UNSW Sydney has announced a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for strategic collaboration with Deloitte India to establish a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in AI & Innovation at the new UNSW Bengaluru campus in India. This strategic collaboration aims to link academia, students and industry to accelerate future-ready talent for India’s dynamically evolving economy and will focus on creating a platform that integrates education with industry-relevant practice, applied research and knowledge exchange. UNSW Bengaluru students thus will benefit from direct exposure to real-world problem solving and practical industry insights from India’s leading-edge AI and innovation network of practitioners.
The collaboration, set to commence from April 2026, with a phased rollout of programs, research initiatives and industry engagement activities, aims to strengthen India’s position as a global hub for technology and innovation by building a robust pipeline of skilled talent, advancing applied research, and supporting entrepreneurship.
Aligned with India’s National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 vision, the CoE will serve as a multi-dimensional platform that brings together academic excellence, industry engagement, and innovation. This strategic collaboration is designed to address the growing demand in India for globally competent, industry-ready graduates across high-growth sectors such as artificial intelligence, data science, cyber security, and digital transformation.
At its core, the CoE will embed industry-integrated learning into the student experience through real world challenge projects, experiential workplace learning, and practitioner-led teaching. Students will benefit from direct access to Deloitte’s advanced innovation infrastructure, including AI labs, cyber simulation environments, emerging technology platforms and professional networks, enabling them to engage with real-world challenges from the outset of their learning journey.
The MoU will also enable future joint applied research initiatives, with UNSW faculty and Deloitte experts collaborating on industry-relevant problem statements to author white papers, and deliver innovation-led solutions. A dedicated start-up and innovation lab will also support student and faculty entrepreneurship, fostering a culture of experimentation, problem-solving, and enterprise.
Another key pillar of this strategic collaboration is lifelong learning and upskilling, with the goal of introducing executive education and professional development programmes in the future, serving India’s working professionals and corporate organisations seeking to grow AI and innovation capabilities in emerging technology domains.
Professor Sarah Maddison, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education & Student Experience) at UNSW Sydney, said: “This exciting partnership reflects UNSW’s commitment to delivering education within a connected, industry-engaged ecosystem, exposing students to hands-on applied learning and preparing graduates for the work of today and the future. As Australia’s number one university for employment outcomes, UNSW’s strategic collaboration with Deloitte India creates pathways to accelerate students with the confidence, adaptability, and purpose required to thrive in a rapidly changing world. The partnership supports UNSW’s 10-year ‘Progress For All’ strategy and our long-term commitment to India as an education and innovation partner”.
Kamlesh Vyas, Partner, Deloitte India, added: “In the current landscape, strengthening the link between workplaces and classrooms is a shared priority, starting with deeper integration across education, applied research and real-world practise. Fundamentally, this COE will serve as a comprehensive platform that brings together academic excellence and industry engagement to harness capabilities in AI and innovation for solving industry-relevant problem statements, extending beyond students to working professionals”.
