Accenture, IIT Madras To Conduct Deep Technology Research For Industrial Automation, Robotics And Advanced Automotive Technologies

Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) have set up a Center of Excellence (CoE) to undertake collaborative research projects and jointly develop intellectual properties and thought leadership focused on digital engineering and manufacturing across industries.

Specific areas of collaboration will include autonomous robotics systems (ARS), industrial internet of things (IIoT), digital twin systems (DTS) and advanced automotive technologies such as electric mobility services. The CoE will also work as an incubator and identify disruptive early-stage startups to drive innovation and research in these areas.

“Advanced digital technologies can help enterprises drive new levels of productivity, competitiveness and sustainable growth in a fluid and rapidly changing environment, and industry academia partnerships are crucial for developing solutions and talent for the future,” said Mahesh Zurale, senior managing director, lead – Advanced Technology Centers in India, Accenture.

"With increasing use of digital technologies in manufacturing, breakthrough innovations in areas such as AI, IoT, autonomous robotics systems and digital twins are necessary to fuel the next era of industrial revolution,” said Raghavan Iyer, senior managing director, Innovation lead - Integrated Global Services, Accenture Technology. “Through our collaboration with IITM, we look forward to working with some of the brightest talent in technology to create powerful and purposeful solutions that can drive impact.”

Welcoming this partnership, Dr. V Kamakoti, Director IITM said, “As a premier technology institution in India, we have been actively collaborating with innovative organizations globally to co-innovate disruptive products and services in new and emerging areas. We are excited to be setting up this new Center with Accenture as it not only aligns with our interest and objectives, but also brings intellectual and practical skills that are necessary for our student researchers for the future.”

University collaboration has been key to Accenture’s innovation agenda. The company has been collaborating with leading universities around the world to jointly develop forward-looking thought leadership, research, educational programs, and other activities. Most recently, Accenture collaborated with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Bengaluru to establish Accenture Center for Advanced Computing.

About Accenture

Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations services and Accenture Song — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 710,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities. Visit us at accenture.com.

About IIT Madras

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM) was established in 1959 by the Government of India as an ‘Institute of National Importance.’ The activities of the Institute in various fields of Science and Technology are carried out in 16 academic departments and several advanced interdisciplinary research academic centres. The Institute offers undergraduate and postgraduate programmes leading to B.Tech., M.Sc., M.B.A., MTech., M.S., and Ph.D., degrees in a variety of specializations. IITM is a residential institute with more than 600 faculty and 9,500 students. Students from 18 countries are enrolled here. IITM fosters an active entrepreneurial culture with strong curricular support and through the IITM Incubation Cell.

Recognized as an Institution of Eminence (IoE) in 2019, IITM has been ranked No.1 in the ‘Overall’  category for the fourth consecutive year in India Ranking 2022 released by National Institutional Ranking Framework, Ministry of Education, Govt. of India. The Institute has also been ranked No.1 in the ‘Engineering Institutions’ category in the same Rankings for seven consecutive years – from 2016 to 2022. It was also adjudged as the ‘Top innovative Institution’ in the country in Atal Ranking of Institutions on Innovation Achievements (ARIIA) in 2019, 2020 and 2021. ARIIA Ranking was launched by the Innovation Cell of Ministry of Education.