Walmart and IIT-M to collaborate in research, education, CSR

Grants for faculty research and scholarships and fellowships for students planned

Walmart Global Tech (WGT) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M), to accelerate research in new areas of technology. IIT-M will also provide associates of the global firm with continuing education and collaborate on projects for Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The MoU was signed on March 9 in Chennai in the presence of Suresh Kumar, Global Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Development Officer (CDO), Walmart Inc., Prof Mahesh Panchagnula, Dean—Alumni and Corporate Relations, IIT-M, and the US Consul General in Chennai, Judith Ravin.

Through this corporate partnership, IITM students and WGT associates will work on research projects together, facilitated by the Centre for Industrial Consultancy and Sponsored Research (IC&SR) at IIT-M.

In addition, the institute said that WGT would use space in the IIT-Madras Research Park to leverage the broader ecosystem and work with the start-up companies incubated by the IIT Madras Incubation Cell.

WGT will also have access to several short and long-term education and training programmes to upskill talent and fit the changing needs of the retail and eCommerce industry, it added.

"WGT develops and manages the foundational technologies on which our customer experiences around the world are built," said Kumar, an IIT-M alumnus. "We are a human-led, tech-empowered company, and our talented associates in India are critical to driving Walmart's global businesses and leading the next retail disruption,"

Panchagnula said WGT and IIT-M have many areas for collaborative growth, such as sustainability, AI, and energy engineering.

Ravin welcomed the collaboration between global retail giant Walmart and India's topmost technology institution IIT-M in her remarks.

"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," she said.

The institute said WGT and IIT-M would engage in CSR activities and make available grants for faculty research and scholarships and fellowships for students.

Check out the latest videos from DH: