Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral
Sri Siddhartha Academy of Higher Education (SSAHE), Karnataka’s Deemed-to-be-University, has announced a strategic collaboration with upGrad School of Technology to embed an industry-aligned School of Technology within the university’s existing engineering programmes. The initiative aims to strengthen academic delivery by integrating application-first learning, research exposure and industry relevance from the very start of a student’s academic journey.
Under the collaboration, upGrad School of Technology, led by CEO Vishwa Mohan and Chief Revenue and Outcome Officer Mehul Khandhedia, will provide academic and curriculum advisory support while enabling deeper industry integration across SSAHE’s engineering framework. The approach includes research exposure, build sprints and continuous specialisations supported by AI-first learning technologies that deliver personalised learning pathways, real-time skill tracking and enhanced academic support.
Building on its experience in job-focused technology education, upGrad School of Technology will strengthen SSAHE’s engineering curriculum with practitioner-led modules in emerging fields such as Quantum Computing, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Robotics and Full Stack Engineering. Students will gain hands-on experience through extensive coding practice, project-based learning and structured industry-linked opportunities designed to foster product thinking and early exposure to real-world tech roles.
The initiative is being driven under the leadership of SSAHE Chancellor and Karnataka Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara, who described the collaboration as a transformative step for the institution. He said the partnership would bring global education standards and innovation-driven learning to SSAHE campuses, preparing students to lead India’s next wave of technological advancement. Advisor to the Chancellor, Dr Vivek Veeraiah, added that the collaboration would seamlessly integrate industry-driven, application-first learning to ensure graduates are future-ready technologists.
In later phases, students will gain access to prototyping labs, seed-support channels and masterclasses by global founders and CTOs, enabling them to ideate, build and validate ventures within the university’s innovation ecosystem. The initiative promises three key outcomes: opportunities to work with leading global technology companies, structured entrepreneurial pathways with access to funding support, and a comprehensive ecosystem for deep-tech research in India and abroad.
Speaking on the collaboration, Vishwa Mohan and Mehul Khandhedia highlighted the importance of complementing strong academic foundations with real-time, application-focused learning to ensure students graduate as industry-ready contributors. upGrad Founder Ronnie Screwvala added that as India transitions from cost competitiveness to capability leadership, partnerships like this will play a crucial role in shaping the next generation of innovators and job creators.
In its first phase, upGrad School of Technology will focus on university partnerships across South India, with plans to scale the model nationally. The collaboration will be formally inaugurated in Bengaluru on 20 December, bringing together academic and industry leaders to discuss how India’s engineering youth can contribute to the vision of Viksit Bharat.
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