The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras will collaborate with IBM to launch an online BSc program and augment select courses on the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) platform. The course will offer a quantum computing course, data science, and artificial intelligence (AI) on the NPTEL platform along with technical inputs that will help provide students with a current industry perspective, says the institute.

IBM will also conduct technical sessions for NPTEL partner colleges through their local chapters and for the IITM’s online BSc degree program. These sessions will be free of cost and made available on the NPTEL and IIT Madras’ online platforms.

Prof Prathap Haridoss, Dean (Academic Courses), IIT Madras, said, “Online technical sessions from the IBM experts will provide industry insights to our students in the Online BSc Degree Program. Online mode of learning is making it very convenient for industry-academia partnerships.”

“Technology has emerged as a key business enabler and Indian enterprises have been accelerating adoption of new-age technologies like Hybrid Cloud, AI, Analytics, Quantum Computing and IoT. At the same time, the skills gap of India’s student community continues to widen,” says Mona Bharadwaj, Global University Programs Leader, IBM adding that the collaboration will help equip students with 21st-century skill sets that can build new career paths.

Prof Andrew Thangaraj, Coordinator, NPTEL, IIT Madras, said, “IITs and IISc are able to reach out to a large number of learners through the NPTEL platform. NPTEL currently works with more than 4,000 colleges in engineering, arts, commerce, science, and management disciplines across the country. Many students are taking NPTEL certification exams as it helps them in improving their employability.”

The International Labour Organisation estimates India’s skill deficit will reach 29 million by 2030. A recent survey by IBM Institute for Business Value (IBV) found that approximately 30 per cent of Gen Z and millennial working professionals plan to enroll in a formal degree, certification in 2021.

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