• Collaboration will seek to foster industry-relevant engagements and competence

Kanpur, 20 March 2026: Crisil Limited and the Wadhwani School of AI & Intelligent Systems (WSAIS), IIT Kanpur, have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen collaboration in artificial intelligence (AI) and intelligent systems.

As part of the collaboration, a Crisil Lecture Series would be instituted to bring industry and academic experts to IIT Kanpur to deliver talks on AI, cybersecurity, robotics, intelligent systems, and emerging technologies relevant to industry.

A Crisil Student Award will also be instituted, to be presented annually during the IIT Kanpur Convocation to recognise outstanding academic performance among students of the Department of Intelligent Systems.

Says Ms. Pooja Mirchandani, President & CHRO of Crisil, “Our partnership with IIT Kanpur is an exemplar of industry- academia collaboration that supports student learning and develops talent that is equipped to meet the challenges of emerging technologies.”

Crisil has also expressed interest in continuing engagement with WSAIS through recruitment visits for internships, interaction with students of the Department of Intelligent Systems, and encouraging students to work on industry-relevant problems.

Following the signing of the MoU, Prof. Nitin Saxena, Dean of WSAIS, said, “We are excited to partner with Crisil Limited. This collaboration will provide our students with industry exposure and opportunities to work on real-world AI challenges.”

Among others present at the signing of the MoU, were Ms. Sweta Mehta, Global Campus Lead, Human Resources, Crisil, and representatives of IIT Kanpur, including Prof. Amey Karkare, Dean of Resources and Alumni (DoRA), Prof. Indranil Saha, Head, Department of Intelligent Systems, WSAIS, and Prof. Manjesh Kumar Singh, Chairperson, Students’ Placement Office.

About IIT Kanpur

The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, established in 1959, is recognized as an Institute of National Importance by the Government of India. Renowned for excellence in science, engineering, and interdisciplinary education, IIT Kanpur spans a 1,050-acre lush green campus and comprises 20 departments, 27 centres, three interdisciplinary programmes, and three specialized schools. With over 570 faculty members and more than 9,500 students, the institute continues to lead in innovation, research, and holistic development.

For more information, please visit: www.iitk.ac.in