NatWest Group has entered into a strategic partnership with the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi), through its Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer (FITT), to strengthen collaboration between industry and academia and engage with leading technology talent and skills.
By working with IIT Delhi’s world class academic and research community, the partnership will explore innovation programmes, pilot initiatives and industry-led research to accelerate innovation across areas such as artificial intelligence, fintech, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies.
As FITT’s first partnership with a global bank, the partnership will support stronger collaboration through joint programmes involving researchers, startups and students. A key focus will be applying academic research to real business challenges, creating opportunities for NatWest colleagues and students to contribute to new ideas and research that support customer needs quickly and sustainably.
Commenting on the partnership, Scott Marcar, Chief Information Officer, NatWest Group, said: “To meet customers’ changing needs, we need to keep investing in people, skills and new ideas. Working with leading universities like IIT Delhi helps us to shape the next generation of technology talent and the direction of innovation, strengthens our long‑term ability to keep evolving, and supports our work to make banking simpler, safer and more effective for our customers.”
Ruchika Panesar, Country Head, India and Chief Digital and Information Officer, Group Functions, NatWest Group, said: “India is a strategic engine for NatWest’s technology, innovation and future growth, powered by the depth and quality of talent here. Partnerships like this with IIT Delhi help us strengthen our talent pipeline and deepen our engagement with the academic and startup ecosystem, while accelerating innovation in customer experiences, technology, data and AI. Together, these collaborations enable us to build differentiated capabilities in India that deliver meaningful outcomes for the enterprise.”
Dr. Nikhil Aggarwal from FITT-IIT, Delhi, said: “This partnership reflects FITT’s core mission of translating cutting-edge research into real-world impact. By working closely with NatWest Group, we are creating a powerful model of industry-academia collaboration where innovation moves beyond labs into scalable solutions, while nurturing talent that is ready to solve complex global challenges.”
This partnership builds on NatWest Group’s continued investment in India as a strategic hub, including the opening of its new Bengaluru office last year.