Vodafone Idea has partnered with Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) to set up a telecom Centre of Excellence.

The centre has been named InViCT (ICRIER and Vodafone Idea Centre for Telecom), which will drive research advisory and policy support efforts, according to the company statement.

“The CoE (Centre of Excellence) will bring together stakeholders from the government, academia, and industry on a common platform to facilitate the development of a coordinated policy response to emerging technology and business trends for India’s telecom sector,” the telecom company added.

Announcing the alliance between Vodafone Idea (VIL) and ICRIER to set up InViCT, the statement further noted that its core research will focus on the broader areas of policies, regulation, and practice related to telecom and associated sectors, including information and communication technology. It will also provide a forum for sharing insights with the industry, government, regulators, and other academic institutes through regular workshops and round table meetings.

“An MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) to this effect was signed in the national capital recently between Deepak Mishra, Director, and CEO, ICRIER, and P Balaji, Chief Regulatory and Corporate Affairs Officer, Vodafone Idea Limited,” it said.

As India leaps into the 5G era, there is a need to enhance the talent pool, create an environment of technology innovation, secure and manage the national information infrastructure and ensure economic upliftment through increased connectivity.

“InViCT envisages bridging this gap by identifying and capturing the best practices, knowledge creation and sharing, and addressing the needs of regulation, policy, and governance impacting the Indian telecom sector,” the statement said.

Going forward, InViCT may also tie up with the government-recognized incubators to promote research. The New Delhi-based center will be governed and managed by the board under the co-chairmanship of the leading nominees from ICRIER and VIL.

The board includes senior representatives from the Department of Telecom, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, and industry body Cellular Operators’ Association of India (COAI).