Deloitte today announced a strategic collaboration with IIT Roorkee to deliver rigorous, immersive programs in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) that are designed to build the next generation workforce. This relationship aims to revolutionize how organizations and academia work together to bridge the AI talent gap and develop future leaders with a higher level of AI proficiency. This collaboration can impart industry-relevant skills to Indian talent in new-age tools and create a roadmap for the future of AI.
Deloitte’s collaboration with IIT Roorkee aligns with the “Digital India” vision of the Government of India aiming for a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy. Given India’s scale of tech savvy talent, the robust technology ecosystem, the proliferating opportunities requiring digital skills in all fields, and the growing innovation-led entrepreneurships, AI proficiency will be pivotal in addressing current, emergent and future employment opportunities and in helping make the workforce market-ready.
The collaboration between Deloitte and IIT Roorkee will focus on a prioritized set of initiatives in the AI space. The two organizations will:
- Design and deliver AI and machine learning certification courses to educate Deloitte practitioners via the Deloitte AI Academy.
- Offer a work-study program for IIT Roorkee scholars and students to work on AI projects with Deloitte. Also, Deloitte will provide fellowships for doctoral research on AI and advanced analytics
- Promote AI fluency for aspiring students and the community at large with online learning courses thus enabling digital empowerment of citizens and talent pools.
“We at Deloitte are committed to developing new talent with the right skill sets to deliver on the benefits of AI for business and all of society,” said Jason Girzadas, managing principal, businesses, global and strategic services, Deloitte Consulting LLP. “As we look to facilitate our clients’ journeys to becoming AI-fueled organizations, our collaboration with IIT Roorkee will educate future business leaders, instilling AI proficiency designed to broaden the pool of business-ready, AI talent.”
While highlighting the importance of the collaboration with Deloitte, Professor Ajit K. Chaturvedi, director, IIT Roorkee, said, “The coming together of IIT Roorkee and Deloitte will create new opportunities for both of us. In fact, this partnership has the potential to strengthen the AI roadmap of India.”
“The Deloitte AI Academy’s collaboration with IIT Roorkee brings together in-depth business knowledge, mastery of technology and the rigor of academics to provide practitioners with an immersive learning experience that will accelerate their careers and help them thrive in the increasingly dynamic AI market,” said Nitin Mittal, principal, U.S. AI leader, Deloitte Consulting LLP and Vishal Sharma, president and national managing director, Deloitte Consulting US India.
Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee is among the foremost of institutes in higher technological education, engineering and applied research. Celebrating the 175th year of its founding, the Institute has played a pivotal role in providing technical know-how and the pursuit of research. The Institute ranks amongst the best technological institutions in the world and has contributed to all sectors of technological development. It is considered a trend-setter in education and research in the fields of science, technology, and engineering. To cater to the growing needs in the areas of AI and ML, IIT Roorkee has established Mehta Family School for Data Science and Machine Learning which offers MTech in data science, MTech in artificial intelligence and a Ph.D. program and will soon offer a full-fledged BTech in data science and artificial intelligence from the autumn 2022 semester. The Institute also supports and seeds AI and digital start-ups with resource centers.
