Collaboration Between NPCI and IISc Signals Advancement in Blockchain and AI Research in India

India’s National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) has taken a significant stride in advancing research and development in emerging technologies by partnering with the prestigious Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bengaluru. Through a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), NPCI and IISc have embarked on a collaborative journey to explore the realms of blockchain and Artificial Intelligence (AI), aiming to harness the potential of these technologies for transformative innovation.

NPCI, an initiative spearheaded by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), is dedicated to revolutionizing retail payment systems through cutting-edge technologies. Conversely, IISc stands as one of India’s foremost institutions for advanced scientific and technological research, boasting a legacy dating back to 1909. Together, these esteemed entities are poised to pioneer the development of scalable blockchain platforms, a testament to India’s growing commitment to technological advancement.

The collaborative efforts between NPCI and IISc underscore the nation’s steadfast progress towards digital sustainability, recognizing the profound impact of research in deep technologies such as blockchain and AI on the evolution of the payment landscape. Vishal Kanvaty, Chief Technology Officer at NPCI, emphasized the significance of leveraging these technologies to propel India’s journey towards a digitally empowered future, echoing the sentiment of transformative potential embedded within this strategic partnership.

In addition to advancing blockchain platforms, NPCI and IISc’s collaboration extends to the creation of a multi-modal analytics platform tailored to oversee fintech data. This initiative reflects a holistic approach towards leveraging technology to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of financial systems, further cementing India’s position at the forefront of technological innovation in the fintech domain.

Blockchains are digital ledgers that record transactions across multiple computers instead of storing the data on one single network or server. Replacing traditional networks with blockchains would increase the security quotient offered by protocols against record tampering and hacks. The NPCI’s quest to understanding the blockchain technology deeply is not new. Last year, the NCPI had announced the launch of Falcon — an open-source project that aims to simplify the management and use of blockchains.

Back in 2020, the NPCI designed ‘Vajra’, a blockchain-based system for automating payment clearing and settlement processes for NPCI products. In April 2023, a dedicated impact lab aimed at developing and working around blockchain technology has been set up at the Hyderabad campus of the Indian School of Business (ISB).

The government of Telangana also entered into an agreement with the Bharat Web3 Association last February to stir discussions around blockchain technology. As part of this research, the NPCI and the IISc will also conduct research and development around cryptography and machine learning (ML).