Kia India and IIT-Tirupati’s ₹35 Crore MoU Fuels Mobility Innovation
Kia India commits ₹35 crores over five years with IIT-Tirupati—building labs, scholarships, and internships to nurture engineers in electric mobility and advanced manufacturing.
Prakhar
A Landmark Industry-Academia Alliance
Kia India, the country’s leading mass-premium automaker, has signed a five-year, ₹35-crore MoU with the Indian Institute of Technology, Tirupati. This comprehensive partnership underpins a “digital-meets-mechanical” roadmap for automotive innovation—merging Kia’s global R&D prowess with IIT-Tirupati’s burgeoning engineering talent.
Investing in Future-Ready Talent
Over 2025–2029, Kia will fund:
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35 Scholarships for M.Tech students, awarded on merit and need
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Pre-Placement Internships with guaranteed PPOs
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State-of-the-Art Makers Lab, stocked with prototyping tools and smart-manufacturing equipment
These initiatives will funnel fresh ideas into Kia’s electric vehicle programs and sustainable manufacturing processes, ensuring India plays a leading role in next-gen mobility.
Building the ‘Makers Laboratory’
At the heart of the MoU is the Makers Lab—an innovation incubator where students conceptualize, design, and test real-world prototypes, from battery management systems to AI-driven assembly lines. This hands-on ecosystem bridges theory and practice, equipping graduates for seamless entry into Kia’s global engineering teams.
Leadership Perspectives
Kia India MD & CEO Gwanggu Lee calls the pact “a shared vision for India’s technological leadership,” while IIT-Tirupati Director Prof. K.N. Satyanarayana hails it as “a catalyst for nation-building through research excellence and skill empowerment.” Together, they underscore that the real return on this investment is India’s future innovators.
Pioneering Global Collaborations
Beyond domestic labs, the MoU lays groundwork for faculty- and student-exchange programs with leading Korean universities. These cross-border exchanges will accelerate knowledge transfer in areas like EV powertrains, lightweight materials, and circular-economy design—further globalizing India’s engineering footprint.
Why It Matters
In an era where semiconductors and sustainability define competitiveness, Kia’s commitment transcends philanthropy. It forges a replicable model for industry-academia synergy—one where brands don’t just hire talent but co-create it from the ground up. India’s next generation of automotive breakthroughs may well begin here, in a Tirupati workshop humming with ambition.
