IIT Guwahati leads 22 institutes sign pact on Northeast India-Japan consortium

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati has announced that 22 institutions from across Northeast have signed a Letter of Intent (Lol) to establish Northeast India-Japan international academic and research consortium.

The engineering institute shared the news through its official X account, and said that the initiative was aimed to strengthen ties in education, research, and industry between the two countries.

“The initiative includes 8 NITs, 2 IIITs, NERIST, AIIMS Guwahati, NERIWALM, Tezpur University, Gauhati University, Cotton University, and Assam Engineering College,” according to an official statement by IIT Guwahati.

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IIT Guwahati: Northeast India-Japan consortium

Japan has been focusing on Northeast India as a strategic region since 2022 under the MEXT Inter-University Exchange Project. As part of the new consortium, around 5,000 students from India and Japan are expected to participate in exchange programmes over the next five years.

The initiative is also expected to create opportunities for collaboration in areas such as science, technology and medicine, while encouraging stronger links between academia and industry.

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IIT Guwahati as nodal institution

IIT Guwahati will act as the nodal institute on the Indian side, while Gifu University will coordinate from Japan. The LoI was signed during the Japan–NER Academia-Industry Cooperation Symposium 2026, which was jointly organised by the two institutions.

Speaking about the development, prof Devendra Jalihal, director of IIT Guwahati, said, “This marks a new beginning, as institutions across states unite to form a unique consortium that brings together engineers, medical professionals, scientists, and policymakers.”

The institute said the collaboration is expected to expand global exposure for students and researchers, while opening up new avenues for joint research and innovation.