Bhubaneswar: KIIT Deemed to be University and Utkal Chamber of Commerce and Industry Limited (UCCL) have initiated discussions to strengthen industry-academia collaboration aimed at supporting Odisha’s expanding manufacturing and industrial ecosystem.
A recent roundtable meeting between the two institutions brought together academic leaders, industry representatives, researchers, and members of UCCIL to explore cooperation in areas including workforce reskilling, internships, applied research, supply chain optimisation, and technology adoption, KIIT said in a release.
Welcoming the participants, Dr. Ajay Pradhan, Vice President of the Institute Industry Innovation Initiative (i4) at KIIT and KISS, said the initiative seeks to build a meaningful partnership by aligning the university’s educational, research, and incubation capabilities with the practical needs of industries in Odisha.
He said the proposed collaboration would focus on workforce reskilling and upskilling, industry-oriented research projects, and structured internship and placement opportunities for students.
Highlighting KIIT’s academic strength, Dr. Pradhan stated that the university can provide skilled technical manpower across multiple levels, ranging from ITI and polytechnic graduates to engineering and management professionals capable of contributing directly to industrial operations and projects.
He also noted that industry participation would help make academic research and teaching more market-oriented and outcome-driven.
As part of the short-term roadmap, KIIT and UCCIL proposed setting up dedicated working groups on skill development, research and development, internships, and supply chain management. These groups are expected to prepare action plans within the next 90 days.
The discussions also included plans to introduce pilot reskilling programmes and internship batches with measurable outcomes linked to employability and productivity enhancement.
Dr. Pradhan further proposed a long-term “Institute Industry Innovation Partnership” framework involving regular roundtable interactions, an industry advisory council for curriculum and research planning, shared laboratories, guest faculty exchanges, and industry-sponsored research initiatives.
