14 November 2024: Today Autodesk and the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster skills development in the next generation of engineers, designers, and innovators, preparing them for success in design and make industries.
The collaboration will combine Autodesk’s industry expertise with IIT Bombay’s leadership in education, research, and innovation. The objective is to train and provide skills to top talent, support India’s growth, and shape the country’s technical and scientific landscape. The MoU was signed by Mr. Steve Blum, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Autodesk and Professor Ravindra Gudi, Dean of Alumni and Corporate Relations at IIT Bombay, during a ceremony at the IIT Bombay campus.
The MoU was signed in the presence of Autodesk President and CEO, Andrew Anagnost, during his visit to India, and IIT Bombay Director Professor Shireesh Kedare, along with other executives. The collaboration with IIT Bombay is part of Autodesk‘s ongoing commitment to equip students with the skills of the future.
Mr. Steve Blum, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Autodesk stated “We are excited to partner with IIT Bombay, a leader in the field of engineering education and research worldwide. This MoU underscores Autodesk’s commitment to fostering innovation, promoting skills development and greater equity and access to the world of work. As the industry strives for continuous innovation and sustainable outcomes, partnerships with academia play a significant role in creating opportunities for collaboration and helping the industry to embrace digital transformation.”
Professor Shireesh Kedare, Director of IIT Bombay shared “We are delighted to partner with Autodesk in empowering tomorrow’s engineers, designers, and innovators. Through Autodesk’s Fusion, Forma, and Flow platforms, our students will gain access to transformative tools and hands-on experiences that will enable them to excel in today’s competitive design and manufacturing landscape. This collaboration will bridge academic learning with cutting-edge industry technology, foster innovation, and position our graduates as vital contributors to India’s progress in science, technology, and sustainable industry practices. Together, we are paving the way for a new era of workforce readiness that will shape the future of India’s design and make industries.”
The Design and Make industries — encompassing architecture, engineering and construction, design and manufacturing, and media and entertainment – employ nearly 300 million people worldwide and will represent $30 trillion in value globally by 2027.
Autodesk is committed to broadening access to software and technology training to the future workforce of these industries, by providing its software solutions across Infrastructure, construction, water, manufacturing and entertainment for free to over 100 million students and educators across 160,000 educational institutions around the world. More than five million students in over 14,000 secondary and post-secondary schools across India use Autodesk’s software, learning how to train for in-demand skills. As a global partner of WorldSkills, Autodesk’s software was recently used by students competing in WorldSkills and IndiaSkills 2024 – a skills competition where more than 900 candidates nationally showcased their skills in 61 different categories.