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CentraleSupélec announces the signing of a two-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Safran Electronics & Defense India for the “Computer Science and AI” bachelor’s program, which opened in September 2025 with BITS (Birla Institut of Technology and Science) Pilani, one of India’s most prestigious universities in science and technology. The signing took place at the Alliance Française in New Delhi on Thursday, February 19, 2026, in the presence of Deepak Gupta, Deputy CEO - Safran Electronics & Defense India, Romain Soubeyran, Director of CentraleSupélec, S K Barai, Director of BITS Pilani-Pilani Campus, Prof. Suman Kundu, Director of BITS Pilani-KK Birla Goa Campus; Prof. Ajit Pratap Singh, Faculty director of BITS Pilani, Prof. Sachin Belgamwar, Deputy Faculty director of BITS Pilani, Prof. Gaurav Dar, Deputy Faculty director of BITS Pilani from BITS Pilani, and students from the bachelor’s program.
This event is part of the official visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India on February 18 and 19, as well as the organization of the HUSM (High-level University and Scientific Meetings on the Future of Franco-Indian Cooperation).
The signing of this agreement demonstrates the common desire of both partners to work together to train top-level engineering professionals with the scientific and professional skills expected by players in strategic fields such as telecommunications.
The MoU provides for a four-semester commitment from Safran Electronics & Defense India, during which the company will participate in the implementation of study projects, case studies, hackathons, site visits, and more. It may also offer internships, propose mentoring sessions, and organize workshops and thematic conferences with its experts, particularly around AI. Moreover, Safran Electronics & Defense India will have the opportunity to interact regularly with the bachelor’s students, who are among the best Indian and French talents in science and technology and are considering internationally-oriented careers.
“The signing of this MoU with Safran Electronics & Defense India illustrates our desire to continually enrich our international collaborations with leading French companies. It gives our students privileged access to major industrial groups, recognized worldwide for the quality and strength of their technological innovation. It broadens the opportunities for internships, projects, and interactions they can have with top-level professionals and experts like those at Safran Electronics & Defense India, thus increasing their employability,” commented Romain Soubeyran, Director of CentraleSupélec.
Deepak Gupta, Deputy CEO - Safran Electronics & Defense India, added: “This agreement is part of Safran Electronics & Defense’s investment strategy in India and demonstrates Safran’s commitment to relying on the skills and talents of the Indian industry while actively participating in the country’s industrial development. We are delighted to open our doors and share our projects and ambitions with BITS Pilani students under the aegis of CentraleSupélec.”
“I extend my warmest congratulations and full support for the signing of this agreement, which marks an important milestone in our international engagement. Since its inception, BITS Pilani has been deeply committed to meaningful university industry partnerships, combining academic excellence with real-world impact. At a time when Franco-Indian cooperation is intensifying in strategic fields such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation, and advanced engineering, collaborations of this nature are essential to foster innovation, accelerate applied research, and train international talent ready to tackle upcoming challenges. I am convinced that this agreement between CentraleSupélec, BITS Pilani, and our leading industrial partner, Safran Electronics & Defense in India, will lead to visible commitments, generate high-impact results, and strengthen our shared ambition to co-create tomorrow’s solutions,” said Professor V. Ramgopal Rao, Vice-Chancellor of the BITS Pilani Group.
The joint CentraleSupélec BITS Pilani “Computer Science and AI” Bachelor’s program opened in September 2025. This 100% English-taught engineering program welcomes students wishing to pursue a bicultural and dual-degree education that meets the highest international standards. The first two years are taught on one of BITS Pilani’s campuses (Goa or Pilani), followed by years 3 and 4 in France on CentraleSupélec’s Paris-Saclay campus. Upon completion of the program, graduates receive the BITS Pilani Bachelor’s degree, the CentraleSupélec Bachelor of Global Engineering (institution diploma), and the Licence grade.
Press contact: Claire FLIN - CentraleSupélec
P: +33(0)6 95 41 95 90 - E: clairefline[.]gmail.com.
About CentraleSupélec
Founded in 2015 from the merger of École Centrale Paris (1829) and Supélec (1894), CentraleSupélec (centralesupelec.fr) is now one of the leading French graduate schools for engineering and systems sciences. As a public institution and founding member of Université Paris-Saclay, it welcomes more than 5,400 students each year across four campuses in France (Paris-Saclay, Metz, Rennes, and Reims).
With 18 laboratories and research teams, the school benefits from a unique ecosystem of innovation and technology transfer, supported by 3,000 partner companies and an exceptional alumni network at the origin of more than 1,270 startups, including 10 unicorns with a combined valuation of €82 billion.
Deeply open to the world, CentraleSupélec welcomes 25% international students and collaborates with more than 170 partner universities, among the most prestigious worldwide. As president of the Groupe des Écoles Centrale, it also manages campuses in Beijing, Hyderabad, and Casablanca.
Driven by an ambitious strategic plan, the school aims to double its number of graduates between 2022 and 2032 and strengthen its impact on major societal challenges: ecological and energy transitions, national and European sovereignty, health, and quality of life.
About Safran Electronics & Defense
Safran (safran-group.com) is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defense and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Safran has a global presence, with more than 110,000 employees and revenue of 31.3 billion euros in 2025, and holds, alone or in partnership, global or regional leadership positions in its core markets. Safran undertakes research and development programs to maintain the environmental priorities of its R&T and Innovation roadmaps.
Safran Electronics & Defense offers its customers on-board intelligence solutions allowing them to understand the environment, to reduce mental load and to guarantee a trajectory, even in critical situations, in all environments: on land, at sea, in the sky or space. The company harnesses the expertise of its 19,000 employees towards these three functions: observe, decide and guide, for the civil and military markets.
About BITS Pilani
Founded in 1964, the Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani (BITS Pilani) (bits-pilani.ac.in) is an institution of excellence, recognized worldwide for the quality of its higher education, research, and innovation. Over the decades, BITS Pilani has become a multi-campus university, renowned for its academic rigor, cutting-edge research, and strong industrial and international collaborations. The institution continues to strengthen its academic standing both nationally and internationally. In the NIRF 2025 rankings, the institute secured 2nd place in Pharmacy, 7th place in the Universities category, 11th place in Engineering, and 16th overall, confirming its leadership in key disciplines. Globally, BITS Pilani features in the QS World University Rankings 2026 and the QS Asia Rankings 2026, reflecting its growing international reputation. Accredited A++ by NAAC and supported by more than 100 international collaborations, BITS Pilani continues to develop innovative education and impactful research. During the 2025 2026 academic year, the institute, in partnership with CentraleSupélec (France), launched a joint international Bachelor’s double-degree program in the 2+2 format, focused on Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence.
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