In a move aimed at bolstering urban digital infrastructure, the Airawat Research Foundation (ARF) of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur and Kanpur Smart City Limited have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance the operations of the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) under the Kanpur Smart City initiative.
IIT Kanpur founded the non-profit organisation ARF to run the National Centre of Excellence for AI in Sustainable Cities.
The ICCC serves as the technological nerve centre of the city, enabling real-time monitoring, data analytics, and management of civic services, including traffic, waste management, public safety, and emergency response. With this collaboration, ARF will contribute its advanced research capabilities, innovation expertise, and technical guidance to optimize the functioning and efficiency of the ICCC.
Through a collaboration with the Airawat Research Foundation, the plan calls for integrating the Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) with five neighbouring districts: Unnao, Fatehpur, Hamirpur, Auraiya, and Kanpur Dehat.
The partnership is expected to drive smarter governance and streamlined service delivery, while paving the way for more data-driven decision-making across departments. Both parties expressed confidence that this collaboration would set a benchmark in integrating academic research with urban governance solutions.
Officials noted that this MoU marks a significant step forward in realizing the vision of a digitally empowered, citizen-centric urban ecosystem in Kanpur.
