IIT Bombay and Bajaj Electricals Unite to Illuminate the Future of Smart Cities!

In a landmark move that bridges academia and industry, Bajaj Electricals Ltd. has partnered with the TIH Foundation for IoT & IoE at IIT Bombay to launch the “Smart Streetlight Control” project — an initiative aimed at revolutionising India’s urban lighting infrastructure through intelligent, energy-efficient solutions.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was formally signed at Bajaj’s R&D Centre in Mumbai, symbolising a shared commitment to innovation and sustainable urban development. Key representatives present included Anand Joshi, CTO & Head of R&D at Bajaj Electricals; Yogesh Jagtap, IoT Vertical Head; and Rajesh Naik (joining virtually). From IIT Bombay’s TIH Foundation, the signing was attended by Kiran Shesh, CEO; Dr. Prasad Ramanathan, CTO; and Dr. Ashwini Gajarushi, Engineering Manager.

The first phase of this collaboration focuses on developing AI-driven lighting systems capable of optimising energy consumption, enhancing reliability, and reducing operational costs across large-scale streetlight networks. These smart lighting systems will leverage artificial intelligence, communication technologies, and data analytics to automatically adjust illumination based on traffic flow, weather conditions, and time of day — significantly improving energy efficiency while ensuring safety and comfort for urban residents.

Speaking about the initiative, Anand Joshi emphasised that smart lighting is central to building the cities of tomorrow. “This partnership enables us to combine IIT Bombay’s academic excellence and research depth with Bajaj’s practical experience in deploying large-scale lighting systems across India,” he said. Rajesh Naik added that the project aims to create a new benchmark for smart infrastructure by integrating advanced control and connectivity technologies into everyday utilities.

Kiran Shesh, CEO of the TIH Foundation, echoed the same vision, noting that true innovation emerges when research meets real-world application. “When industry and academia co-innovate, solutions move faster from concept to city streets,” he remarked, underlining the project’s potential to accelerate India’s smart infrastructure roadmap.

This initiative also aligns closely with India’s national priorities — supporting the Digital India and Make in India missions by fostering indigenous innovation, developing scalable solutions, and promoting self-reliance in advanced technology. By combining Bajaj Electricals’ deep domain expertise in lighting and manufacturing with IIT Bombay’s cutting-edge research in AI, networking, and embedded systems, the partnership aims to deliver a next-generation ecosystem for intelligent public lighting.

Bajaj Electricals’ AB Square R&D Centre, established in 2014, has been the company’s innovation nucleus, powering numerous landmark projects such as the LED lighting for Wankhede Stadium and the tunnel illumination for Mumbai Coastal Road. The Smart Streetlight Control initiative represents a natural progression of Bajaj’s efforts to evolve from traditional lighting solutions to digitally connected, energy-optimised systems that form the backbone of future-ready cities.

As India’s urban centres rapidly expand, this collaboration could redefine how city infrastructure operates — transforming streetlights from static fixtures into dynamic, intelligent nodes that respond to environmental cues, communicate with networks, and contribute to the broader vision of connected, sustainable, and efficient urban ecosystems.