Walmart Global Tech India, headquartered in Bengaluru, said Thursday it will partner with the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT Madras) to accelerate research and skills and collaborate on research projects.
The Walmart Global Technology (WGT) would use the space in the IIT-M Research Park to leverage the wider ecosystem and partner with the startup companies incubated by the IIT Madras Incubation Cell, a press release said.
Through this business partnership, IIT-M students and Walmart Global Technology employees would work on research projects facilitated by the Center for Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (ICSR) at IIT-Madras.
WGT’s team would have access to a variety of short- and long-term education and training programs to upskill talent and respond to the evolving needs of retail and e-commerce.
“Walmart Global Tech develops and manages the fundamental technologies on which our customer experiences around the world are built. We are a people-led, technology-driven company, and our talented employees in India are critical to driving Walmart’s global operations and leading the next retail disruption,” said Suresh Kumar, Chief Technology Officer, Walmart Inc.
“Our partnership with IIT-M will help us further strengthen our teams, collaborate on digital innovation and strengthen the education ecosystem in India,” said Kumar, also the chief development officer.
Commenting on the partnership, IIT-M Dean (Alumni and Corporate Relations) Professor Mahesh Panchagnula said: “WGT and IIT-M have many areas for joint growth, such as sustainability, artificial intelligence and energy engineering.”
“We are eager to grow this into an impact partnership that will benefit a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including students and educators from IIT-Madras,” he said.
The MoU was signed in the presence of IIT-M alumnus and Walmart Inc Global Chief Technology Officer and Chief Development Officer, Suresh Kumar, IIT-M Dean-Alumni and Corporate Relations Professor Mahesh Panchagnula, and US Consul General in Chennai Judith Ravin.
“I welcome the partnership between global retail giant Walmart and IIT-M. Industry-academic partnerships are a great way to strengthen higher education and create a highly skilled workforce that can contribute to our mutual economic prosperity,” said Ravin.
Walmart Global Tech and IIT-M would also engage in corporate social responsibility activities, in addition to grants that would be provided to support faculty research and students with grants and grants.
WGT would sponsor events, advertisements and other branded activities to provide further support, IIT-M said.
