Tirupati:
In a move that proves “top gear” isn’t just for the test track, Kia India has inked a strategic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with IIT-Tirupati, accelerating its commitment to engineering excellence, research-led innovation, and the noble pursuit of future-ready talent—preferably the kind that doesn’t need three cups of coffee to design a working EV prototype.
Over the next five years, Kia will inject ₹35 crores into the academic veins of IIT-Tirupati, aiming to transform it into a veritable pit lane of advanced manufacturing, electric mobility, and sustainable automotive tech. From student internships with PPOs (that’s Pre-Placement Offers, not a new Kia variant), to scholarships that reward both brainpower and bank balance constraints, the MoU brings with it a well-oiled framework of cooperation.
And the crown jewel? A state-of-the-art ‘Makers Laboratory’—a space designed to encourage students to tinker, test, and possibly reinvent the wheel (hopefully not literally). This cross-disciplinary sandbox will see students turning ideas into functional prototypes, all under the watchful eyes of both academia and industry pros.
“This isn’t just an MoU—it’s the engineering equivalent of a turbo boost,” said Gwanggu Lee, MD & CEO of Kia India. “We believe education and innovation go hand in hand like a clutch and gearstick. With IIT-Tirupati, we’re not just building a lab—we’re building legacies.”
IIT-Tirupati’s director, Prof. K. N. Satyanarayana, echoed the excitement: “This partnership gives our students an expressway to global industrial practices. We look forward to building solutions that don’t just move people but move industries forward.”
Also in the works: international academic partnerships with Korean universities for joint research and faculty exchange programs. Think of it as a multi-lane expressway to global innovation.
So while most MoUs come with cake and customary handshakes, this one comes with potential patents, sustainable powertrains, and a lab full of caffeine-fueled engineers ready to design the future.
Bottom Line:
Kia and IIT-Tirupati have shifted the collaboration game into sixth gear — and the journey has just begun.
