MBCIE and IIT Ropar Forge Strategic Alliance to Drive AI Innovation in Industry

Ludhiana, July 19, 2025: In a groundbreaking move that promises to redefine executive education in India, Munjal Birmingham City University Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship (MBCIE) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Ropar, through its Artificial Intelligence Centre of Excellence, officially announced their strategic collaboration to build AI capabilities across industries.

The announcement was made during the Top Management Programme: AI for Leaders, hosted at Hotel Park Plaza, Ludhiana, where over 100 top executives, business leaders, technocrats, and policymakers gathered for a power-packed evening of insights, innovation, and strategic foresight.

The event marked a historic moment as MBCIE was formally declared a Satellite Centre of IIT Ropar, with the two institutions jointly launching certification and diploma programs in Artificial Intelligence targeted at working professionals, entrepreneurs, and students. These programs aim to equip India’s workforce with industry-relevant AI tools, case studies, and hands-on projects across functional domains like Marketing, HR, Manufacturing, Education, Healthcare, and Smart Agriculture.

The program featured an impressive lineup of speakers.

S.K. Rai, MD, Hero Cycles, delivered the Welcome Address, emphasising leadership’s role in adopting future technologies. Dr. Pushpendra P. Singh, Dean CAPS, IIT Ropar, set the tone with an immersive Introduction to AI.Dr Pushpender Pal Singh, Head, Centre, discussed in detail industry-specific breakthroughs based on use cases. It was revealed that AI applications could reduce diagnostic errors by 30% in pilot projects.

Dr. Sudarshan Iyengar, Director AI COE, Annam AI, and Associate Professor at IIT Ropar, delivered the Keynote on AI for Business Leaders, inspiring a future-ready mindset. Prof Sudarshan emphasised that "AI adoption is no longer optional but a strategic imperative," illustrating how even non-technical leaders can drive AI implementation through vision and the right partnerships. Dr. Radhika Trikha, CEO, AWaDH, IIT Ropar, outlined pioneering AI research, smart agriculture, and deep-tech skilling initiatives.

Amrit Singh, CTO, Terafac, presented transformative applications of AI in manufacturing. demonstrated how predictive maintenance and quality control AI systems could save Ludhiana's industries 15-20% in operational costs. 

The formal MoU signing ceremony between MBCIE and IIT Ropar, was followed by remarks from Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman, Hero Enterprise. He lauded the initiative as a critical step toward making advanced technology accessible to India's broader business ecosystem.

Dr. Prem Kumar, Executive Director, MBCIE, then unfolded MBCIE’s roadmap for AI skilling — a robust plan integrating short-term bootcamps, long-term diplomas, and domain-specific certification tracks with real-world case applications.

Umesh Munjal, Chairman, Highway Industries, was elated with the programme and said, "Finally, an AI discussion that spoke our language - business outcomes, not tech jargon" 

JR Singhal, Chairman, Eastman Industries, summed up the event: Leadership Mindset Takes Centre Stage. A recurring theme was that successful AI adoption begins with leadership's willingness rather than technical know-how. "You don't need to code AI, you need to champion it," noted Sunil Kant Munjal, Chairman, MBCIE.

The event concluded with a felicitation ceremony for the resource persons, followed by a formal Vote of Thanks by Ishhan Sood from Centex. A networking dinner provided the perfect close to an evening of collaboration and shared vision.