Policy Update
Charu Singh
Background:
In March 2010, the Cabinet Committee on Infrastructure (CCI) approved the establishment of the National Knowledge Network (NKN) at an outlay of Rs 5990 Crore, to be implemented by NIC over a period of 10 years.
The National Knowledge Network (NKN) is an advanced, pan-India network introduced to connect universities, research institutions, libraries, laboratories, healthcare, and agricultural institutions using a high-bandwidth and low-latency backbone. The objective of this network is to enable seamless access to information, creating an efficient knowledge society. without any boundaries or restrictions.
The network will enhance access to collaborative research and advanced applications in fields such as science, technology, medicine, and governance. The project is spearheaded by the national Informatics Centre (NIC) and is administered and operated primarily from New Delhi, reflecting its national significance.
Types of Institutions Connected by NKN:
| Category | Examples of Institutions |
| Central Universities | Delhi University, JNU, BHU |
| IITs | IIT Delhi, IIT Bombay, IIT Kanpur, etc. |
| IIMs | IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, etc. |
| NITs | NIT Trichy, NIT Surathkal, etc. |
| Medical Institutes | AIIMS, PGIMER, NIMHANS |
| Research Labs | CSIR, ICAR, ISRO, DRDO |
Note. Adapted from “NKN_Brochure.pdf,” by National Knowledge Network, 2024, https://nkn.gov.in/documents/NKN_Brochure.pdf. Copyright 2024 by National Knowledge Network.
Functioning:
The NKN’s network design is of a tiered architecture having an ultra-high-speed Core consisting of multiples of 10, 40, and 100Gbps that helps in interlinking major nodes. It has a distribution layer with extendable links branching from core network to regional hubs. Moreover, there is an access layer that has Gigabit-speed connections branching to district levels, enabling access across urban and rural India. In today’s date, NKN has linked over 1800 institutions that include the IITs, IIMs, and various other medical institutions, research labs, and universities.
It ensures global integration by peering with leading global National Research and Education Networks (NRENs). The central operation centre of NKN is located in Delhi. Due to NKN’s feature of advanced security, resiliency, and a robust management framework, the network supports collaborative, multidisciplinary research.
Note. Adapted from National Informatics Centre, https://www.nic.gov.in/service/nkn/
Performance:
The NKN has demonstrated great success in establishing a digital backbone of India’s academic and research ecosystem. The network has performed impressively in terms of network reach and connectivity by connecting over 18000 institutions nationwide and features a multigigabit architecture supporting speeds of 10/40/100 Gbps. Moreover, it also extends to global networks like National Research and Education Networks, which enabled its presence internationally in Geneva, Singapore, and Amsterdam.
It has also made a significant educational impact by providing access to 34 deployed supercomputers at more than 200 academic and research institutions under the National Supercomputing Mission. Under this, the network efficiently facilitated the completion of over 1 crore compute jobs, and the publication of 1500+ research papers
Impact:
Owing to its broad connectivity covering multiple institutions, universities, and research labs, it has successfully fostered a seamless academic and research environment across the country. This has also resulted in collaborations among researchers, scholars, and students from regions around the country to participate in various projects, boosting discoveries and innovations.
NKN provides an excellent platform for distance education, increasing accessibility through virtual classrooms, digital libraries, and advancing education to reach even marginalized and distant communities.
It makes the government initiatives more efficient by linking key institutions securely, hence providing critical e-governance applications. It has also significantly impacted the healthcare outreach through the effective dissemination of medical knowledge across the country by connecting various medical institutions. In this way, NKN forms the backbone of India’s digital and research infrastructure.
Emerging issues:
As the network is expanding, so are its chances of getting cyber attacked. It may become a target due to the vital research data it holds. It would be a crucial challenge to protect the integrity of the network under cybersecurity threats. In addition to that, due to infrastructural and geographical constraints, NKN faces the challenge of making its network as vast as being able to connect the rural regions as well.
The network would also have to effectively increase its interoperability by collaborating with global research networks and advance technology, which could be technically complex but is vital. Moreover, these upgrades and their maintenance will require continued or sometimes more than usual funding and financial investments to match the global advancements.
Way forward:
Efforts will need to be made to secure the NKN since it’s the backbone of India’s digital knowledge and research base. Therefore, strengthening the cybersecurity framework should be a priority, and regular audits should be conducted to ensure that the data and the network’s integrity are protected. To keep pace with technological advancements and cater to data-intensive research, it is crucial to expand the network’s capacity by increasing its bandwidth, hardware, and software.
This will also require leveraging emerging wireless, satellite, and other technologies to enhance accessibility to remote areas. Furthermore, what would accelerate the network’s progress significantly would be more collaborations. Partnerships between the government, academia, various other industries, and international bodies will enable the co-creation of the best practices and results. Moreover, to make the funding sustainable, public-private partnerships can be explored, and funding strategies can be opted for that would enable the continuous advancement of the network. Lastly, one of the most important tasks at hand is to promote innovation within the network to make it best equipped for the future.
This needs to be done by integrating AI and utilizing next-generation digital services. NKN remains the torchbearer for knowledge and innovation in India while significantly contributing to India’s global research presence. However, to ensure that it remains the pillar that it is, it’s crucial to ensure that it continues to adapt to the fast-evolving digital landscape.
References:
- National Informatics Centre. (2024, October 31). National Knowledge Network. https://www.nic.gov.in/service/nkn/
- National Knowledge Network. (2024). NKN_Brochure.pdf. https://nkn.gov.in/documents/NKN_Brochure.pdf
- National Knowledge Network. (2009, December 31). About Us. https://nkn.gov.in/about-us-lt-enn
- National Knowledge Network. (2024). Connected Institutions. https://nkn.gov.in/en/connected-institutions-enn
- Government of India, Press Information Bureau. (2025, April 27). The NKN connects academic institutions and R&D labs. https://www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=154345&ModuleId=3p
About the Contributor:
Charu Singh is currently pursuing her postgraduate degree in Political Science (Honours) from Gargi College, University of Delhi. She is a research intern at IMPRI.
Acknowledgment:
The author sincerely thanks Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja and the IMPRI team for their valuable support.
Disclaimer:
All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
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