Bhubaneswar, October. 30: SMS India Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of SMS group in India, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Siksha ‘O’ Anusandhan deemed to be University (SOA) here to strengthen industry-academia collaboration.
The MoU, signed recently, aims at promoting knowledge exchange, fostering innovation, and strengthening ties between academia and the plant engineering sector. SMS group, which is renowned worldwide for its future-oriented technologies and outstanding service for the metals industry, serves the steel industry, delivering technology, equipment, and services across the steel production value chain, and supports partners through innovation, training, and lifecycle services.
The MoU exchange took place in the presence of Prof. Pradipta Kumar Nanda, Vice-Chancellor of SOA, and Girish Chandraprakash Mandhane, Plant Head of SMS India Bhubaneswar facility. Pratyay Amrit and Nibedita Das, SMS India HR representatives, Dr. Mohammed Abdul Razaque, Faculty In-Charge, and Rohini Barik, Placement Officer, of the Training and Placement Cell of Institute of Technical Education and Research (ITER), faculty of engineering and technology of SOA, were present.
Through this collaboration, SMS India and SOA will work together to deliver industry-relevant training programs for students aligned with market needs, co-develop and update curricula to reflect current industry standards, and facilitate internships and hands-on training opportunities for students. The partners will organize workshops, seminars, and guest lectures featuring domain experts from SMS group and the broader industry with the aim of enhancing job placement outcomes and supporting entrepreneurial pathways for graduates.
This partnership represents a strategic step toward nurturing future-ready talent and enabling impactful innovations within the steel and plant engineering ecosystem. Both parties anticipate measurable outcomes in graduate employability, curriculum relevance, and collaborative research over the duration of the agreement.
“ This MoU with Siksha Anusandhan advances our industry, talent pipeline by delivering hands-on training and co-developed curricula for practical impact”, Mr. Mandhane said after the event.
Prof. Nanda said, “We view this partnership as a catalyst to enhance employability and curriculum relevance through industry-aligned programs and structured internships”.
SMS group is renowned worldwide for its future-oriented technologies and outstanding service for the metals industry. The company applies its 150 years of experience and its digital know-how to provide the industry continuously with innovative products and processes – even beyond its core business – and generates worldwide sales of around 4 billion euros. SMS is the right partner for challenging projects and supports its customers throughout the lifecycle of their plants, enabling profitable and resource-efficient value creation chains. Paving the way for a carbon-neutral and sustainable metals industry is the company’s stated goal. As a global player with German roots, SMS takes responsibility for its more than 13,500 employees.
