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Axis Bank has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS) Pilani, an Institution of Eminence, to establish the Axis Bank–BITS Industry Research, Technology & Innovation Park at the BITS Pilani Hyderabad Campus. This collaboration, with a Rs 100 crore CSR grant, marks a significant step towards strengthening India’s deep-tech and translational research ecosystem by creating an integrated launchpad for facilitating deeper industry-academia collaboration, driving innovation and entrepreneurship.With a focus on Life Sciences, Biopharma, healthcare and medical devices, the proposed Axis Bank–BITS Industry Research, Technology & Innovation Park at the Hyderabad campus is being developed as a dedicated platform to strengthen India’s innovation ecosystem, with a focus on enabling cost-effective healthcare solutions that benefit the public at large. The Park's location in Hyderabad places it at the heart of Telangana's thriving life sciences corridor, anchored by Genome Valley. By embedding academia-led biopharma and deep-tech capabilities within this ecosystem, the partnership supports national priorities for affordable healthcare, translational research, and self-reliance in critical technologies under the Government of India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ initiatives.Under the partnership, BITS Pilani shall guide the Research Park’s governance and research agenda, while Axis Bank shall support its infrastructure development.Spread across approximately 120,000 sq. ft., the Axis Bank–BITS Industry Research, Technology & Innovation Park shall house laboratories, incubation spaces, and diverse shared facilities under one roof, especially supporting innovators from academia, startups and MSME domains through structured partnerships, co-design and co-creation of projects. This will support technology transfer and IP management, and provide ready access to BITS Pilani’s academic expertise and talent. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chancellor, BITS Pilani, said in a statement:“The partnership between BITS Pilani and Axis Bank is exactly the kind of forward-looking collaboration India needs to build stronger innovation systems. The Research Park will help BITS Pilani deepen its work in cutting-edge research and entrepreneurship, while also contributing to solutions that can make a meaningful difference to society. It is encouraging to see academic and industry leaders come together with a shared commitment to research, talent development and lasting national impact.”Amitabh Chaudhry, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Axis Bank, said: “At Axis Bank, we believe that the future of inclusive and sustainable progress lies at the intersection of knowledge, innovation, and purpose. Our collaboration with BITS Pilani resonates strongly with our organisational ethos and our commitment to nurturing ecosystems that can solve real-world challenges. As institutions, we share a collective vision of building conscientious leaders equipped with knowledge and the unwavering resolve to make a difference.”Prof. V. Ramgopal Rao, Vice-Chancellor, BITS Pilani, said: “This MoU represents a powerful alignment of vision between academia and industry. At BITS Pilani, we have always believed that the future of higher education lies in creating ecosystems that are interdisciplinary, research-intensive, and deeply connected to society and industry. The Axis Bank–BITS Research Park will help us build precisely such an ecosystem, one that supports faculty-led innovation, nurtures doctoral research, accelerates translation, and prepares our students to solve complex problems at scale.”