Indian IT giant Tech Mahindra and the University of Salford have agreed a partnership which will see the two collaborating on projects, including work on smart cities.
The IT services and consultancy company employs over 110,000 staff and has offices in more than 60 countries. Students from Salford will be able to get involved with Tech Mahindra projects, thanks to the agreement signed today at the Manchester India Business Summit at Hotel Football.
As part of the deal the University of Salford is aiming ensure that its vocational training meets the high level needs of the economy and is part of its Industrial Collaboration strategy, where working hand in hand with business will benefit all parties.
Helen Marshall, Vice Chancellor of the University of Salford said: “To sign this agreement with such a huge worldwide company is fantastic news for Salford. Our key goal is to work closely with industry to develop our curriculum and ensure that our graduates are job ready when they leave us.
“We will also be looking at research and other collaboration opportunities. We have skills and expertise that can be shared to benefit both parties and society as whole. I’m excited to see what this partnership brings in the coming years.”
Ashish Pandey, VP and client executive, at Tech Mahindra Salford, said key areas the MOU will cover includes tech transformation projects and creating connected experiences for smart cities using automation, the Internet of Things (IoT) as well as research into virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR).
“When we opened our Salford office in April our aim was to be closer to our clients and this kind of MoU is exactly the kind of work we want,” he said.
“Our Salford operation is ideally placed to work with forward-thinking, ambitious businesses and organisations like Salford University.
“By plugging into research and tech talent at Salford University we can share resources and skills to improve the standard of research we undertake. We have been really impressed by the outlook of Salford University and how it sees tech as fundamental to its teaching, its students and its future.
“We can offer Salford University a window into the commercial tech world looking at areas such as smart cities. We can help students understand how tech is used to improve customer experience when they are interacting online with businesses in key sectors such as telecoms, manufacturing, financial services and the media industries.”
Andrew Cowan, CEO Manchester Airport and Manchester India Partnership chair, welcomed the partnership as a boost for the region: “The MoU between Tech Mahindra and the University of Salford symbolises another leap forward for Manchester-India relations, following on from the recent news of a direct flight service between Manchester and Mumbai, which will launch in November. Digital innovation is a priority for Greater Manchester and by collaborating with one of India’s leading IT providers, this is a fantastic opportunity to make the city smarter and more sustainable.”