NEW DELHI: Finnish telecom gear maker Nokia said that it has joined hands with the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi (IIT-Delhi) to work together in areas of data science, analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Nokia's rival Ericsson is already working with the institute to develop use cases around the 5G technology.The collaboration will allow IIT-Delhi to leverage Nokia’s technological leadership and expertise in communications networking to conduct research in these areas. The talented students and faculty of India’s premier institute will work in projects with Nokia’s top technical minds to explore ways to make networks more efficient and reliable.“We are pleased to work with some of the brightest minds of the country at IIT-Delhi. Collaboration with universities and educational institutes fosters innovation and can help resolve complex challenges our industry is facing. New technologies require fresh thinking and working with the scholars of IIT-Delhi will allow us to push the boundaries of what is possible; the collaboration will help us to prepare for the future, for which skills in analytics and artificial intelligence are essential,"Amit Dhingra, vice president of Global Service Delivery at Nokia, said in a statement.Under the collaboration, IIT-Delhi research scholars from the applied mathematics, statistical and computer science fields will work with Nokia in India to develop software modules based on AI algorithms with machine learning, deep learning and predictive analytics.Nokia said that the aim of this collaboration is to help Nokia enhance its service delivery to be even more efficient and reliable. The self-learning and pre-emptive capabilities will also help Nokia’s service delivery to be 5G ready.“We are delighted to work with Nokia in emerging and exciting areas of technology. Working with major technology firms like Nokia allows us to develop new capabilities in advanced technologies. The collaboration will not only provide crucial exposure to our students in the new technologies but will also enable them to put theoretical topics, like analytics, to practical use," B. R. Mehta, Dean of R&D at IIT-Delhi, said.The MOU is part of the University Connect initiative of Nokia’s Global Service Delivery, which through its innovations and expertise helps global telecom operators to enhance the quality, efficiency and speed of their networks and services.