NEW DELHI, India -- 3 August 2000 -- In a significant move to further contribute to the development of networking and Internet skills in India, Cisco Systems, Inc., has signed Memorandums of Understanding with two leading technology institutes - the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, and the Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani. This will include the provision of advanced networking labs, scholarships and internships for students and agreements to work toward research collaborations.

Cisco Systems, the leading global provider of Internet solutions, also recently signed an agreement with ERNET India, an autonomous society under the Ministry of Information Technology of the Government of India, to jointly work toward advancing training and research in networking and Internet technology.

"The MoUs with IIT Delhi and BITS Pilani, both significant contributors to the information technology industry in India, reinforces Cisco's commitment to the country. This is our second fastest growing market worldwide and we believe in giving back to the community," said Mr. Manoj Chugh, President, India and SAARC Region, Cisco Systems.

The agreements with IIT Delhi and BITS Pilani will include:

• Advanced networking labs with the latest innovations and equipment from Cisco;
  
• Five fellowships for MS/PhD students of each institute per year;
  
• Internships for IIT Delhi and BITS Pilani students at Cisco's Global Development Center in Bangalore; and
  
• Future collaborations between researchers from the institutes and Cisco.

"India has become a global center for software research & development. With the rise to prominence of Internet and networking technologies, we now need to build up the capabilities of our engineers in such areas. Our work with a world leader in the Internet such as Cisco will be a key foundation of that development effort," said Prof. Anshul Kumar, Head of Department of Computer Science, IIT Delhi.

IIT Delhi is one of the six Indian Institutes of Technology created as centers of excellence for higher training, research and development in science, engineering and technology in India. The IIT system is famous for its innovative and demanding academic programs and for the quality of its graduates many of whom are leaders and innovators in major businesses and academic institutions worldwide. The IIT system is also the lynchpin of the information technology revolution in India and leads research and innovation efforts in all major branches of engineering.

"As the leading private sector technology university in India, we look forward to working closely with Cisco in the Internet arena. In the fast moving Internet era, we have very little time to build up the skills and knowledge necessary to enable India to compete in the new economy," said Prof. Janardan Prasad Misra, Professor of Computer Science and Unit Chief of Information Processing Center (IPC), BITS Pilani.

BITS Pilani is an All-India Institute for higher education deemed to be a University by the Government of India. BITS is recognized as a leading Indian Center of technical training. It is one of the very few nationally and internationally recognized Indian Institutes that is a non-governmental organization. BITS was founded by Late Shri G. D. Birla and subsequently developed with the support of the Birla family, who run India's largest private sector business house. For over 25 years, BITS has provided the highest quality technical education to students from all over India admitted on the basis of merit. Its graduates may be found throughout the world in all areas of engineering, science and commerce. BITS symbolizes the maturing of Indian technical ability and "can-do" entrepreneurial spirit, especially as derived from the private sector.

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