Chennai, Aug 12:Indian Institute of Technology Madras and Computer Age Management Services are extending and expanding their collaborations under the CAMS IIT Madras FinTech Innovation Lab to drive the next phase of innovation in financial technologies, startup development, industry-driven research and professional education.
The renewed partnership aims to strengthen India’s rapidly evolving digital financial ecosystem through deeper industry-academia collaboration.
These initiatives are being taken up through ‘CAMS IIT Madras FinTech Innovation Lab’. It was established in 2022 through a collaboration between IIT Madras and CAMS as part of its CSR Initiatives. It brought together CAMS’ expertise in financial technology and financial services with IIT Madras’ academic and research capabilities to promote innovation in the BFSI sector.
In its next phase, CIFIL will start focusing on emerging areas such as AI in financial services, digital payments, blockchain and tokenisation, cybersecurity, Regulatory Technology, WealthTech, InsurTech, digital lending, data analytics and financial inclusion.
The Lab will also work towards expanding its research portfolio, developing intellectual property, facilitating technology transfer and creating opportunities for commercialisation of research-led solutions.
A new MoU towards these upcoming initiatives was signed on 12th August 2026 at the IIT Madras campus between CAMS and IIT Madras in the presence of leadership teams from both the organizations.
Reflecting on the journey of CIFIL and the next phase of the collaboration, Mr Anuj Kumar, Managing Director, CAMS, said,
"Organisations that have spent decades serving an industry develop deep expertise, but some of the most transformative ideas often emerge from outside conventional boundaries. They come from researchers questioning accepted models, students bringing fresh perspectives and innovators experimenting with new technologies. CIFIL was established to create this intersection between industry experience and academic exploration. As we renew our partnership with IIT Madras, we look forward to fostering an environment where bold ideas can be explored, challenged and shaped into solutions that create long-term value for the financial services ecosystem."
This partnership will also provide students with opportunities to engage directly with industry through research projects, internships, hackathons, expert interactions and startup mentoring. These initiatives are aimed at providing practical exposure to financial technology challenges while strengthening students’ research, innovation and entrepreneurial capabilities.
Emphasizing the importance of such key industry-academia partnerships, Prof. V. Kamakoti, Director IIT Madras, said
“The CAMS FinTech Innovation Lab is a significant step forward in IIT Madras’ commitment to drive innovation in the rapidly evolving field of financial technology. By combining IIT Madras’ research excellence and CAMS’ deep industry expertise, this partnership has the potential to strengthen and accelerate growth to build cutting edge fintech solutions for Bharat’s financial ecosystem. We are excited about the innovation and the real-world impact this partnership is going to herald in the coming years.”
A key focus going forward will be strengthening support for fintech startups and entrepreneurs. CIFIL will provide access to technical and faculty expertise, mentoring, industry networks, validation support, research collaborations and innovation challenges. The Lab will also seek to connect promising startups with relevant industry opportunities and enable them to develop solutions addressing real-world challenges in financial services.
Looking forward to high-impact outcomes, Prof. M. Thenmozhi, Head – CAMS IITM Fintech Innovation Lab and Professor, Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras, said,
“Our vision for CIFIL is to emerge as a global centre for innovation and research in FinTech and co-create fintech solutions that cater to unsolved problems in the Banking, Financial markets and Financial services sector and develop fintech ventures of the future.”
CIFIL is further expanding its talent development initiatives through professional education programmes. This also includes Professional Certificate Programme in FinTech and Certificate Programme in Personal Financial Planning. They are designed for working professionals, entrepreneurs, researchers, students and aspiring fintech leaders. These programmes provide exposure to emerging technologies, industry use cases and evolving financial services models. Participants who successfully complete the Professional Certificate Programme in FinTech and meet the academic requirements will receive a Professional Certificate from CODE, IIT Madras, through CIFIL.
For industry partners, CIFIL provides a platform to work with IIT Madras faculty and researchers on business and technology challenges, evaluate emerging technologies, develop proofs-of-concept and undertake applied research. The Lab also facilitates interaction between industry, academia, startups, regulators and other stakeholders in the financial ecosystem.
Since its inception, CIFIL has supported multiple fintech research projects, conducted national hackathons with industry participation, mentored startups through incubation and pre-incubation initiatives, developed executive education programmes and established collaborations with banks, regulators and industry partners. Its work has also contributed to innovation across areas including digital payments, AI, blockchain, cybersecurity and wealth management.
