- Partnership aims to boost industry exposure, research, startups and market-relevant engineering education
The Indian Electrical and Electronics Manufacturers’ Association (IEEMA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday with Delhi Technological University (DTU) to strengthen industry–academia collaboration in the electrical and electronics sector. The MoU was signed by Binod Doley, Registrar, DTU, and Charu Mathur, Director General, IEEMA, on behalf of the two organisations, in Delhi.
Highlighting the significance of academia–industry engagement, Prateek Sharma, Vice-Chancellor of DTU, said, “This partnership is an important step towards bridging the gap between industry and academia. While many engineers today move towards software roles, strong industry exposure during college is essential to build self-reliance in core sectors. Academia is the best space to experiment, innovate, and learn from failure. The participation of the private sector and R&D investment will drive better outcomes. Continuous industry engagement will ensure students graduate as industry-ready professionals.”
Emphasising the sector’s growth and global competitiveness, Vikram Gandotra, President, IEEMA, said, “India has significantly reduced its import dependence, emerging as a strong global supplier of high-quality products. As the sector continues to witness exponential growth, strengthening industry–academia collaboration is essential to sustain and accelerate this momentum, and this partnership is expected to deliver meaningful and fruitful outcomes.”
Outlining the key focus areas of the collaboration, Charu Mathur, Director General, IEEMA, said, “The collaboration will focus on clear, outcome-driven areas such as supporting start-up expansion and identifying specific industry challenges for DTU to work on. Dedicated slots will also be provided for DTU in technical conferences and research papers, ensuring defined and quantifiable outcomes from this partnership.”
This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IEEMA and DTU is set to institutionalise a long-term partnership under the Industry–Academia Engagement Initiative. This strategic collaboration aims to bridge the divide between theoretical academia and real-world application, fostering a robust ecosystem for innovation and manufacturing excellence.
This comprehensive review for curriculum upgrade by integrating industrial insights into academic programmes will ensure that students are equipped with market-relevant skills in high-growth areas such as clean energy, digital grids, sustainable material and power electronics. Beyond education, the alliance focuses on joint research, start-up mentorship, and policy advocacy to align with India’s national goals for decarbonisation and energy transition.
With IEEMA joining the DTU Industry–Academia Council, this partnership serves as a model for sustained knowledge creation and the development of industry-ready professionals to lead India’s electrical and electronics sector. A Joint Working Group of DTU and IEEMA experts will oversee the partnership. Meeting biannually, the group will approve action plans and monitor progress to ensure the collaboration meets measurable goals.
