Premium carmaker Kia India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Indian Institute of Technology, Tirupati (IIT-Tirupati), with the objective of fostering engineering excellence, promoting research-led innovation, and nurturing future-ready talent in the fields of automotive and industrial engineering. This MoU will benefit 3,500 students of IIT-Tirupati.
The company has committed an investment of ₹35 crore over the next five years to support academic infrastructure, collaborative research programmes, and student development initiatives at IIT-Tirupati. This collaboration aims to establish the institution as a prominent centre of excellence in advanced manufacturing, electric mobility, and sustainable automotive technologies.
The MoU outlines a comprehensive framework for cooperation, including the introduction of an internship programme with pre-placement offers (PPOs) for students, thereby facilitating seamless industry-academia integration and providing students with meaningful opportunities for professional growth within the company.
Additionally, scholarships and financial assistance will be awarded to deserving M.Tech students, based on both academic merit and financial need, ensuring equitable access to advanced education and resources. A dedicated ‘Makers Laboratory’, a State-of-the-art collaborative space at IIT-Tirupati, will be set up to foster cross-disciplinary innovation.
This facility will enable students to conceptualise, design, and develop functional prototypes, further enhancing the institute’s reputation as a hub for cutting-edge research and applied technological development. This acts like an incubation lab for not only the students of IIT-Tirupati but also from other engineering colleges. Once it is ready, it will benefit 1,000 students per year.
“This partnership is not merely the signing of an MoU. It is the coming together of shared values and a unified vision for the future of mobility and engineering in India. At Kia, we firmly believe in the transformative power of education, research, and collaborative innovation,” Kia India managing director and CEO Gwanggu Lee said in a statement.
“By joining forces with IIT-Tirupati, we aim to nurture highly skilled engineers and technologists, equipped to lead advancements in sustainable mobility and industrial manufacturing. Together, we are building more than infrastructure, we are building opportunities, capabilities, and a foundation for meaningful societal impact.”
“This initiative will provide our students with exposure to global industry practices, global learning opportunities, and advanced infrastructure. Beyond academic benefits, this partnership signifies our joint resolve to contribute to India’s aspirations in sustainable industrial development and technological leadership,” said IIT-Tirupati director K.N. Satyanarayana.
“We look forward to creating impactful innovations and empowering our students to shape the future of mobility. This partnership outlines a bold and collaborative roadmap for innovation, learning and talent development. It is about bridging the academia-industry gap by fostering research in sustainable mobility, nurturing future ready talent through internships and scholarships,” he added.
Published – May 10, 2025 06:35 pm IST
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