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.