Deakin's India-Focused Research Secures Major Australia-India Grants to Advance Cyber and Critical Technology Innovation

NEW DELHI, Aug. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Deakin University, Australia, celebrates its outstanding researchers who are shaping the future of Australia–India collaboration. Through the success of multiple competitive grant awards, they are accelerating research excellence, pioneering innovation, and strengthening the flow of talent, ideas, and opportunities across borders.

Building on Deakin's pioneering bilateral contribution, researchers from the Deakin Cyber Research and Innovation Hub and the Deakin Applied Artificial Intelligence Initiative have received funding under the Australia–India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP). The projects bring together researchers from Deakin and leading Indian and South Asian institutions to tackle pressing cyber and critical technology challenges facing the Indo-Pacific.

Established in 2020, the Australia–India Cyber and Critical Technology Partnership (AICCTP) supports collaboration between Australian and Indian research, industry, government and civil society organisations. The latest awards highlight the role of bilateral research talent in advancing innovation, technological resilience and bilateral cooperation.

The funded projects focus on:

• Post-Quantum Cryptography Migration in the Indo-Pacific, led by Deakin in partnership with IIT Madras.
• Quantum-safe Digital Public Infrastructure, led by Deakin in collaboration with Symbiosis International University and VIT.
• Securing Critical Energy Supply Chains Using AI and Blockchain, led by La Trobe University in collaboration with Deakin and IIT Kanpur.
• Addressing Barriers to Safe, Standards-Based AI Adoption, led by Swinburne University of Technology in collaboration with Deakin, IIT Palakkad, River Venture Studio (Singapore), Kumaraguru College of Technology

Professor Robin Doss, Director of the Deakin Cyber Research and Innovation Hub, said, "Australia and India share an increasingly important partnership built on knowledge, innovation and talent. These projects reflect the depth of that relationship and our shared commitment to developing secure, resilient and future-ready technologies that will benefit both nations and the broader Indo-Pacific region."

These latest grants complement Deakin's broader commitment to building innovation-led partnerships. Earlier, the Deakin SME Research Centre secured an A$340,000 Australian Government Maitri Grant for the initiative, Empowering Innovation: Australian FDI Initiatives for Building Innovation Centres in India, designed to help Australian SMEs better understand India's innovation landscape through workshops, policy insights and an India roadshow.

"At Deakin, we believe the strongest impact comes from bringing great talent and partners together. Our work across Australia and India is about co-creating solutions that build capability, drive innovation and deliver real benefits for communities and industry," Ravneet Pawha, Vice President (Global Engagement) and CEO (South Asia), Deakin University, mentioned while welcoming these awards.

These collaborations reflect the growing ambition of the Australia–India partnership in critical technologies, research and innovation, bringing together universities, industry and research institutions to advance areas such as AI, cybersecurity and quantum technologies while strengthening talent mobility and innovation pathways between the two countries.

As Australia and India deepen cooperation in strategic sectors, Deakin remains committed to fostering partnerships that drive innovation, build capability and deliver lasting benefits for industry, governments and communities.

To learn more about Deakin's cutting-edge cyber and critical technology innovation and how you can participate, please visit the Deakin Cyber Research and Innovation Centre

About Deakin University: Established in 1974, Deakin University successfully combines excellence in teaching, research and effective partnerships with industry and government to deliver high-quality courses and undertake research that makes a difference to the domestic and international communities it serves.

Deakin's South Asia operations commenced in 1994 at New Delhi, India, making it one of the first overseas education providers to set up operations in this region. Here, Deakin engages with the government, industry, and academia to share its vibrant culture of education and research.

To know more about Deakin University and its various initiatives as part of its 'in India, with India, for India' approach towards engagement, please visit https://www.deakin.edu.au/