MoUs with IISc Bangalore, IIT Bombay, AICTE; 300 scholarships for Indians key highlights of India-Canada meet

India and Canada have formalised over 12 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) spanning artificial intelligence (AI), clean energy, and student-faculty exchange programmes, dual degrees across leading universities and institutions, such as IISc Bangalore and IIT Bombay, marking a major reset in bilateral education and research collaboration during Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s visit to India.

A key highlight among the announcements is the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in AI and Research by McGill University in collaboration with Jubilant Bhartia Foundation, the foundation of Jubilant Bhartia, the pharmaceutical conglomerate.

According to the joint statement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Canadian counterpart, “An industry-relevant master’s programme (will be launched) that will train 200 top graduates each year and prepare them for high-impact global careers in AI. McGill will leverage its research-driven AI ecosystem and academic rigour, while Jubilant Bhartia Foundation will lead industry engagement, stakeholder outreach, and infrastructure development in India. Together, the partners aim to create a long-term national hub for AI talent, innovation, and leadership.”

In another major initiative, the All-India Council for Technical Education (AICTE) has signed an MoU with Mitacs Inc. under which 300 Indian students will be selected annually for fully funded 12-week research internships under the Globalink Research Internship programme, beginning 2027. The initiative supports international research collaboration across disciplines – from science, engineering, and mathematics to the humanities and social science.

“Recognising the value of industry and academia partnerships, both sides intend to establish a programme of cross-border work-integrated learning opportunities that will enable Indian engineers and researchers to gain hands-on experience at Canada’s world class AI research institutes and Canadian engineers gaining exposure to India’s expertise in the large-scale deployment of digital public infrastructure ecosystem,” the statement added.

The announcements were made during PM Carney’s four-day bilateral visit to India – his first official visit since taking office and the first bilateral visit by a Canadian prime minister since 2018. Prime Minister Carney was accompanied by a Canadian high-level delegation that included senior ministers, provincial leaders and leading CEOs.

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IISc Bangalore, IIT Bombay: Pacts on AI, clean energy

Artificial intelligence emerged as a central pillar of the partnership. University of Toronto signed a new AI-focused MoU with Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bangalore to advance collaboration in research and education, while also renewing its partnership with the Jio Institute to expand cooperation in AI and management. In Mumbai, the University of Toronto India Foundation, supported by Tata Trusts, announced an Indian-based research and entrepreneurship centre aimed at building “more sustainable and climate-resilient cities of all sizes.”

Clean energy and climate technologies also featured prominently. Simon Fraser University signed an MoU with the Hydrogen Association of India to advance joint hydrogen research and innovation. Meanwhile, Saskatchewan Polytechnic and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay’s National Centre of Excellence in Carbon Capture Utilisation and Storage Technology formalised collaboration in advanced carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) technologies, connecting field-scale expertise with academic research leadership.

Several universities expanded academic mobility and pathway programmes. Agreements involving University of British Columbia, Algoma University, Dalhousie University and Indian institutions, including OP Jindal Global University and SRM Institute of Science and Technology, will facilitate student and faculty exchanges, dual-degree programmes and structured academic transitions.

“Collectively, the announcements underscore a deepening education partnership anchored in research, skills development and industry-aligned training across both countries,” the statement added.

Other MoUs with Indian institutes and universities include Parul University, Chandigarh University, ATLAS SkillTech University, Panjab University and Cambridge International School, focussing on academic progression, transnational education.

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India-Canada Talks: Indo-pacific scholarships

During the visit, an India-Pacific scholarship was announced, under which over 85 graduate students and researchers from 11 Canadian post-secondary academic institutions will travel to India to collaborate with leading Indian academics through the Indo-Pacific Strategy’s $10 million Indo-Pacific Scholarships and Fellowships programme, the statement added.

“The leaders underscored the central role of education and talent mobility in advancing people-to-people ties between India and Canada,” the joint statement stated.