that work forward under signed terms.

Bengaluru institute pairs with IIT Madras technology hub

SDI, based in Bengaluru, is the IAF's software development establishment. IITM Pravartak Technologies Foundation is the technology innovation hub at IIT Madras, and Dr Shankar Raman has signed for it at both stages of the partnership.

IIT Madras was also among the participants lined up for the DRDO-led session on semiconductors and next-gen chips at ESTIC-2026 in New Delhi in October.

Deployable prototypes expected from the project

When the MoU was signed last December, officials said the project would combine the IAF's domain expertise at SDI with the research facilities at IIT Madras, and was expected to produce deployable prototypes to support the IAF's mission.