TELUS Digital has partnered with the Indian Institute of Science to drive AI research, industry-focused innovation and workforce development through joint R&D, internships, academic collaborations and skill-building initiatives aimed at strengthening India's AI ecosystem.
TELUS Digital, a global technology services provider focused on AI-powered digital customer experiences and digital transformation, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to accelerate artificial intelligence research, foster innovation and develop industry-ready talent.
The collaboration aims to combine IISc's academic expertise with TELUS Digital's large-scale AI engineering capabilities to support cutting-edge research while equipping students with practical experience in solving real-world AI challenges.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was exchanged between Prof. Rajesh Sundaresan, Dean, Division of Electrical, Electronics, and Computer Sciences (EECS), IISc, and Amith Nair, General Manager of AI Services Delivery at TELUS Digital, formalising the partnership.
Joint research and real-world AI projects
As part of the collaboration, researchers from IISc will work alongside TELUS Digital's engineering teams on live research and development projects. The partnership also includes internships, student assistantships and technology development initiatives designed to bridge the gap between academic research and commercial AI applications.
Speaking during the partnership signing event, Amith Nair, General Manager of AI Services Delivery at TELUS Digital, said, "IISc has world-class researchers, and we have AI and digital engineering problems at a scale you can't replicate in a classroom. This partnership puts those together."
Amar Naik, Vice President, Engineering, added, “IISc researchers will work alongside our teams on live R&D projects, move through internships and assistantships with us, and graduate having already solved the kind of problems we hire for.”
Focus on talent development and knowledge exchange
Beyond research, the partnership will support talent development through workshops, technical training programmes, skill-building initiatives, placements and collaborative academic activities. It also seeks to facilitate the exchange of researchers, students, publications and technical expertise between the two organisations.
During the signing event, members of the TELUS Digital team also interacted with students, discussing career opportunities in artificial intelligence and outlining the skills increasingly sought by the industry.
Bridging research and practical deployment
Highlighting the significance of the collaboration, Prof. Ambedkar Dukkipati, Chair, Centre for Scientific and Industrial Consultancy (CSIC), IISc, stated, “IISc conducts cutting-edge research in Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Robotics, and regularly publishes its work in top-tier conferences and peer-reviewed journals. This partnership will facilitate converting scientific research into practical solutions that can be deployed.”
The collaboration is expected to create multiple avenues for joint innovation by combining academic research with industry-driven product development and applied AI engineering.
Strengthening India's AI innovation ecosystem
For TELUS Digital, the partnership reinforces its long-term commitment to India's growing AI and engineering ecosystem. The company said the collaboration will deepen its presence in one of the world's leading technology talent markets while contributing to the country's efforts to strengthen AI research, innovation and workforce readiness.
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